World Facts Index
First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The
European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou.
Geography of French Guiana
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Location:
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Northern South America,
bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname |
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Coordinates:
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4 00 N, 53 00 W |
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Area:
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total: 91,000 sq km
water: 1,850 sq km
land: 89,150 sq km |
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Area comparative:
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slightly smaller than
Indiana |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,183 km
border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km |
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Coastline:
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378 km |
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid;
little seasonal temperature variation |
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Terrain:
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low-lying coastal plains
rising to hills and small mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m |
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Natural resources:
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bauxite, timber, gold
(widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish |
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Natural hazards:
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high frequency of heavy
showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding |
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Geography - note:
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mostly an unsettled
wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American
continent
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Population of French Guiana
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Population:
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199,509 (July 2006 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 28.9% (male 29,540/female 28,210)
15-64 years: 64.8% (male 69,302/female 59,980)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 6,350/female 6,127) |
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Median age:
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total: 28.6 years |
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Growth rate:
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1.96% |
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Infant mortality:
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11.76 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.27 years
male: 73.95 years
female: 80.75 years |
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Fertility rate:
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2.98 children born/woman |
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Nationality:
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noun: French Guianese (singular and
plural)
adjective: French Guianese |
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Ethnic groups:
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black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East
Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic |
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Languages:
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French |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 83%
male: 84%
female: 82% (1982 est.)
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Government
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Department
of Guiana
local short form: Guyane |
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Dependency status:
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overseas department of France |
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Capital:
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Cayenne |
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National holiday:
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Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
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Constitution:
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28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
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Legal system:
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French legal system |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France
(since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Ange MANCINI (since 31 July 2002)
head of government: President of the General Council Pierre DESERT (since 26 March
2004); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992). |
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Legislative branch:
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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). |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest
local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French
Guiana) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Guyanese
Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese Socialist Party or PSG [Marie-Claude
VERDAN]; Popular National Guyanese Party or PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Socialist Party or PS [Alix
LABBE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Georges HABRAN-MERY]; Union for a Popular
Movement or UMP (includes RPR) [Remi Louis DUBOC]; Walwari Committee (aligned with the PRG
in France) [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]. |
Economy
The economy is tied closely to the much larger French economy through subsidies and
imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP),
fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities. Forest and woodland
cover 90% of the country. 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; rice
and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food
and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $1.551 billion
(2003 est.) |
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GDP per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2003
est.) |
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Inflation rate:
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1.5% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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58,800 (1997) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services, government, and commerce 60.6%,
industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980) |
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Unemployment:
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22% (2001) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996) |
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Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Industries:
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construction, shrimp processing, forestry
products, rum, gold mining |
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Agriculture:
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corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa,
vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry |
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Exports:
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shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood
essence, clothing |
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Export partners:
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France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2004) |
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Imports:
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food (grains, processed meat), machinery
and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals |
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Import partners:
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France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2004) |
|
Currency:
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euro (EUR) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |