FRENCH GUIANA (overseas department of France) GEOGRAPHY Total area: 91,000 km2; land area: 89,150 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana Land boundaries: 1,183 km total; Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km Coastline: 378 km Maritime claims: Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm 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: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 82%; other 18% Environment: mostly an unsettled wilderness PEOPLE Population: 101,603 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991) Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--French Guianese (sing., pl.); adjective--French Guiana Ethnic divisions: black or mulatto 66%; Caucasian 12%; East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%; other 10% Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic Language: French Literacy: 82% (male 81%, female 83%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982) Labor force: 23,265; services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980) Organized labor: 7% of labor force GOVERNMENT 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) Legal system: French legal system 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 Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); Head of Government--Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Francois DI CHIARA (since NA 1990) 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 (FN), Guy MALON; Popular and National Party of Guiana (PNPG), Claude ROBO; National Anti-Colonist Guianese Party (PANGA), Michel KAPEL Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: Regional Council--last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held NA 1991); results--PSG 43%, RPR 27.7%, ADG 12.2%, UDF 8.9%, FN 3.7%, PNPG 1.4%, other 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 Member of: FZ, WCL, WFTU 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 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 1987. 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. GDP: $186 million, per capita $2,240; real growth rate NA% (1985) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1987) Unemployment rate: 15% (1987) Budget: revenues $735 million; expenditures $735 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1987) Exports: $54.0 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence; partners--France 31%, US 22%, Japan 10% (1987) Imports: $394.0 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, petroleum; partners--France 62%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, US 4%, FRG 3% (1987) External debt: $1.2 billion (1988) Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 92,000 kW capacity; 185 million kWh produced, 1,890 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining Agriculture: some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugar; livestock--cattle, pigs, poultry Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.25 billion Currency: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS 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 Airports: 10 total, 10 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 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 Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie Manpower availability: males 15-49 28,650; 18,903 fit for military service Note: defense is the responsibility of France