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 Communists: Communist party membership negligible

Member of: 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 about two-thirds of total revenue in 1985. 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, with an unemployment rate of 15%.

GDP: $210 million, per capita $3,230; real growth rate NA% (1982)

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: $37.0 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities—shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence; partners—US 41%, Japan 18%, France 9% (1984)

Imports: $297.7 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities—food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, petroleum; partners—France 55%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%, US 3% (1984)

External debt: $1.2 billion (1988)

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity: 92,000 kW capacity; 185 million kWh produced, 1,950 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining

Agriculture: some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugar

Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.1 billion

Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.7598 (January 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: 11 total, 11 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

Military manpower: males 15-49 27,866; 18,430 fit for military service

Note: defense is the responsibility of France  French Polynesia (overseas territory of France)



Geography

Total area: 3,941 km²; land area: 3,660 km²

Comparative area: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 2,525 km

Maritime claims:
 * Extended economic zone: 200 nm
 * Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical, but moderate

Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt

Land use: 1% arable land; 19% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 31% forest and woodland; 44% other

Environment: occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes

Note: Makatea is one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (others are Banaba or Ocean Island in Kiribati and Nauru)

People

Population: 190,181 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)

Birth rate: 31 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun—French Polynesian(s); adjective—French Polynesian

Ethnic divisions: 78% Polynesian, 12% Chinese, 6% local French, 4% metropolitan French  105