French Guiana

Overseas department of France French Guiana

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname

Area

Total area: 91,000 sq km
Land area: 89,150 sq km
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana

Land Boundaries

Total 1,183 km, Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km

Coastline

378 km

Maritime Claims

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

International Disputes

Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)

Climate

Tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

Low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m

Natural Resources

Bauxite
Timber
Gold (widely scattered)
Cinnabar
Kaolin
Fish

Land Use

Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 82%
Other: 18%

Irrigated Land

Environment

Current issues: NA
Natural hazards: high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding
International agreements: NA

Note: Mostly an unsettled wilderness

PEOPLE

Population

151,187 (July 1996 est.)
145,270 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

32% (male 24,447; female 23,378) (July 1996 est.)
32% (male 23,535; female 22,511) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

63% (male 52,061; female 43,726) (July 1996 est.)
63% (male 50,064; female 41,995) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

5% (male 3,784; female 3,791) (July 1996 est.)
5% (male 3,557; female 3,608) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

3.86% (1996 est.)
4.13% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

24.68 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
25.23 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

4.59 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
4.61 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

18.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
20.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.13 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

14.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 75.79 years (1996 est.); 75.52 years (1995 est.)
Male: 72.55 years 91996 est.); 72.27 years (1995 est.)
Female: 79.19 years (1996 est.); 78.94 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

3.42 children born/woman (1996 est.)
3.46 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
Adjective: French Guianese

Ethnic Divisions

Black or mulatto 66%
Caucasian 12%
East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%
Other 10%

Religions

Roman Catholic

Languages

French

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1982)

Total population: 83%
Male: 84%
Female: 82%

Labor Force

36,597 (1993)

By occupation:

Services, government, and commerce 60.6%
Industry 21.2%
Agriculture 18.2% (1980)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: Department of Guiana
Conventional short form: French Guiana
Local long form: none
Local short form: Guyane

Digraph

Type

Overseas department of France

Capital

Cayenne

Administrative Divisions

None (overseas department of France)

Independence

None (overseas department of France)

National Holiday

National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal System

French legal system

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995); represented by Prefect Pierre DARTOUT who was appointed by the French Ministry of Interior
Head of government: President of the General Council Stephan PHINERA-HORTH (since March 1994)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers

Legislative Branch

Unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Council

General Council

Elections last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (19 total) PSG 8, RPR 2, UDF 1, other right 1, other 7

Regional Council

Elections last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (31 total) PSG 16, FDG 10, RPR 2, independents 3

French Senate

Elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) PSG 1

French National Assembly

Elections last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) RPR 1, independent 1

Judicial Branch

Court of Appeals (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana)

Political Parties and Leaders

Guianese Socialist Party (PSG), Raymond TRACY; Conservative Union for the Republic (UPR), Leon BERTRAND; Rally for the Center Right (URC); Rally for the Republic (RPR); Guyana Democratic Front (FDG), Georges OTHILY; Walwari Committee, Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON; Socialist Party (PS), Jean BART; Union for French Democracy (UDF), R. CHOW-CHINE

Member of

FZ, WCL, WFTU

Flag

The flag of France is used

ECONOMY

Overview

The economy is tied closely to that of France through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities, with exports of fish and fish products (mostly shrimp) accounting for more than 60% of total revenue in 1992. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $800 million (1993 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

National Product Per Capita

$6,000 (1993 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

2.5% (1992)

Unemployment Rate

24.1% (1993 est.)
13% (1990)

Budget

Revenues: $133 million (1992 est.); $735 million (1987)
Expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.); $735 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1987)

Exports

$110 million (f.o.b., 1993)
$59 million (f.o.b., 1992)

Commodities:

Shrimp
Timber
Rum
Rosewood essence

Partners:

France 52%
Spain 15%
U.S. 5% (1992)

Imports

$719 million (c.i.f., 1992)
$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992)

Commodities:

Food (grains
Processed meat)
Other consumer goods
Producer goods
Petroleum

Partners:

France 77%
Germany 11%
U.S. 5% (1992)

External Debt

$1.2 billion (1988)

Industrial Production

Growth rate NA

Electricity

Capacity: 180,000 kW
Production: 450 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 3,149 kWh (1993)

Industries

Construction
Shrimp processing
Forestry products
Rum
Gold mining

Agriculture

Some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugar; livestock - cattle, pigs, poultry

Illicit Drugs

Small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption

Economic Aid

Recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.51 billion

Currency

1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange Rates

French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.0056 (January 1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Total: 0 km (1995)

Highways

Total: 1,817 km (national 432 km, departmental 385 km, community 1,000 km)
Paved: 727 km
Unpaved: 1,090 km (1995 est.)

Inland Waterways

460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km navigable by native craft

Ports

Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni

Merchant Marine

None

Airports

Total: 10
With paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1995 est.)

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

31,000 telephones (1990 est.); fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system

Local: NA
Intercity: open wire and microwave radio relay
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 7, shortwave 0
Radios: 79,000 (1992 est.)

Television

Broadcast stations: 9
Televisions: 22,000 (1992 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

French Forces, Gendarmerie

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 43,412; males fit for military service 28,171

Defense Expenditures

Note: Defense is the responsibility of France

History
World Atlas

Last modified: 17 december 1997

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