##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Antarctica (2003) - French Guiana (2004)
Compare Antarctica (2003) z French Guiana (2004)
| Antarctica (2003) | French Guiana (2004) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | - | none (overseas department of France) |
| Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 29.6% (male 28,959; female 27,657)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 66,388; female 57,020) 65 years and over: 5.9% (male 5,736; female 5,549) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | - | corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry |
| Airports | 30
note: 30 stations, operated by 16 national governments party to the Antarctic Treaty, have aircraft landing facilities for either helicopters and/or fixed-wing aircraft; commercial enterprises operate two additional aircraft landing facilities; helicopter pads are available at 27 stations; runways at 15 locations are gravel, sea-ice, blue-ice, or compacted snow suitable for landing wheeled, fixed-wing aircraft; of these, 1 is greater than 3 km in length, 6 are between 2 km and 3 km in length, 3 are between 1 km and 2 km in length, 3 are less than 1 km in length, and 2 are of unknown length; snow surface skiways, limited to use by ski-equipped, fixed-wing aircraft, are available at another 15 locations; of these, 4 are greater than 3 km in length, 3 are between 2 km and 3 km in length, 2 are between 1 km and 2 km in length, 2 are less than 1 km in length, and 4 are of unknown length; aircraft landing facilities generally subject to severe restrictions and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and geographic conditions; aircraft landing facilities do not meet ICAO standards; advance approval from the respective governmental or nongovernmental operating organization required for landing; landed aircraft are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty (2002) |
11 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 19
over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 5 (2002) |
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 14 million sq km
land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km ice-covered) (est.) note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the subcontinent of Europe |
total: 91,000 sq km
land: 89,150 sq km water: 1,850 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US | slightly smaller than Indiana |
| Background | Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands. Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific research on the continent. A number of countries have set up year-round research stations on Antarctica. Seven have made territorial claims, but no other country recognizes these claims. In order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959, it entered into force in 1961. | 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. |
| Birth rate | - | 21 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | - | revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996) |
| Capital | - | Cayenne |
| Climate | severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing | tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Coastline | 17,968 km | 378 km |
| Constitution | - | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antarctica |
conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana local long form: none local short form: Guyane |
| Currency | - | euro (EUR) |
| Death rate | - | 4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | - | $1.2 billion (1988) |
| Dependency status | - | overseas department of France |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (overseas department of France) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (overseas department of France) |
| Disputes - international | Antarctic Treaty freezes claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary in Government type entry); sections (some overlapping) claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK; the US and most other states do not recognize the territorial claims of other states and have made no claims themselves (the US and Russia reserve the right to do so); no claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west; several states with land claims in Antarctica have expressed their intention to submit data to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend their continental shelf claims to adjoining undersea ridges | Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa) |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | NA (1995) |
| Economy - overview | Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for the limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries in 2000-01 (1 July-30 June) reported landing 112,934 metric tons. Unregulated fishing, particularly of tooth fish, is a serious problem. Allegedly illegal fishing in antarctic waters in 1998 resulted in the seizure (by France and Australia) of at least eight fishing ships. The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources determines the recommended catch limits for marine species. A total of 12,248 tourists visited in the 2000-01 antarctic summer, down from the 14,762 who visited the previous year. Nearly all of them were passengers on 21 commercial (nongovernmental) ships and several yachts that made trips during the summer. Most tourist trips lasted approximately two weeks. | The economy is tied closely to the 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. |
| Electricity - consumption | - | 423.2 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | - | 455 million kWh (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,555 m
highest point: Vinson Massif 4,897 m note: the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m |
| Environment - current issues | in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the antarctic ozone hole was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers; researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light coming through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an antarctic fish lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm one-celled antarctic marine plants; in 2002, significant areas of ice shelves disintegrated in response to regional warming | NA |
| Ethnic groups | - | black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10% |
| Exchange rates | - | Euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999) |
| Executive branch | - | 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 Joseph HO-TEN-YOU (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-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 |
| Exports | - | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | - | shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing |
| Exports - partners | - | France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2001) |
| Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
| Flag description | - | the flag of France is used |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $1.551 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2001 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | - | NA |
| Geographic coordinates | 90 00 S, 0 00 E | 4 00 N, 53 00 W |
| Geography - note | the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable | mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American continent |
| Heliports | 27 stations have helicopter landing facilities (helipads) (2002) | - |
| Highways | - | total: 722 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1996) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
| Illicit drugs | - | small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe |
| Imports | - | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | - | food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals |
| Imports - partners | - | France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2002 est.) |
| Independence | - | none (overseas department of France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | NA |
| Industries | - | construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining |
| Infant mortality rate | - | total: 12.46 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 1.5% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | - | UPU, WCL, WFTU |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | - |
| Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 20 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | - | Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana) |
| Labor force | - | 58,800 (1997) |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 18.2%, industry 21.2%, services, government, and commerce 60.6% (1980) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km
note: see entry on International disputes |
total: 1,183 km
border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0.14%
permanent crops: 0.05% other: 99.81% (90% forest, 10% other) (2001) |
| Languages | - | French |
| Legal system | Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations. Decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (within their areas) in accordance with their own national laws. US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extra-territorially. Some US laws directly apply to Antarctica. For example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties for the following activities, unless authorized by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica. Violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison. The National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities. Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as required by the Antarctic Treaty. For more information, contact Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or visit their website at www.nsf.gov. | French legal system |
| 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 - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7, other 2; 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 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, Walwari Committee 1 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 76.89 years
male: 73.57 years female: 80.38 years (2004 est.) |
| Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82% (1982 est.) |
| Location | continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname |
| Map references | Antarctic Region | South America |
| Maritime claims | none; 20 of 27 Antarctic consultative nations have made no claims to Antarctic territory (although Russia and the US have reserved the right to do so) and do not recognize the claims of the other nations; also see the Disputes - international entry | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Military - note | the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes | defense is the responsibility of France |
| Military branches | - | no regular military forces; Gendarmerie |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 52,294 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 33,914 (2004 est.) |
| National holiday | - | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
| Nationality | - | noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective: French Guianese |
| Natural hazards | katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may calve from ice shelf | high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding |
| Natural resources | iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish, and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries | bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum, kaolin, fish, niobium, tantalum, clay |
| Net migration rate | - | 6.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | - | Guyanese Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese Socialist Party or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Popular National Guyanese Party or PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Socialist Party or PS [Paul DEBRIETTE]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Muriel ICARE]; Walwari Committee (aligned with the PRG in France) [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
| Population | no indigenous inhabitants, but there are seasonally staffed research stations
note: approximately 27 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, send personnel to perform seasonal (summer) and year-round research on the continent and in its surrounding oceans; the population of persons doing and supporting science on the continent and its nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region covered by the Antarctic Treaty) varies from approximately 4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000 personnel including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard research are present in the waters of the treaty region; summer (January) population - 3,687 total; Argentina 302, Australia 201, Belgium 13, Brazil 80, Bulgaria 16, Chile 352, China 70, Finland 11, France 100, Germany 51, India 60, Italy 106, Japan 136, South Korea 14, Netherlands 10, NZ 60, Norway 40, Peru 28, Poland 70, Russia 254, South Africa 80, Spain 43, Sweden 20, UK 192, US 1,378 (1998-99); winter (July) population - 964 total; Argentina 165, Australia 75, Brazil 12, Chile 129, China 33, France 33, Germany 9, India 25, Japan 40, South Korea 14, NZ 10, Poland 20, Russia 102, South Africa 10, UK 39, US 248 (1998-99); year-round stations - 42 total; Argentina 6, Australia 4, Brazil 1, Chile 4, China 2, Finland 1, France 1, Germany 1, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 1, South Korea 1, NZ 1, Norway 1, Poland 1, Russia 6, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Ukraine 1, UK 2, US 3, Uruguay 1 (1998-99); summer-only stations - 32 total; Argentina 3, Australia 4, Bulgaria 1, Chile 7, Germany 1, India 1, Japan 3, NZ 1, Peru 1, Russia 3, Sweden 2, UK 5 (1998-99); in addition, during the austral summer some nations have numerous occupied locations such as tent camps, summer-long temporary facilities, and mobile traverses in support of research (July 2003 est.) |
191,309 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA |
| Population growth rate | - | 2.25% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | there are no developed ports and harbors in Antarctica; most coastal stations have offshore anchorages, and supplies are transferred from ship to shore by small boats, barges, and helicopters; a few stations have a basic wharf facility; US coastal stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E), Palmer (64 43 S, 64 03 W); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office under "Legal System"); all ships at port are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; offshore anchorage is sparse and intermittent | Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM NA, FM 2, shortwave 1
note: information for US bases only (2002) |
AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6 (including 5 repeaters) (1998) |
| Religions | - | Roman Catholic |
| Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: local systems at some research stations
domestic: NA international: via satellite from some research stations |
general assessment: NA
domestic: fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system international: country code - 594; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 0
note: information for US bases only (2001) |
51,000 (2001) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | NA; Iridium system in use | 138,200 (2002) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (cable system with six channels; American Forces Antarctic Network-McMurdo)
note: information for US bases only (2002) |
3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997) |
| Terrain | about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent | low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains |
| Total fertility rate | - | 3.05 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | - | 22% (2001) |
| Waterways | - | 3,760 km
note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft (2004) |
Sitemap:
Compare countries listing (map site) |
Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.