The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

land:

       20 sq km (1998 est.)

      Natural hazards:

       high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding

      Environment - current issues:

       NA

      Geography - note:

       mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of

       the South American continent

      People French Guiana

      Population:

       195,506 (July 2005 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 29.3% (male 29,262/female 27,947)

       15–64 years: 64.7% (male 67,895/female 58,534)

       65 years and over: 6.1% (male 6,038/female 5,830) (2005 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 28.45 years

       male: 29.49 years

       female: 27.31 years (2005 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       2.1% (2005 est.)

      Birth rate:

       20.7 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Death rate:

       4.85 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       5.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      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 (2005 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 12.07 deaths/1,000 live births

       male: 12.91 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 77.09 years

       male: 73.77 years

       female: 80.58 years (2005 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       3.01 children born/woman (2005 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       NA%

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       NA

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       NA

      Nationality:

       noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)

       adjective: French Guianese

      Ethnic groups:

       black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian

       12%, other 10%

      Religions:

       Roman Catholic

      Languages:

       French

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 83%

       male: 84%

       female: 82% (1982 est.)

      Government French Guiana

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Department of Guiana

       conventional short form: French Guiana

       local long form: none

       local short form: Guyane

      Dependency status:

       overseas department of France

      Government type:

       NA

      Capital:

       Cayenne

      Administrative divisions:

       none (overseas department of France)

      Independence:

       none (overseas department of France)

      National holiday:

       Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

      Constitution:

       4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

      Legal system:

       French legal system

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal

      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

      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 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

      Judicial branch:

       Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in

       Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French

       Guiana)

      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