Europe / Caspian / CIS
Country profile: France
| Location: | Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain,0 |
| Climate: | generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral |
| Terrain: | mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east |
| Size: | 547030 sq. km total (Land area: 545630 sq. km Water area: 1400 sq.km) |
| Population: | 60,876,136 in metropolitan France (July 2008 est.) |
| Languages: | French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) |
| Government: | republic |
| Capital city: | Paris |
| Legal system: | civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Currency: | euro (EUR) |
| Licensing: |
Country profile
In 2004, France consumed 11.2 quadrillion Btu of total energy. Nuclear energy was the largest share, representing 39 percent, followed by oil (36 percent), natural gas (16 percent) and hydroelectricity (5 percent). France is the second-largest producer of nuclear power in the world, after the United States, however, nuclear energy is a much larger share of France’s total energy consumption than the United States (8 percent in 2004).
Energy production and consumption
| Oil | Gas | |
| Production: | 73,180 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 1 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
| Consumption: | 1 million bbl/day (2005 est.) | 47 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
| Exports: | 474,200 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 863 million cu m (2004 est.) |
| Imports: | 1 million bbl/day (2005 est.) | 47 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
| Reserves: | 158 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.) | 341 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Major fields: |
France - recent news
| 10 Jun 25 |
France: RWE inaugurates its first wind farm in Brittany, France RWE has announced the official inauguration of the Beg Ar C’Hra wind farm, located in the municipalities of Plounévez-Moëdec and Plounérin, in Brittany, France. The project was co-developed in partnership with the Lannion-Trégor semi-public company (SEM). |
| 05 Jun 25 |
France: Ocean Winds celebrates 'first power' at the Yeu-Noirmoutier offshore wind farm Ocean Winds celebrates the successful generation of first power from the Îles d’Yeu and Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm. Following a successful initial testing phase that began on Friday, May 23rd, the project’s first units are now connected to the national grid, supplying clean, renewable energy. |
| 27 May 25 |
France: Nordex Group receives orders for 65 MW in France The Nordex Group has received two new contracts in France, covering the delivery and installation of wind turbines for two separate wind farms. Turbine deliveries and installations for the wind farms located in the French départements of Morbihan and Aisneare are scheduled to begin in mid-2026. |
| 23 May 25 |
France: Qair and Plenitude launch Eolbleu Consortium to compete in France’s Offshore Wind Tender (AO9) Independent renewable energy company Qair, and Italian energy company Plenitude, have announced the formation of Eolbleu, a consortium to respond to France’s Offshore Wind Tender No. 9 (AO9). This ambitious tender includes the development of four offshore wind farms, marking a significant step toward accelerating the country’s energy transition. |
| 13 May 25 |
France: Ocean Winds celebrates the successful installation of the first turbine of the Yeu-Noirmoutier offshore wind farm Ocean Winds celebrates a major milestone in the construction of the Iles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm with the successful installation of its first wind turbine. |
France - more news
Other countries in this region
- Afghanistan,
- Albania,
- Armenia,
- Austria,
- Azerbaijan,
- Belarus,
- Belgium,
- Bosnia and Herzegovina,
- Bulgaria,
- Croatia,
- Cyprus,
- Czech Republic,
- Denmark,
- Estonia,
- Faroe Islands,
- Finland,
- Georgia,
- Germany,
- Greece,
- Greenland,
- Hungary,
- Iceland,
- Ireland,
- Italy,
- Kazakhstan,
- Kyrgyzstan,
- Latvia,
- Lithuania,
- Luxembourg,
- Malta,
- Moldova,
- Montenegro,
- Netherlands,
- Norway,
- Poland,
- Portugal,
- Romania,
- Russia,
- Serbia,
- Slovakia,
- Slovenia,
- Spain,
- Sweden,
- Switzerland,
- Tajikistan,
- Tatarstan,
- Turkey,
- Turkmenistan,
- Ukraine,
- United Kingdom,
- Uzbekistan
