Land use: arable land: NEGL permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (90% forest, 10% other) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1998 est.)

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

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American continent

People French Guiana

Population: 182,333 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.2% (male 28,140; female 26,876) 15-64 years: 64.2% (male 63,183; female 53,902) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 5,192; female 5,040) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.57% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 21.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)