Part 257

Area: total area: 91,000 sq km land area: 89,150 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries: total: 1,183 km border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km

Coastline: 378 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m

Natural resources: bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish

Land use: arable land: NEGL% permanent crops: NEGL% meadows and pastures: NEGL% forest and woodland: 88% other: 12% (1992)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding international agreements: NA

Geographic note: mostly an unsettled wilderness

People ------

Population: 151,187 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 32% (male 24,447; female 23,378) 15-64 years: 63% (male 52,061; female 43,726) 65 years and over: 5% (male 3,784; female 3,791) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.86% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 24.68 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 4.59 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 18.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female all ages: 1.13 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 14.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.79 years male: 72.55 years female: 79.19 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.42 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: French Guianese (singular and plural) adjective: French Guianese

Ethnic divisions: black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10%

Religions: Roman Catholic

Languages: French

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1982 est.) total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82%