UPU, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas department of France)
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
Economy French Guiana
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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.551 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 58,800 (1997)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 18.2%, industry 21.2%, services, government, and commerce 60.6% (1980)
Unemployment rate:
22% (2001)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.5% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105
million (1996)
Agriculture - products: corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry
Industries:
construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
460.1 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
427.9 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
6,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA
Oil - imports:
NA
Exports:
$155 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing
Exports - partners:
France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2001)
Imports:
$625 million c.i.f. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment,
fuels and chemicals
Imports - partners:
France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2002 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.2 billion (1988)
Economic aid - recipient:
NA
Currency (code):
euro (EUR)
Currency code:
EUR
Exchange rates:
Euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002),
1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications French Guiana
Telephones - main lines in use:
51,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
138,200 (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system
international: country code - 594; satellite earth station - 1
