1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 91,000 sq km land area: 89,150 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
378 km
Environment
current issues: NA natural hazards: high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding international agreements: NA
International disputes
Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
total 1,183 km, Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 82% other: 18%
Location
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname
Map references
South America
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
Note
mostly an unsettled wilderness
Terrain
low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 32% (female 22,511; male 23,535) 15-64 years: 63% (female 41,995; male 50,064) 65 years and over: 5% (female 3,608; male 3,557) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
25.23 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
4.61 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
black or mulatto 66%, Caucasian 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10%
Infant mortality rate
15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
23,265 by occupation: services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)
Languages
French
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.52 years male: 72.27 years female: 78.94 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1982) total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82%
Nationality
noun: French Guianese (singular and plural) adjective: French Guianese
Net migration rate
20.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
145,270 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
4.13% (1995 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic
Total fertility rate
3.46 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Capital
Cayenne
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Digraph
FG
Diplomatic representation in US
none (overseas department of France)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981) head of government: Prefect Jean-Francois CORDET (since NA 1992); President of the General Council Elie CASTOR (since NA); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (22 March 1993) cabinet: Council of Ministers
Flag
the flag of France is used
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
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
General Council
elections last held 25 September and 8 October 1988 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (19 total) PSG 12, URC 7
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeals (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana)
Legal system
French legal system
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Council
Member of
FZ, WCL, WFTU
Names
conventional long form: Department of Guiana conventional short form: French Guiana local long form: none local short form: Guyane
National holiday
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
Guianese Socialist Party (PSG), Elie CASTRO; 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
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
overseas department of France
US diplomatic representation
none (overseas department of France)
Economy
Agriculture
some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugar; livestock - cattle, pigs, poultry
Budget
revenues: $735 million expenditures: $735 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.51 billion
Electricity
capacity: 180,000 kW production: 450 million kWh consumption per capita: 3,149 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.9243 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)
Exports
$59 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence partners: France 52%, Spain 15%, US 5% (1992)
External debt
$1.2 billion (1988)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption
Imports
$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, petroleum partners: France 77%, Germany 11%, US 5% (1992)
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.5% (1992)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $800 million (1993 est.)
National product per capita
$6,000 (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate
NA%
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 - rice, cassava, bananas, and sugarcane - 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.
Unemployment rate
13% (1990)
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 7, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Telephone system
18,100 telephones; fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system local: NA intercity: open wire and microwave radio relay international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
Television
broadcast stations: 9 televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 11 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 5 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
Highways
total: 1,137 km paved: 455 km unpaved: improved, unimproved earth 682 km (1988)
Inland waterways
460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km navigable by native craft
Merchant marine
none
Ports
Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni
Railroads
total: 22 km (est.)
Military and Security
Branches
French Forces, Gendarmerie
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 41,986; males fit for military service 27,298
Note
defense is the responsibility of France ________________________________________________________________________ FRENCH POLYNESIA (overseas territory of France)