The 2001 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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.
French Guiana Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic
Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname
Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 53 00 W
Map references: South America
Area: total: 91,000 sq km
land: 89,150 sq km
water: 1,850 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries: total: 1,183 km
border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Coastline: 378 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m
Natural resources: bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
Land use: arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 90%
other: 10% (1996 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: mostly an unsettled wilderness
French Guiana People
Population: 177,562 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: 30.47% (male 27,669; female 26,428)
15–64 years: 64.05% (male 61,457; female 52,266)
65 years and over: 5.48% (male 4,937; female 4,805) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.74% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 22.02 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 4.77 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: 10.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.3 years
male: 72.97 years
female: 79.79 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.17 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective: French Guianese
Ethnic groups: black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian,
Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10%
Religions: Roman Catholic
Languages: French
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83%
male: 84%
female: 82% (1982 est.)
French Guiana Government
Country name: conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana
local long form: none
local short form: Guyane
Dependency status: overseas department of France
Government type: NA
Capital: Cayenne
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
National holiday: Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Dominique VIAN (since NA January 1997)
head of government: President of the General Council Andre LECANTE (since NA March 1998); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the members of those councils
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 2000 (next to be held NA 2006); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - PS 28.28%, various left parties 22.56%, RPR 15.91%, independents 8.6%, Walwari Committee 6%; seats by party - PS 11, various left parties 9, RPR 6, independents 3, Walwari Committee 2
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 25 May - 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1, PSG 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
[Antoine KARAM]; Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY];
Rally for the Republic or RPR [Roland HO-WEN-SZE]; Socialist Party
or PS [Pierre RIBARDIERE] (may be a subset of PSG); Walwari
Committee [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: FZ, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas department of
France)
Diplomatic