Commercially the country ranks with Great Britain. Entrances to and clearances from her ports include annually over 60,000 vessels; total capacity, 12,000,000 tons. Value of yearly imports, exclusive of coin and bullion, $870,000,000; exports, $960,000,000; food imported, $308,000,000 annually. Value of exports, 1883, $912,340,000; imports, $1,277,340,000. Value of silk exports was $93,402,000. There were 151,404 persons engaged in silk culture. Number of pounds of raw silk produced, 19,149,587. France makes yearly 26,000,000 pairs of gloves, of which 18,000,000 are exported. There are 890 umbrella makers, who annually produce $5,900,000 worth. Value of fishery products, $21,445,450. Average production of sardines, 980,000,000; oysters, 380,000,000. There are 83,572 men engaged in the fisheries, with 22,345 vessels; total tonnage, 155,670.
About 79 per cent. of population Roman Catholic; less than 2 per cent. Protestant. Number of elementary schools, 1884, 85,388; pupils, 6,111,236. Number of normal schools, 163. Public libraries, 505. The Imperial Library at Paris has 18 miles of shelving filled with books. Daily papers published, 128.
The reorganization of the French army has been going on since 1872, and is nearly completed. Every Frenchman not declared unfit for military service may be called upon from the age of twenty to that of forty years to enter the active army or the reserves. Substitution or enlistment for money prohibited. In 1884 the army consisted of 524,797 officers and men, and 130,771 horses.
Railway system dates from 1840; number of miles, 1884, 17,000. Number of miles telegraph lines, 46,932; offices, 7,523. Number of postoffices, 1884, 6,486.
The colonial possessions of France cover an area of 429,260 square miles, with a total population of 9,300,000. Of the colonies, Algeria is the largest and most important, having an area of 161,476 square miles, and a population of 3,310,412. Algiers is the capital; population, 70,747. The colonies next in importance commercially are Tunis and Cochin China.
SWITZERLAND.