French Guiana
Department of Guiana
NAIndependence none (overseas department of France)
French Guiana as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 96 fields, one of 17 editions from 1990 to 2006.
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Geography
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, | between Brazil and Suriname
18 fieldsLand useshare of 91,000 sq km
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1997 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years : 32% (male 25,267; female 24,146)
- 15-64 years:
- 63% (male 54,051; female 45,489)
- 65 years and over:
- 5% (male 4,014; female 3,979) (July 1997 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 : 1.01 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.13 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- total population :
- 76.06 years
- male:
- 72.84 years
- female :
- 79.45 years (1997 est.)
Government
NA; President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Pierre DARTOUT (since NA); President of the General Council Stephan PHINERA (since NA March 1994)
19 fieldsGeneral Council, 31 seats, elected NA March 1994one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Department of Guiana
- conventional short form:
- French Guiana
- local long form:
- none
- local short form :
- Guyane
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Pierre DARTOUT (since NA)
- head of government:
- President of the General Council Stephan PHINERA (since NA March 1994)
- cabinet :
- NA
- elections:
- representative of the French Government appointed by the president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior;
- presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the members of those councils, who vote on party lines
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 1994 (next to be held NA 2000); Regional Council - last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held NA 1998)
- election results:
- General Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - PSG 8, FDP 4, RPR 1, other left 2, other right 2, other 2;
- Regional Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - PSG 16, FDG 10, RPR 2, independents 3
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - FDG 1; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held 25 May-1 June 1997 - special election); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, independent (left) 1
Judicial branch
Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana)
Political parties and leaders
- Guianese Socialist Party or PSG [Leone MICHOTTE];
- Socialist Party or PS [Jean BART] (may be a subset of PSG);
- Nationalist Popular Party of Guyana (Parti Nationaliste Populaire Guiana) or PNPG [Jose DORCY];
- Union of Social Democrats (Union des Socialistes Democates) or USD [Leon BERTRAND] (umbrella group of RPR and UDF);
- Rally for the Republic or RPR [Leon BERTRAND];
- Union for French Democracy or UDF [R. CHOW-CHINE];
- Guyana Democratic Front or FDG [Georges OTHILY];
- Walwari Committee [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON];
- Action Democrate Guiana or ADG [Andre LECANTE];
- Forces de Progres or FDP
Economy
The economy is tied closely to that of France | through subsidies and imports.
22 fieldsEconomy - 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 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.
Exports
- total value:
- $80 million (f.o.b., 1994)
- commodities:
- shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence
- partners:
- France 52%, Spain 15%, US 5% (1992)
Imports
- total value:
- $610 million (c.i.f., 1994)
- commodities :
- food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, petroleum
- partners:
- France 77%, Germany 11%, US 5% (1992)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4169 (January 1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
- domestic:
- fair open wire and microwave radio relay system
- international:
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Transportation
8 fieldsNetworkskm
Military
French Forces, Gendarmerie
6 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
Illicit drugs
small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe FRENCH POLYNESIA (overseas territory of France)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “French Guiana.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/french-guiana/1997.