French Guiana

overseas department of FranceIndependence none (overseas department of France)

French Guiana as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 66 fields, one of 17 editions from 1990 to 2006.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalCayenne
Area91,000 km2
1990

Every edition of French Guiana

Populationas each edition published it
97,781 people July 1990 · 199,509 in 2006
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 4.42% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 28.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 74.87 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.8 children per woman 1990 · 2.98 in 2006
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
19 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 11.76 in 2006
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $4,390 in 1993

Geography

12 fields
Total area
91,000km2
land area: 89,150 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana
Coastline
378km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
1,183km total
Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km

Disputes

Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)

Climate

  • tropical;
  • hot, humid;
  • little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains

Natural resources

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

Land use

  • NEGL% arable land;
  • NEGL% permanent crops;
  • NEGL% meadows and pastures;
  • 82% forest and woodland;
  • 18% other

Environment

mostly an unsettled wilderness

People

14 fields
Population
97,781
(July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth
29Death
5Net migration
10

Ethnic divisions

black or mulatto 66%Caucasian 12%East Indian 12%other 10%Chinese; Amerindian

Infant mortality rate

19 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

68 years male, 76 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

3.8 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--French Guianese (sing., pl.); adjective--French Guiana

Religion

predominantly Roman Catholic

Language

French

Labor force

23,265; 60.6% services, government, and commerce, 21.2% industry, 18.2% agriculture (1980)

Organized labor

7% of labor force

Government

Overseas department of France

17 fields

Regional Council, 31 seats, elected 16 March 1986one dot, one seat

PSG 15RPR 9ADG 4UDF 3

Percent of vote

PSG 43%RPR 27.7%ADG 12.2%UDF 8.9%FN 3.7%PNPG 1.4%others 3.1%

Long-form name

Department of Guiana

Type

overseas department of France

Capital

Cayenne

Administrative divisions

none (overseas department of France)

Independence

none (overseas department of France)

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

National holiday

Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Executive branch

French president, commissioner of the republic

Legislative branch

unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Council

Judicial branch

  • highest local court is the Court of Appeals based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana 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

Suffrage

  • universal at age 18 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 15, 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

Communists

Communist party membership negligible

Diplomatic representation

as an overseas department of France the interests of French Guiana are represented in the US by France

Flag

the flag of France is used

Economy

The economy is tied closely to that of France through subsidies and imports.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$210million
per capita $3,230; real growth rate NA% (1982)
External debt
$1.2billion
(1988)

Budget

Revenues
$735 millionExpenditures
$735 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of NA (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%.

Exports

  • $37.0 million (f.o.b., 1986);
  • commodities--shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence;
  • partners--US 41%, Japan 18%, France 9% (1984)

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%

Electricity

92,000 kW capacity; 185 million kWh produced, 1,950 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

Agriculture

some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugar

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.1 billion

Currency

French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Airports, 11 total, 11 usable

permanent-surface runways
5runways over 3,659 m
nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m
1runways 1,220-2,439 m
1

Networkskm

Highways
680Inland waterways
460
Highways: ; 510 km paved, 170 km improved and unimproved earth · Inland waterways: , navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km possibly navigable by native craft

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

Ports

Cayenne

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

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

1 field

Note

defense is the responsibility of France

Central Intelligence Agency. “French Guiana.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/french-guiana/1990.

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