Economy - overview The economy is tied closely to that of France through subsidies andimports. Besides the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry arethe most important economic activities, with exports of fish and fish products(mostly shrimp) accounting for more than 60% of total revenue in 1992. Thelarge reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expandingsawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of cropsis limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated.French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemploymentis a serious problem, particularly among younger workers.

GDP purchasing power parity - $800 million (1993 est.)

GDP - real growth rate NA%

GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,000 (1993 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Inflation rate - consumer price index 2.5% (1992)

Labor force
total: 46,300 (1993)
by occupation: services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture18.2% (1980)

Unemployment rate 24.1% (1993 est.)

Budget
revenues : $180 million
expenditures: $350 million, including capital expenditures of $95 million (1994)

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

Industrial production growth rate NA%

Electricity - capacity 228,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production 185 million kWh (1993 est.)

Electricity - consumption per capita NA kWh

Agriculture - products rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, vegetables, bananas, sugar; cattle, pigs,poultry

Exports
total value: $80 million (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence
partners: France 52%, Spain 15%, US 5% (1992)

Imports
total value: $610 million (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities : food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods,petroleum
partners: France 77%, Germany 11%, US 5% (1992)

Debt - external $1.2 billion (1988)

Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4169 (January 1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915(1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992)

Fiscal year calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding French Guiana on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of French Guiana Economy 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about French Guiana Economy 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.