French Guiana Geography 1997

Location Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, betweenBrazil and Suriname

Geographic coordinates 4 00 N, 53 00 W

Map references South America

Area
total: 91,000 sq km
land: 89,150 sq km
water: 1,850 sq km

Area - comparative 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

Climate tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains

Elevation extremes
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: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 83%
other : 17% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 20 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding

Environment - current issues NA

Environment - international agreements
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography - note mostly an unsettled wilderness

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 Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about French Guiana Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.