French Guiana

Department of Guiana

overseas department of FranceIndependence none (overseas department of France)

French Guiana as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 89 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

Position4 00 N, 53 00 W

Area91,000 sq km

LocationNorthern South America, bordering the North Atlantic

1996

Every edition of French Guiana

Populationas each edition published it

151,187 people July 1996 est. · 97,781 in 1990

Population growth% a year

3.86% 1996 est. · 4.42% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 28.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

75.79 years 1996 est. · 74.87 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.42 children per woman 1996 est. · 3.8 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

14.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 19 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$6,000 1993 est. · $4,390 in 1993

Geography

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic | Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname

15 fields

Land useshare of 91,000 sq km

forest and woodland 88%other 12% (1992)arable land: NEGL% · permanent crops: NEGL% · meadows and pastures: NEGL%

Area

91,000sq km

land area: 89,150 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana

Coastline

378km

exclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,183km

border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km

Location

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname

International 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

lowest point:: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m

Natural resources

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

Environment

current issues:: NA
natural hazards:: high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding
international agreements:: NA

People

15 fields

Population

151,187

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 3.86% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

24.68Death

4.59Net migration

18.52

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years75.79

72.55 · 79.19

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy83%

84% · 82%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1982 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 32% (male 24,447; female 23,378)
15-64 years:: 63% (male 52,061; female 43,726)
65 years and over:: 5% (male 3,784; female 3,791) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.19 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 1 male(s)/female
all ages:: 1.13 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

14.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective:: French Guianese

Ethnic divisions

black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10%

Government

Overseas department of France; President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995); President of the General Council Stephan PHINERA-HORTH (since March 1994)

22 fields

Legislature, 19 seatsone dot, one seat

PSG 8RPR 2UDF 1other right 1other 7

Legislature, 31 seatsone dot, one seat

PSG 16FDG 10RPR 2independents 3

Name of country

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)

Executive branch

chief of state:: President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995); represented by Prefect Pierre DARTOUT who was appointed by the French Ministry of Interior
head of government:: President of the General Council Stephan PHINERA-HORTH (since March 1994)

Legislative branch

unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Council

General Council

elections last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (19 total) PSG 8, RPR 2, UDF 1, other right 1, other 7

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

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

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

Judicial branch

Court of Appeals (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana)

Political parties and leaders

Guianese Socialist Party (PSG), Raymond TRACY;
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;
Socialist Party (PS), Jean BART;
Union for French Democracy (UDF), R. CHOW-CHINE

International organization participation

FZ, WCL, WFTU

Diplomatic representation in US

none (overseas department of France)

Economy

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

21 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$6,000

(1993 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

2.5%

(1992)

Unemployment rate

24.1%

(1993 est.)

Labor force

36,597

(1993)by occupation: services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)

Budget

Revenues

$133 millionExpenditures

$284 million (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 180,000 kW

Electricity production

450 millionElectricity consumption per capita

3,149 (1993)

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 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.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $800 million (1993 est.)

GDP real growth rate

NA%

GDP composition by sector

agriculture:: NA%
industry:: NA%
services:: NA%

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

Illicit drugs

small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe

Exports

$110 million (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities:: shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence
partners:: France 52%, Spain 15%, US 5% (1992)

Imports

$719 million (c.i.f., 1992)

commodities:: food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, petroleum
partners:: France 77%, Germany 11%, US 5% (1992)

External debt

$1.2 billion (1988)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency

1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.0056 (January 1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 10 in all

over 3 047 m

914 to 1 523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

1,817Railways

0 (1995)Waterways

460

Highways: (national 432 km, departmental 385 km, community 1,000 km) · paved: 727 km · unpaved: 1,090 km (1995 est.) · Waterways: , navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km navigable by native craft