III.

Economy and Government

The extensive forests of French Guiana, covering more than four-fifths of the entire land surface, are rich in timber of commercial importance. Less than 1 per cent of the land is devoted to agriculture. The principal food crops are maize, rice, cassava, pineapples, yams, and bananas. Sugar cane is the only significant cash crop. Fishing is of growing importance; the catch is largely shrimp, which is exported. Alluvial mining for gold is undertaken, and commercial reserves of bauxite, clay, and cinnabar also exist. Industrial enterprises are small and include sawmills, rum distilleries, potteries, and brick and dye works. The European Space Agency operates a satellite base, from which the Ariane rocket was first launched in 1983, at Kourou. French Guiana's chief imports are foodstuffs, refined petroleum, cement, metals, and machinery. Exports include commercial timbers, rosewood essence, gold, shrimp, rice, bananas, cacao, rum, and mounted butterflies. Until the end of 2001, the unit of currency was the French franc. On January 1, 2002, French Guiana, together with several other French territories, adopted the Euro; as at early 2008, 0.68 Euros equalled US$1.

French Guiana is administered by a prefect, who is assisted by a 19-member general council and a 31-member regional council, each elected by universal adult suffrage. The department is represented in both houses of the French National Assembly.