French Guiana
French Guiana
An overseas department of France on the Atlantic coast of the northeastern part of South America. Area - about 84 thousand km² - the largest French department. The administrative center is Cayenne (50.5 thousand), other cities: Kourou (19.1 thousand), Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (19.2 thousand). Administrative-territorial division - 2 districts. Population - about 180 thousand (2004); thus, Creoles, people of African descent, and in the interior areas - indigenous peoples. About 90% of the population lives in the coastal area. The official language is French.
The predominant religion is Catholicism. The currency is the euro.
National holiday - July 14 - Bastille Day.
In administrative and political terms, it is an overseas department (since 1946) and simultaneously a region (since 1975) of France. The representative center of power is the prefect. Local government bodies: General Council (departmental body - 19 members) and Regional Council (31 members). The Regional Council, formed under French law on administrative decentralization, has broader powers than the General Council in addressing local economic and administrative issues. In the French Parliament, Guiana is represented by 2 deputies and 1 senator, in the Economic and Social Council - 1 advisor.
Local branches of political parties in France operate: Union for a Popular Movement, Union for French Democracy, French Socialist Party, as well as the Guianese People's National Party, Guianese Democratic Action, Union of Socialist Democrats, Guianese Democratic Forces, Union for Guianese Democracy, Valvari Committee, Guianese Socialist Party, and the Movement for Decolonization and Social Emancipation.
The main trade union is the Union of Guianese Workers.
The territory of Guiana was discovered by the Spaniards in 1499. French colonization began in 1604 and continued throughout the 17th century. The territory was also contested by the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Portugal. In 1817, Guiana was definitively assigned to France, and from the late 18th century to the mid-20th century, it was a place of exile for French political prisoners.
GDP per capita (2002) - $9,090. 6.6% of the economically active population is employed in agriculture, 7.5% in construction, 77.8% in services, administration, and education. Unemployment (2003) - 12,120 people. The expenditure and revenue parts of the budget - both 109.3 million euros.
The economy is primarily based on agriculture and fishing. The main agricultural crops are grains, vegetables, rice, sugarcane, and bananas. Livestock (thousands of heads, 2002): cattle - 9.5, pigs - 8.1, poultry - 9, sheep - 10.5. About 0.1% of the territory is cultivated, mainly on the coast.
96.7% of Guiana's territory is covered by forests of valuable species (about 8 million ha in 1999). In 2002, 67.3 thousand m³ of timber was harvested.
Guiana has large gold reserves (3,500 kg extracted in 2003). Other minerals include silver, bauxite, copper, diamonds, lead, and platinum (their extraction and mining are practically not conducted).
There are sawmills, rum production factories, and seafood canning facilities.
Electricity production - 549 million kWh (2002).
The French space center is located in Kourou, which accounts for 26% of GDP.
There are 5 airports in Guiana (1 of which - Rochambeau - is international), 5 seaports. The total length of roads is 1,817 km.
More than 60,000 tourists visit Guiana annually.
Exports (2002) - 130.5 million euros (gold and alloys, agricultural products, timber, shrimp), imports - 641.8 million euros (cars, petroleum products, food, consumer goods). The main trading partner is the metropolis.
There is a branch of the University of "Antilles-Guiana," a technical institute faculty.
Several periodicals are published, including the daily newspaper "France-Guyane." Radio and television broadcasts are conducted by the company "Réseau France Outre-Mer" and the channel "France 6."
