1989 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1989 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
378 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Indiana
Disputes
Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
Environment
mostly an unsettled wilderness
Extended economic zone
200 nm
Land boundaries
1,183 km total; Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Land use
NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 82% forest and woodland; 18% other
Natural resources
bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
Terrain
low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Territorial sea
1 2 nm
Total area
91,000 km2; land area: 89,150 km2
Total area
North i00krT Atlantic ~ Ocean
People and Society
Birth rate
29 births/ 1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
66% black or mulatto; 12% Caucasian; 12% East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian; 10% other
Infant mortality rate
19 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
23,265; 60.6% services, government, and commerce, 21.2% industry, 18.2% agriculture (1980)
Language
French
Life expectancy at birth
68 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Literacy
73%
Nationality
noun — French Guianese (sing., pi.); adjective — French Guiana
Net migration rate
10 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
7% of labor force
Population
97,781 (July 1990), growth rate 3. 4% (1990)
Religion
predominantly Roman Catholic
Total fertility rate
3.8 children born/ woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Capital
Cayenne
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Elections
Regional Council — last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held March 1991); results— PSG 43%, RPR 27.7%, ADG 12.2%, UDF 8.9%, FN 3.7%, PNPG 1.4%, others 3.1%; seats— (31 total) PSG 1 5, RPR 9, ADG 4, UDF 3; French Senate — last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (1 total) PSG 1; French National Assembly — last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (2 total) PSG 1, RPR 1
Executive branch
French president, commissioner of the republic
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
Judicial branch
highest local court is the Court of Appeals based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana
Leaders
Chief of State — President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); Head of Government — Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Pierre LACROIX (since NA August 1988) Political parties and leaders: Guianese Socialist Party (PSG), Gerard Holder; Rally for the Republic (RPR), Paulin Brune; Guyanese Democratic Action (ADG), Andre Lecante; Union for French Democracy (UDF), Claude Ho A Chuck; National Front, Guy Malon; Popular and National Party of Guiana (PNPG), Claude Robo; National Anti-Colonist Guianese Party (PANGA), Michel Kapel
Legal system
French legal system
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Coun-
Long-form name
Department of Guiana
National holiday
Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
overseas department of France