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:
186,917 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.9% (male 28,565; female 27,280)
15-64 years: 64.4% (male 64,836; female 55,498)
65 years and over: 5.7% (male 5,455; female 5,283) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.2 years
male: 29.2 years
female: 27.1 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.4% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
21.33 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
4.8 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)