2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (overseas department of France)

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.9% (male 28,565; female 27,280) 15-64 years: 64.4% (male 64,836; female 55,498) 65 years and over: 5.7% (male 5,455; female 5,283) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry

Airports

11 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 914 to 1,523 m: 2

total

4

under 914 m

1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

7 914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m

5 (2002) Military French Guiana

Area

land

89,150 sq km

total

91,000 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. Geography French Guiana

Birth rate

21.33 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996)

revenues

$225 million

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

euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)

Currency code

EUR; FRF

Death rate

4.8 deaths/1,000 population (2003 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 the larger French economy through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of the country. 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; 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

423.2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

455 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 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 - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999)

Executive branch

cabinet

NA

chief of state

President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Ange MANCINI (since 31 July 2002)

elections

French president elected by popular vote for a five-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

head of government

President of the General Council Joseph HO-TEN-YOU (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992)

Exports

$155 million f.o.b.

Exports - commodities

shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing

Exports - partners

France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2001)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications French Guiana

Flag description

the flag of France is used Economy French Guiana

GDP

purchasing power parity - $2.26 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $14,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Geographic coordinates

4 00 N, 53 00 W

Geography - note

mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American continent People French Guiana

Government type

NA

Highways

paved

NA km

total

722 km

unpaved

NA km (1996)

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

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Illicit drugs

small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$625 million c.i.f.

Imports - commodities

food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals

Imports - partners

France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2002)

Independence

none (overseas department of France)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining

Infant mortality rate

female

11.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

13.68 deaths/1,000 live births

total

12.84 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.5% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

FZ, WCL, WFTU

Internet country code

.gf

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet users

2,000 (2000) Transportation French Guiana

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1998 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

border countries

Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km

total

1,183 km

Land use

arable land

0.11% NEGL

other

99.86% (90% forest, 10% other) (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0.03%

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)

election results

General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7, other 2; 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

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)

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 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, Walwari Committee 1

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.18 years (2003 est.)

male

73.36 years

total population

76.69 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

82% (1982 est.) Government French Guiana

male

84%

total population

83%

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

Median age

female

27.1 years (2002)

male

29.2 years

total

28.2 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France Transnational Issues French Guiana

Military branches

no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces, Gendarmerie

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

51,444 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

33,345 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Nationality

adjective

French Guianese

noun

French Guianese (singular and plural)

Natural hazards

high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding

Natural resources

bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish

Net migration rate

7.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

6,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Guyanese Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese Socialist Party or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Popular National Guyanese Party or PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Roland HO-WEN-SZE]; Socialist Party or PS [Pierre RIBARDIERE]; Walwari Committee [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

186,917 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

2.4% (2003 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

Religions

Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.12 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system

general assessment

NA

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

3.09 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

22% (2001)

Waterways

3,300 km navigable by native craft

note

460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers