FRENCH GUIANA (Continued)
Branches: executive; prefect appointed by Paris; legislative: popularly elected 16-member General Council and a Regional Council composed of members of the local General Council and of the locally elected deputy and senator to the French parliament; judicial, under jurisdiction of French judicial system
Government leader: Commissioner of the Republic Maxime GONZALVO
Suffrage: universal over age 18
Elections: General Council elections normally are held every five years; last election March 1978
Political parties and leaders: Guyanese Socialist Party (PSG), Raymond Tarcy (senator), Léopold Helder; Union of the Guyanese People (UPG), weak leftist party allied with, but also reported to have been absorbed by, the PSG; Rally for the Republic (RPR), Hector Rivierez
Communists: Communist party membership negligible
ECONOMY
GNP: $100 million (at market prices, 1975), $800 per capita
Agriculture: main crops—rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, bananas, sugarcane
Fishing: catch 1,142 metric tons (1977)
Major industries: timber, rum, gold mining, production of rosewood essence, and space center
Electric power: 31,000 kW capacity (1981); 136 million kWh produced (1981), 1,705 kWh per capita
Exports: $7.2 million (1977); shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence
Imports: $143.4 million (1977); food (grains, processed meat), other consumer goods, producer goods, and petroleum
Major trade partners: exports—78% US, 11% France, 5% Martinique; imports—49% France, 10% US, 3% Trinidad and Tobago (1969)
Aid: economic—bilateral commitments, ODA and OOF (FY70-79), from Western (non-US) countries, $700 million, no military aid
Monetary conversion rate: 4.21 French francs=US$1 1980
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 32 km private plantation line, 0.600-meter gauge
Highways: 820 km total; 570 km paved, 250 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 460 km, navigable by small ocean-going vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km possibly navigable by native craft
Ports: 1 major (Cayenne), 7 minor
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airfields: 10 total, 10 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: limited open-wire and radio-relay system with about 13,700 telephones (22.1 per 100 popl.); 2 AM, 2 FM, and 2 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station
DEFENSE FORCES
Military manpower: males 15-49, 14,000; 9,000 fit for military service
