ARCHIVE // GF // 1997

French Guiana

1997 Edition — territory

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Communications
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 5, FM 7, shortwave 0
Radios [time series]
79,000 (1992 est.)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: fair open wire and microwave radio relay system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
31,000 (1990 est.)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
9
Televisions [time series]
22,000 (1992 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, vegetables, bananas, sugar; cattle, pigs, poultry
Budget [time series]
revenues : $180 million expenditures: $350 million, including capital expenditures of $95 million (1994)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Debt - external [time series]
$1.2 billion (1988)
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: ODA, $NA
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
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.
Electricity - capacity [time series]
228,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita [time series]
NA kWh
Electricity - production [time series]
185 million kWh (1993 est.)
Exchange rates [time series]
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)
Exports [time series]
total value: $80 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence partners: France 52%, Spain 15%, US 5% (1992)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $800 million (1993 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $6,000 (1993 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
NA%
Imports [time series]
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)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate - consumer price index) [time series]
2.5% (1992)
Labor force [time series]
total: 46,300 (1993) by occupation: services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)
Unemployment rate [time series]
24.1% (1993 est.)
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 91,000 sq km land: 89,150 sq km water: 1,850 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly smaller than Indiana
Climate [time series]
tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline [time series]
378 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
NA
International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
4 00 N, 53 00 W
Geography - note [time series]
mostly an unsettled wilderness
Irrigated land [time series]
20 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 1,183 km border countries : Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 83% other : 17% (1993 est.)
Location [time series]
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname
Map references [time series]
South America
Maritime claims [time series]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea : 12 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding
Natural resources [time series]
bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
Terrain [time series]
low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none (overseas department of France)
Constitution [time series]
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Department of Guiana conventional short form: French Guiana local long form: none local short form : Guyane
Data code [time series]
FG
Dependency status [time series]
overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (overseas department of France)
Executive branch [time series]
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
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
the flag of France is used
Government type [time series]
NA
Independence [time series]
none (overseas department of France)
International organization participation [time series]
FZ, WCL, WFTU
Judicial branch [time series]
Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana)
Legal system [time series]
French legal system
Legislative branch [time series]
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
Capital (National capital) [time series]
Cayenne
National holiday [time series]
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
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
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Military
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of France
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
French Forces, Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]
$NA
Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]
NA%
Military manpower - availability [time series]
males age 15-49: 44,799 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]
males: 29,033 (1997 est.)
People
Age structure [time series]
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.)
Birth rate [time series]
24.19 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate [time series]
4.56 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10%
Infant mortality rate [time series]
14 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Languages [time series]
French
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population : 76.06 years male: 72.84 years female : 79.45 years (1997 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82% (1982 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: French Guianese (singular and plural) adjective: French Guianese
Net migration rate [time series]
16.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Population [time series]
156,946 (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
3.62% (1997 est.)
Religions [time series]
Roman Catholic
Sex ratio [time series]
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.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.38 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
Illicit drugs [time series]
small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe FRENCH POLYNESIA (overseas territory of France)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
10 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1996 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 1,817 km (national 432 km, departmental 385 km, community 1,000 km) paved: 727 km unpaved: 1,090 km (1995 est.)
Merchant marine [time series]
none
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni
Railways [time series]
0 km (1995)
Waterways [time series]
460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km navigable by native craft