Country Information

France has a population of 68 million and is a Republic headed by a President. Legislative power is exercised by Parliament composed of two representative chambers, the Senate and National Assembly, from which the Prime Minister and Cabinet are appointed.

For administrative purposes, France is split into 18 regions (13 metropolitan regions including Corsica) and 5 overseas regions (La Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guyana and Mayotte). The metropolitan regions are further divided into 96 metropolitan departments. The France metropolitan area covers a land area of 551 695 km². Each department is numbered (generally in alphabetical order) from 01 (Ain) through to for example, 90 (Territoire de Belfort).

The capital of France, Paris, is situated in the region Île-de-France. This region is divided into the city of Paris (75), Seine-et-Marne (77), Yvelines (78), Essonne (91), Hauts-de-Seine (92), Seine -St- Denis (93), Val de Marne (94) and Val-d'Oise (95).