1989 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1989 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
tropical, but moderate
Coastline
2,525 km
Communists
Communist party membership negligible
Comparative area
slightly less than onethird the size of Connecticut
Diplomatic representation
as an overseas department of France the interests of French Guiana are represented in the US by France
Environment
occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes
Extended economic zone
200 nm
Flag
the flag of France is used
Labor force
57,863 employed (1983) Organized labor NA
Land boundaries
none
Land use
1% arable land; 19% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 31% forest and woodland; 44% other
Language
French (official), Tahitian
Literacy
NA%
Member of
WFTU
Natural resources
timber, fish, cobalt
Note
Makatea is one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (others are Banaba or Ocean Island in Kiribati and Nauru)
Religion
mainly Christian; 55% Protestant, 32% Roman Catholic
Terrain
mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Territorial sea
1 2 nm
Total area
3,941 km2; land area: 3,660 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
31 births/ 1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
6 deaths/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
78% Polynesian, 12% Chinese, 6% local French, 4% metropolitan French
Infant mortality rate
23 deaths/ 1 ,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth
66 years male, 71 years female (1990)
Nationality
noun — French Polynesian(s); adjective — French Polynesian
Net migration rate
0 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Population
190,181 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)
Total fertility rate
3.9 children born/ woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (overseas territory of France)
Capital
Papeete
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Diplomatic representation
as an overseas territory of France, French Polynesian interests are represented in the US by
Elections
Territorial Assembly — last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held March 1 99 1 ); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats — (41 total) Tahoeraa Huiraatira 24, Amuitahiraa Mo Porinesia 6, Pupu Here Ai'a 4, la Mana 3, Front de Liberation 2, other 2; French Senate — last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats — (1 total) Democrats for Progress 1; French National Assembly last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (2 total) Rally for the Republic 1, Ai'a Api 1
Executive branch
French president, high commissioner of the republic, president of the Council of Ministers, vice president of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
Independence
none (overseas territory of France)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal
Leaders
Chief of State- — President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); High Commissioner of the Republic Jean MONTPEZAT (since NA November 1987); Head of Government — President of the Council of Ministers Alexandre LEONTIEFF (since 9 December 1987); Vice President of the Council of Ministers Georges KELLY (since 9 December 1987) Political parties and leaders: Tahoeraa Huiraatira (Gaullist), Gaston Flosse; Pupu Here Ai'a, Jean Juventin; Front de Liberation, Oscar Temaru; Ai'a Api, Emile Vernaudon; la Mana Te Nunaa, Jacques Drollet; Pupu Taina, Michel Law; Toatiraa Polynesia, Arthur Chung; Te E'a Api, Francis Sanford
Legal system
based on French system
Legislative branch
unicameral Territorial Assembly
Long-form name
Territory of French Polynesia
National holiday
Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
overseas territory of France
Economy
Agriculture
some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugar
Aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (197087), $1.1 billion
Budget
revenues $735 million; expenditures $735 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1987)
Currency
French franc (plural — francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Electricity
92,000 kW capacity; 185 million kWh produced, 1 ,950 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1— 5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852(1985)
Exports
$37.0 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities— shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence; partners — US 41%, Japan 18%, France 9% (1984)
External debt
$1.2 billion (1988)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$210 million, per capita $3,230; real growth rate NA% (1982)
Imports
$297.7 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities— food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, petroleum; partners — France 55%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%, US 3% (1984)
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4. 1 % (1987)
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 about two-thirds of total revenue in 1985. 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 — are 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, with an unemployment rate of 15%.
Unemployment rate
15% (1987)
Communications
Airports
1 1 total, 1 1 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
680 km total; 510 km paved, 170 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways
460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km possibly navigable by native craft
Military manpower
males 15-49 27,866; 18,430 fit for military service
Note
defense is the responsibility of France lies ... Marquises ' South Pacific Ocean «**«..;-' ^\' ,• Archipeldes '"••. ..PAPEETE <A-N.r Tuamotu Society • '\ . Islands Tahl" '*« '•• •- ' 'lies - Jubua'i bOO km
Ports
Cayenne
Telecommunications
fair open wire and radio relay system; 18,100 telephones; stations—5 AM, 7 FM, 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station Defense Forces