FRENCH GUIANA, or CAYENNE. This Colony and penal settlement of France lies between Dutch Guiana and Brazil, the River Oyapok being on the eastern border. Its area is estimated at 30, 500 square miles. The surface rises quite grad ually from the unhealthful coast to the moun tain border on the south, where the highest point, however, does not reach above 2700 feet. The Coast is not so low as that of British and Dutch Guiana. There are several rivers, but none of importance. Only a small part of the country is knoWn. Fevers, particularly yellow fever, decimate the region, and proved so fatal to French convicts that white prisoners have long been sent elsewhere. Less than 10,000 acres of land are under cultivation. Cacao, coffee, cot ton, tobacco, and many other crops grow. Cacao also flourishes wild. The industrial growth of the Colony is very slow and discouraging. The culti vated land is poorly handled and by about only 6000 hands. There are but a few thousand head of live-stock in the Colony.
Gold-mining is the leading industry, and the chief article of export. Gold was discovered in 1853. The value of its annual export has fluctu ated considerably. In 1900 the total mined prod uct of the metal was $1,412,000. The develop ment of this industry is much affected by the high rate of mortality. There is a little produc tion of phosphate, silver, and iron. Some marble
and balata and rosewood oil also figure in the list of exports. In 1900 the imports were 9.760, 000 francs; the export of native products. 6.:350, 000 francs. Nearly all the trade is with France. In the Colony's commerce of 1899 were engaged ISO ships, of 38,872 registered tons. There are no railways. A cable connects Cayenne with France.
The Colony is administered by a Governor ap pointed at Paris. Ile has a Privy Connell of seven members. The Colony hits sixteen represen tatives in its Council General, and sends one Deputy to the National Chamber. The Colony is comparatively a heavy financial drain on the Republic, requiring. in 1902. 7,08(1.000 francs— mostly for the penal establishment. In 1901 the local budget balanced at about $550.000. In 1895 there were 30.310 inhabitants. among whom were 4360 hard-labor convicts and 1500 native Indians. We convicts nre restricted to four localities. The Ile du Diable off the coast, northwest of Cayenne, became famous through the imprison ment there of Alfred Dreyfus. Cayenne, the capi tal (q.v.), and the only important town, has one college. The group of islands called the Iles du Salut (of which the above-mentioned Devil's Island is one) form a desirable harbor. There are 27 elementary schools, with 2000 scholars.