Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 2,889 km
border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km,
Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km,
Switzerland 573 km
Coastline:
3,427 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash,
feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish
Land use: arable land: 33.46% permanent crops: 2.03% other: 64.51% (2005)
Irrigated land:
26,000 sq km (2003)