France:
Military & Transnational Issues


Military branches	Army (includes marines, Foreign Legion, light aviation), Navy (includes naval air), Air Force (includes air defense), National Gendarmerie
Military service age and obligation	17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in 1996; women serve in noncombat military posts (2005)
Manpower available for military service	males age 17-49: 13,676,509 females age 17-49: 13,504,539 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service	males age 17-49: 11,262,661 females age 17-49: 11,079,472 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military age annually	males age 17-49: 389,204 females age 17-49: 372,719 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.6% (2005 est.)

Disputes - international	Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia
Illicit drugs	metropolitan France: transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics French Guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe Martinique: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe