Population: 195,506 (July
2005 est.)
Capital: Cayenne
Languages: French
Religions: Roman Catholic
Government: NA
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Geography: mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American continent_id
Ethnic groups: black or
mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10%
Economy: 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.
GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2003 est.)
GDP real growth: NA%
Unemployment rate: 22% (2001)
Internet country code: .gf
Dial code: +594
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.