Overview: The economy is tied closely to that of France through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities, with exports of fish and fish products (mostly shrimp) accounting for more than 60% of total revenue in 1992. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops - rice, cassava, bananas, and sugar cane - is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers.

National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $421 million (1986)

National product real growth rate: NA%

National product per capita: $4,390 (1986)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1987)

Unemployment rate: 13% (1990)

Budget:
revenues: $735 million
expenditures: $735 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)

Exports: $59 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence
partners: France 52%, Spain 15%, US 5% (1992)

Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities: food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, petroleum
partners: France 77%, Germany 11%, US 5% (1992)

External debt: $1.2 billion (1988)

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 92,000 kW
production: 185 million kWh
consumption per capita: 1,450 kWh (1992)

Industries: construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining

Agriculture: some vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugar; livestock - cattle, pigs, poultry

Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.51 billion

Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.9205 (January 1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding French Guiana on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of French Guiana Economy 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about French Guiana Economy 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.