This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook (2003 edition) which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain. World Factbook 2005 cover The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

Airports in France

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1838x1832, 4446 KB) airports in France Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file: Transportation in France ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1838x1832, 4446 KB) airports in France Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file: Transportation in France ...

Railways

Total: 31,939 km (31,940 km are operated by French National Railways (SNCF); 14,176 km of SNCF routes are electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked)
standard gauge: 31,840 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge (1998) An SNCF multiple unit. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ...

Trains, unlike road traffic, drive on the left (except in Alsace-Moselle). Metro and tramway services are not considered trains and thus generally follow road traffic in driving on the right. The Alsace-Moselle is the current legal name of the France that was part of Germany from 1871 to 1919 (and then from 1940 to 1944_1945), consisting of the départements of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin (both of which make up Alsace), and the département of Moselle (itself...

See also: TGV, high-speed rail, French railway history, Chemins de Fer de Provence, Channel Tunnel. This article is about the French high-speed railway system. ... Japanese Shinkansen trains began the development of modern high-speed railways (shown here: West Japan Railway Company 500 Series Shinkansen at Kyoto). ... This is part of the history of rail transport by country series During the early 19th century railway construction began in France with short mineral lines. ... The British terminal at Cheriton, from the Pilgrims Way. ...

Métros: Metro redirects here. ...

• Paris Metro, operated by the RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) and the RER
• Laon, Poma 2000
• Lille, VAL (Véhicule Automatique Léger, "Light Automatic Vehicle"), operated by Transpole.
• Lyon Metro
• Marseille, operated by the RTM (Régie des Transports de Marseille)
• Rennes Metro, VAL
• Toulouse, VAL

Tramways and light railways: Paris Art Nouveau Metro sign The Paris Métro is the metro (underground) system in Paris, France. ... Métro trains entering Église dAuteuil station The Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) is the major transit authority responsible for public transportation in Paris and its environs. ... The RER (Réseau Express Régional, IPA /εr É™ εr/, Regional Express Network) is an urban rail network in Paris and the surrounding ÃŽle-de-France region of France. ... Laon is a city and commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Aisne département. ... The Poma 2000 in Laon, France, is a fully automatic cable-driven mini-metro between the railway station and the city hall (1. ... City motto: – City proper (commune) Région Nord-Pas de Calais Département Nord (59) Mayor Martine Aubry (PS) (since 2001) Area 39. ... VAL is a type of automatic (driverless) light rubber-tired metro, technology based on an invention by Professor Robert Gabillard. ... A rack-railway train of line C at the station Croix-Paquet. ... City motto: Actibus immensis urbs fulget Massiliensis. ... Opened on March 15, 2002, the metro in Rennes is based on Siemens Transportation Systems VAL (véhicule automatique léger or light automatic vehicle) technology. ... The Capitole, the 18th century city hall of Toulouse and best known landmark in the city; in the foreground is the Place du Capitole, a hub of urban life at the very center of the city Toulouse (pronounced in standard French (help· info), in local Toulouse accent (help· info)) (Occitan... Luas - tram system in Dublin, Ireland Volkswagen Cargo-Tram in Dresden on a section of grassed track. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ...

This mode of transport started disappearing in France at the end of the 1930s. Since the 1980s, several cities have re-introduced it.
List of cities operating a tramway or light rail system: This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ...

• Bordeaux, since 2003
• Caen, since 2002, 'trams on tyres' guided bus system featuring a single guidance rail while running on tyres (partially separate tracks)
• Grenoble, since 1987
• Île-de-France
  • T1 between Saint Denis and Noisy-le-Sec, since 1992
  • T2 between La Defense and Issy Plaine, since 1997
• Lille — Roubaix — Tourcoing
• Lyon, since 2001
• Marseille
• Montpellier, since 2000
• Nancy, since 2000, 'trams on tyres' guided bus system featuring a single guidance rail while running on tyres (partially separate tracks)
• Nantes, since 1985
• Orléans, since 2000
• Rouen, since 1994
• Saint-Etienne
• Strasbourg, since 1994

Under construction: City motto: Lilia sola regunt lunam undas castra leonem. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location within France Hôtel dEscoville, 16th century, Caen Anonymous pen-and-ink birds-eye view of the fortifications of Caen (Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris) South Wall of the Castle, a huge fortress in the center of the city Town Hall of Caen Caen train station. ... For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... Adelaide O-Bahn The guide wheel of a guided bus in Mannheim, Germany A Fastway bus in the guided bus lane on Southgate Avenue, Crawley Guided buses are buses steered for part or all of their route by external means, usually on a dedicated track. ... Location within France Grenoble (Occitan: Grasanòbol) is a city and commune in south-east France, situated at the foot of the Alps, at the confluence of the Drac into the Isère River. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Capital Paris Area 12,011 km² Regional President Jean-Paul Huchon (PS) (since 1998) Population   - 2004 estimate   - 1999 census   - Density (Ranked 1st) 11,264,000 10,952,011 938/km² (2004) Arrondissements 25 Cantons 317 Communes 1,281 Départements Essonne Hauts-de-Seine Paris Seine-Saint-Denis Seine-et... Saint-Denis is a commune of France, in the Seine-Saint-Denis département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Noisy-le-Sec is a town and commune of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, in France. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... La Défense, the new skyline of Paris La Défense is a district of high-rise offices, apartment blocks and shopping complexes over part of the communes of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux (all in the Hauts-de-Seine département), to the west of Paris. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... City motto: – City proper (commune) Région Nord-Pas de Calais Département Nord (59) Mayor Martine Aubry (PS) (since 2001) Area 39. ... Location within France Roubaix is a city of northern France, in the Nord département, located near the cities of Lille and Tourcoing and the Belgian border. ... Location within France Tourcoing is a city and commune of northern France, in the Nord département, located near the cities of Lille and Roubaix and the Belgian border. ... City motto: Avant, avant, Lion le melhor. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... City motto: Actibus immensis urbs fulget Massiliensis. ... Location within France Montpellier (Occitan Montpelhièr) is a city in the south of France. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Location within France Nancy (pronounced in French) (German: Nanzig) is a city and commune which is the préfecture (capital) of the Meurthe-et-Moselle département, in the Lorraine région of northeastern France. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Adelaide O-Bahn The guide wheel of a guided bus in Mannheim, Germany A Fastway bus in the guided bus lane on Southgate Avenue, Crawley Guided buses are buses steered for part or all of their route by external means, usually on a dedicated track. ... City motto: Favet Neptunus eunti. ... This article is about the year. ... Orléans cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Cross, built from 1278 to 1329; after being pillaged by Huguenots in the 1560s, the Bourbon kings restored it in the 17th century. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Location within France Rouen Cathedral The entrance to Rouen Cathedral Abbey church of Saint-Ouen, (chevet) in Rouen Rouen, medieval house Rouen (pronounced in French, sometimes also ) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France, and presently the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) région. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... I/Introduction Saint-Etienne is a city located in the Massif Central (center of France), near Lyon. ... City motto: – City proper (commune) Région Alsace Département Bas-Rhin (67) Mayor Fabienne Keller (UMP) (since 2001) Land area 78. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...

• Mulhouse
• Nice
• Valenciennes
• Paris, T3 around the city

Planned: Mulhouse (French: Mulhouse, pronounced ; Alsatian: Milhüsa; German: Mülhausen) in is a town and commune in eastern France. ... City motto: Nicæa civitas. ... Valenciennes is a town and commune in northern France in the Nord département on the Scheldt river. ... , The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, is an international symbol of the city. ...

• Angers
• Brest
• Le Mans
• Toulon
• Tours

Closed: Location within France Angers is a city in France in the département of Maine-et-Loire, 191 miles south-west of Paris. ... Location within France Brest, at the tip of Brittany Brest is a city in the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... Le Mans is a city in France, located at the Sarthe River. ... Location within France Coat of Arms of Toulon Toulon (Tolon in Provençal) is a city in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. ... Location within France Tours Cathedral: 15th century Flamboyante Gothic west front with Renaissance pinnacles, 1547 Tours Cathedral. ...

• Paris, since March 1937
• Caen, 1935

, The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, is an international symbol of the city. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Location within France Hôtel dEscoville, 16th century, Caen Anonymous pen-and-ink birds-eye view of the fortifications of Caen (Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris) South Wall of the Castle, a huge fortress in the center of the city Town Hall of Caen Caen train station. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Rail links with adjacent countries

• Andorra — no
• Belgium — yes
• Germany — yes
• Italy — yes
• Luxembourg — yes
• Monaco — yes
• Spain — yes — break-of-gauge 1435mm/1676mm
• Switzerland — yes
• United Kingdom — yes; see Eurostar

With railways, a break-of-gauge is where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. ... Eurostar, see Eurostar Italia. ...

Roads

Total: 893,300 km (including 10 300 km of Motorways and 30 500 km of Route Nationales) (1998 est.). Most motorways in France are toll and operated by private companies (such as the SAPN). A typical rural county road in Indiana, USA, where traffic drives on the right. ... Motorway mark in Europe. ... A Route Nationale, or simply nationales, is a trunk road in France. ... SAPN, Société des Autoroutes de Paris Normandie is a motorway operator company in France. ...

All french roads have tarmac surfacing.

Specific motorways

• A1 autoroute (France), from Paris to the Belgian border
• A6 autoroute
• A75 autoroute, from Clermont-Ferrand to Béziers
• List of motorways in France
• Paris ring road Périphérique

, The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, is an international symbol of the city. ... The A75 is an autoroute (motorway) in France. ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ... Béziers (Besièrs in Occitan, and Besiers in Catalan) is a town in Languedoc, in the southwest of France. ... This is a list of motorways in France and the towns which they connect. ... Boulevard Périphérique is the French term for a ring road (US: beltway), a motorway or freeway encircling or orbiting a large city. ...

Waterways / canals

14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled

Pipelines

Crude oil 3,059 km; petroleum products 4,487 km; natural gas 24,746 km Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Petroleum (from Greek petra – rock and elaion – oil or Latin oleum – oil ), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold or Texas Tea, is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. ... A gas is one of the four main phases of matter (after solid and liquid, and followed by plasma), that subsequently appear as a solid material is subjected to increasingly higher temperatures. ...

Seaports and harbours

Bordeaux, Boulogne-sur-Mer,Calais, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mulhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint-Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg, Gennevilliers. Categories: Stub | Commercial item transport and distribution | Transportation ... A harbor (or harbour) or haven is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. ... City motto: Lilia sola regunt lunam undas castra leonem. ... Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Location within France The Burghers of Calais, by Rodin, with Calais Hotel de Ville behind J.M.W. Turner: Calais Pier Calais (Dutch: Kales) is a town in northern France, located at 50°57N 1°52E. It is in the département of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is... Cherbourg is a city of Normandy, in northwestern France, in the Manche département, of which it is a sous_préfecture. ... Location within France Street in the centre of Dijon Arc de triomphe known as the Porte Guillaume, on Place Darcy in the centre of Dijon Dijon and suburbs Dijon ( (help· info)) is a city in eastern France, the préfecture (administrative capital) of the Côte-dOr département... Location within France Dunkirk ( French: Dunkerque; Dutch: Duinkerke) is a harbour city and a commune in the northernmost part of France, in the département of Nord, 10 km from the Belgian border. ... La Pallice is the port of La Rochelle, from which it is 3 miles distant, with harbourage for ocean-going steamers. ... Location within France Abbey of Graville, Le Havre An old house in Le Havre Church of St. ... City motto: Avant, avant, Lion le melhor. ... City motto: Actibus immensis urbs fulget Massiliensis. ... Mulhouse (French: Mulhouse, pronounced ; Alsatian: Milhüsa; German: Mülhausen) in is a town and commune in eastern France. ... City motto: Favet Neptunus eunti. ... , The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, is an international symbol of the city. ... Location within France Rouen Cathedral The entrance to Rouen Cathedral Abbey church of Saint-Ouen, (chevet) in Rouen Rouen, medieval house Rouen (pronounced in French, sometimes also ) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France, and presently the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) région. ... Saint-Nazaire is also a commune of the Gard département of France. ... View of the walled city Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northern France on the English Channel. ... City motto: – City proper (commune) Région Alsace Département Bas-Rhin (67) Mayor Fabienne Keller (UMP) (since 2001) Land area 78. ... Gennevilliers is a commune of France, in the Hauts-de-Seine département, in the northwestern suburb of Paris. ...

Merchant marine

total: 55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,155,286 GRT/1,693,030 DWT
ships by type: Bulk 3, cargo 5, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 1, container 5, liquefied gas 4, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 16, roll-on/roll-off 6, short-sea passenger 4, specialized tanker 1 (1999 est.)
note: France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in Iles Kerguelen (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) (1998 est.) The Kerguelen Archipelago is in the southern Indian Ocean at 49°20 S, 70°20 E. The main island Kerguelen, originally called Desolation Island, is 6,675 km2 and it is surrounded by another 300 smaller outcrops, forming an archipelago of 7,215 km². The climate is cold, very windy...

Air travel in France

There are ~478 airports in France (1999 est.) (see List of French Airports). The following is a list of airports in France. ...

Among the airspace governance authorities active in France, one is Aéroports de Paris (see http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/en-GB/Passagers/ homepage]), which has authority over the Parisian region, managing 14 airports including Charles De Gaulle International Airport and Orly Airport.^[1] The former, located in Roissy en France near Paris, is one of Europe's principal aviation centers and is also France's main international airport. Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (IATA: CDG, ICAO: LFPG) (French: Aéroport de Roissy-Charles de Gaulle), also known as Roissy Airport (or just Roissy in French), is one of Europes principal aviation centres, as well as Frances main international airport. ... Diagram of Orly airport Satellite view (in false colours) Orly Airport is an airport located in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, south of Paris, France (, ). It has flights to cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. ... Roissy-en-France, or simply Roissy, is a commune of the Val-dOise département, near Paris, France. ... , The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, is an international symbol of the city. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one. ...

Airports — with paved runways

total: 267
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 92
914 to 1,523 m: 74
under 914 m: 57 (1999 est.)

Airports — with unpaved runways

total: 207
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 76
under 914 m: 127 (1999 est.)

National airline

• Air France
• AOL
• Air Inter

A Boeing 747-400 belonging to Virgin Atlantic Airways, one of the UKs largest airlines. ... Air France Boeing 747 Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before the take-over of KLM, it was essentially the national airline of France, employing 71,654 people (at January 2005). ... America Online, or AOL for short, is a U.S.-based online service provider and Internet service provider that is owned by Time Warner. ... Air Inter was an airline based in France. ...

Heliports

3 (1999 est.)

History

France naturally has a system of large, navigable rivers, such as the Loire, la Seine and le Rhône that criss cross the country and have long been essential for trade and travel. Loire is a département in the east-central part of France occupying the Loire Rivers upper reaches. ... The Seine (pronounced in French) is a major river of north-western France, and one of its commercial waterways. ... Length 800 km Elevation of the source 1753 m Average discharge 1800 m³/ s Area watershed 100,200 km² Origin Rhône glacier Mouth Mediterranean Sea Basin countries Switzerland, France The River Rhône ( Latin Rhodanus, French Rhône, Occitan Rose, German Rotten) is one of the major rivers (ca. ...

The first important human improvements were the Roman roads linking major settlements and providing quick passage for marching armies. These routes these roads followed are copied today by many 'N' class roads. A Roman road in Pompeii The Roman roads were essential for the growth of their empire, by enabling them to move armies. ...

Throughout the middle ages improvements were sparse and mediocre and transport became slow and cumbersome. The early modern period saw great improvements. There was a proliferation of canals connecting rivers (like the Canal du Midi). It also saw great changes in oceanic shipping. Rather than expensive galleys, wind powered ships that were far faster and had far more cargo space became popular on the coastal trade. Transatlantic shipping with the New World turned cities such as Nantes, Bordeaux, Cherbourg and Le Havre into major ports of international importance. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Canal du Midi in Toulouse, France. ... Canal du Midi, Toulouse The Canal du Midi is a 240km long canal in southern France, le midi, linking the Garonne River to the Mediterranean Sea, between Toulouse and the Mediterranean port of Sète, which was created for the canal. ... A French galley and Dutch men-of-war off a port by Abraham Willaerts, painted 17th century. ... Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, c. ... City motto: Favet Neptunus eunti. ... City motto: Lilia sola regunt lunam undas castra leonem. ... Cherbourg is a city of Normandy, in northwestern France, in the Manche département, of which it is a sous_préfecture. ... Location within France Abbey of Graville, Le Havre An old house in Le Havre Church of St. ...

Railways

(see also French railway history) This is part of the history of rail transport by country series During the early 19th century railway construction began in France with short mineral lines. ...

Even in France, where, because of water transport, railways were of lesser importance than in other nations, railways were still an extremely important area of economic development. Despite already having a well developed water transport system, by 1875 railways were carrying four times as much cargo as canals and rivers combined. 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

French railways started later, and developed more slowly than those in other nations. While the first railway built in France was in operation in 1832, not long after the first line had opened in Britain, French progress failed to keep pace over the next decade. 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

After the war of 1870 the French rail system was overhauled and made far more efficient. By 1914 the French rail system was a match for Germany's and played a crucial part in France's victory in the First World War. 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Combatants Allies: • Serbia, • Russia, • France, • Romania, • Belgium, • British Empire and Dominions, • United States, • Italy, • ...and others Central Powers: • Germany, • Austria-Hungary, • Ottoman Empire, • Bulgaria Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total: 8 million Full list Military dead: 3 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total: 6 million Full...

In the 1930s Léon Blum's socialist government nationalised the French rail system, along with many other industries, and the transport system was successful in World War II. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Léon Blum Léon Blum (9 April 1872 - 30 March 1950), French socialist leader and Prime Minister, was born in Paris, into a middle-class Jewish family. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others. ...

After the war the French train system began a slow movement to electric trains. Eventually TGV high speed trains were introduced providing extremely quick links been France's urban centers. This article is about the French high-speed railway system. ... This Virgin Trains High Speed Train is shown here running along the Dawlish sea-front. ...

See also

• France
• SNCF web site
• SNCF UK web site

Notes and References

1. ↑  "Laurine Feinberg appointed to guide the Parisian airports towards the ISO 14001 certification (Press Release)", Aéroports de Paris, February 16, 2005.