French Guiana (2006) | Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2004) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas department of France) | - |
Age structure | 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) (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry | - |
Airports | 11 (2006) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2006) |
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Area | total: 91,000 sq km
land: 89,150 sq km water: 1,850 sq km |
total: 5 sq km
land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Indiana | about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve. |
Birth rate | 20.46 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $135.5 million
expenditures: $135.5 million; including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996) |
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Capital | name: Cayenne
geographic coordinates: 4 56 N, 52 20 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Climate | tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation | tropical |
Coastline | 378 km | 74.1 km |
Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana local long form: none local short form: Guyane |
conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
Death rate | 4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $800.3 million (2003) | - |
Dependency status | overseas department of France | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas department of France) | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas department of France) | none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa) in French Guiana | Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia has closed the surrounding waters to Indonesian traditional fishing and has created a national park in the region while continuing to prospect for hydrocarbons in the vicinity |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
Economy - overview | 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. | no economic activity |
Electricity - consumption | 432.6 million kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - production | 465.2 million kWh (2003) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10% | - |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Pierre LAFLAQUIERE (since 19 July 2006)
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) 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 |
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Exports | NA bbl/day | - |
Exports - commodities | shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing | - |
Exports - partners | France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2004) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | the flag of Australia is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA% 6.6%
industry: NA% 15.6% services: NA% 77.8% |
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GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 4 00 N, 53 00 W | 12 14 S, 123 05 E |
Geography - note | mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American continent | Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983 |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Illicit drugs | small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe | - |
Imports | NA bbl/day | - |
Imports - commodities | food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals | - |
Imports - partners | France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2004) | - |
Independence | none (overseas department of France) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: 11.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1% (2003) | - |
International organization participation | UPU, WCL, WFTU | - |
Irrigated land | 20 sq km (2003) | 0 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 | 62,630 (1999) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 18.2%
industry: 21.2% services: 60.6% (1980) |
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Land boundaries | total: 1,240.4 km
border countries: Brazil 730.4 km, Suriname 510 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.13%
permanent crops: 0.04% other: 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other) (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2001) |
Languages | French | - |
Legal system | French legal system | the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply |
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 in March 2000 (next to be held March 2006); Regional Council - last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2010) 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 - (second election results) percent of vote by party - PS 37.24%, UMP 31.58%, FDG/Walwari 31.18%; seats by party - PS 17, UMP 7, FDG/Walwari 7 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held 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 in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, Walwari Committee 1 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 77.27 years
male: 73.95 years female: 80.75 years (2006 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82% (1982 est.) |
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Location | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname | Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between north-western Australia and Timor island |
Map references | South America | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Gendarmerie | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | - |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | - |
Nationality | noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective: French Guianese |
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Natural hazards | high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding | surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards |
Natural resources | bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum, kaolin, fish, niobium, tantalum, clay | fish |
Net migration rate | 4.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
People - note | - | the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem |
Political parties and leaders | 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] | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 199,509 (July 2006 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 1.96% (2006 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | - | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | 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: 1.04 male(s)/female total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system international: country code - 594; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 51,000 (2001) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 98,000 (2004) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997) | - |
Terrain | low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains | low with sand and coral |
Total fertility rate | 2.98 children born/woman (2006 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 19.2% (December 2003) | - |
Waterways | 3,760 km
note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft (2003) |
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