2001 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2001 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Age structure
0-14 years: 30.47% (male 27,669; female 26,428) 15-64 years: 64.05% (male 61,457; female 52,266) 65 years and over: 5.48% (male 4,937; female 4,805) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products
rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry
Airports
11 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2000 est.) French Guiana Military
Area
total: 91,000 sq km land: 89,150 sq km water: 1,850 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Indiana
Background
First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou. French Guiana Geography
Birth rate
22.02 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget
revenues: $225 million expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996)
Capital
Cayenne
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
378 km
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name
conventional long form: Department of Guiana conventional short form: French Guiana local long form: none local short form: Guyane
Currency
French franc (FRF); euro (EUR)
Currency code
FRF; EUR
Death rate
4.77 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external
$1.2 billion (1988)
Dependency status
overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas department of France)
Disputes - international
Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
Economic aid - recipient
$NA
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. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry which provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers.
Electricity - consumption
409.2 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production
440 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m
Environment - current issues
NA
Ethnic groups
black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10%
Exchange rates
Euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Dominique VIAN (since NA January 1997) head of government: President of the General Council Andre LECANTE (since NA March 1998); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the members of those councils
Exports
$155 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports - commodities
shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing
Exports - partners
France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (1997)
Fiscal year
calendar year French Guiana Communications
Flag description
the flag of France is used French Guiana Economy
GDP
purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $6,000 (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
Geographic coordinates
4 00 N, 53 00 W
Geography - note
mostly an unsettled wilderness French Guiana People
Government type
NA
Highways
total: 1,817 km paved: 817 km unpaved: 1,000 km (1998)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA%
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs
small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe
Imports
$625 million (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports - commodities
food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals
Imports - partners
France 52%, US 14%, Trinidad and Tobago 6% (1997)
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Infant mortality rate
13.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.5% (1992)
International organization participation
FZ, WCL, WFTU
Internet country code
.gf
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
2 (2000)
Internet users
2,000 (2000) French Guiana Transportation
Irrigated land
20 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana)
Labor force
58,800 (1997)
Labor force - by occupation
services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)
Land boundaries
total: 1,183 km border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 90% other: 10% (1996 est.)
Languages
French
Legal system
French legal system
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: General Council - last held NA March 2000 (next to be held NA 2006); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - PS 28.28%, various left parties 22.56%, RPR 15.91%, independents 8.6%, Walwari Committee 6%; seats by party - PS 11, various left parties 9, RPR 6, independents 3, Walwari Committee 2 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, PSG 1
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.3 years male: 72.97 years female: 79.79 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82% (1982 est.) French Guiana Government
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
Merchant marine
none (2000 est.)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France French Guiana Transnational Issues
Military branches
French Forces, Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure
$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
NA%
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 49,495 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
males age 15-49: 32,052 (2001 est.)
National holiday
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality
noun: French Guianese (singular and plural) adjective: French Guianese
Natural hazards
high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding
Natural resources
bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
Net migration rate
10.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Political parties and leaders
Guianese Socialist Party or PSG [Antoine KARAM]; Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Roland HO-WEN-SZE]; Socialist Party or PS [Pierre RIBARDIERE] (may be a subset of PSG); Walwari Committee [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
Population
177,562 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Population growth rate
2.74% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors
Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6 (including 5 repeaters) (1998)
Radios
104,000 (1997)
Railways
0 km (1995)
Religions
Roman Catholic
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Telephone system
general assessment: NA domestic: fair open wire and microwave radio relay system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use
47,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular
NA
Television broadcast stations
3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
30,000 (1997)
Terrain
low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Total fertility rate
3.17 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate
21.4% (1998)
Waterways
3,300 km navigable by native craft note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers