Key Facts and Figures

Essential basics and useful websites for planning a move to France...

Formal Name French Republic (République française)
Capital Paris
Main Cities Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse
Official Language French
Currency Euro (€). 1 Euro = 100 cents
Dialling Code +33
Emergency numbers 15, 17, 18 and 112
Time Zone CET (UTC + 1)
Daylight Savings Time Last Sunday in March (clocks go forward by an hour) through to the last Sunday in October (clocks go back by an hour).
Units of Measure Metric System
Electricity 230 volts AC; frequency of 50 hertz
Government Democratic republic with an executive, a legislative and a judicial branch
Population 65,312,249 (July 2011 est.)
Climate Continental (inland), Maritime (north west and west), Mountain (Pyrenees and Alps) and Mediterranean (south coast)
Land Surface 549,970 sq km (metropolitan France)
Coastline 3,427 km (metropolitan France)
French Flag "Le drapeau tricolore"


Useful Web References