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Wikipedia

French Guiana

French Guiana (/ɡiˈɑːnə/ or /ɡiˈænə/; French: Guyane [ɡɥijan] (listen); French Guianese Creole: Lagwiyann [la.ɡɥi.jãn]) is an overseas department of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas. Bordered by Suriname to the west and Brazil to the east and south, French Guiana covers a land area of 83,534 km2 (32,253 sq mi),[3] and is inhabited by 301,099 people.

French Guiana
Guyane (French)
Territorial Collectivity of French Guiana
Collectivité territoriale de Guyane (French)
Motto: 
Fert Aurum Industria
Anthem: La Marseillaise
("The Marseillaise")
Coordinates: 4°N 53°W / 4°N 53°W / 4; -53Coordinates: 4°N 53°W / 4°N 53°W / 4; -53
Country France
PrefectureCayenne
Departments1 (every overseas region consists of a department in itself)
Government
 • PrefectThierry Queffelec[1]
 • President of the AssemblyGabriel Serville (Guyane Kontré pour avancer)
 • LegislatureAssembly of French Guiana
Area
 • Total83,846 km2 (32,373 sq mi)
 • Land83,534 km2 (32,253 sq mi)
 • Rank2nd region and 1st department
Population
 (January 2023)[4]
 • Total301,099
 • Density3.6/km2 (9.3/sq mi)
Demonym(s)(French) Guianan
(French) Guianese
Time zoneUTC-3:00 (BRT)
ISO 3166 code
Gross Regional Product (2019)[5]Ranked 17th
Total€4.41 billion
Per capita€15,521
NUTS RegionFRA
WebsiteTerritorial Collectivity
Prefecture
View of Fort Cépérou Mount, Cayenne

French Guiana is the second-largest region of France (more than one-seventh the size of Metropolitan France) and the largest outermost region within the European Union. It has a very low population density, with only 3.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (9.3/sq mi). (Its population is less than 1200 that of Metropolitan France.) Half of its 301,099 inhabitants in 2023 lived in the metropolitan area of Cayenne, its capital. 98.9% of the land territory of French Guiana is covered by forests,[6] a large part of which is primeval rainforest. The Guiana Amazonian Park, which is the largest national park in the European Union,[7] covers 41% of French Guiana's territory.

Since December 2015, both the region and department have been ruled by a single assembly within the framework of a new territorial collectivity, the French Guiana Territorial Collectivity (French: collectivité territoriale de Guyane). This assembly, the French Guiana Assembly (French: assemblée de Guyane), replaced the former regional council and departmental council, which were disbanded. The French Guiana Assembly is in charge of regional and departmental government. Its president is Gabriel Serville.

Fully integrated in the French Republic since 1946, French Guiana is a part of the European Union, and its official currency is the euro. A large part of French Guiana's economy depends on jobs and businesses associated with the presence of the Guiana Space Centre, now the European Space Agency's primary launch site near the equator. As elsewhere in France, the official language is standard French, but each ethnic community has its own language, of which French Guianese Creole, a French-based creole language, is the most widely spoken. French Guiana is the only territory on the continental mainland of either North or South America that is under the sovereignty of a European state, much less fully integrated in a European state.

The border between French Guiana and Brazil is the longest land border that France shares with another country, as well as one of only two borders which France shares with non-European states, the other being the border with Suriname in the west.

Name

 
Map of northern South America showing the extent of the Guyanas region

The addition of the adjective "French" in most languages other than French is rooted in colonial times, when five such colonies (The Guianas) had been named along the coast, subject to differing powers: namely (from west to east) Spanish Guiana (now Guayana Region in Venezuela), British Guiana (now Guyana), Dutch Guiana (now Suriname), French Guiana, and Portuguese Guiana (now Amapá in Brazil). French Guiana and the two larger countries to the north and west, Guyana and Suriname, are still often collectively referred to as "the Guianas" and constitute one large landmass known as the Guiana Shield.

History

French Guiana was originally inhabited by indigenous people: Kalina, Arawak, Galibi, Palikur, Teko, Wayampi and Wayana. The French attempted to create a colony there in the 16th century in conjunction with its settlement of some Caribbean islands, such as Guadeloupe and Saint-Domingue.

Prior to European colonization, the territory was originally inhabited by Native Americans, most speaking the Arawak language, of the Arawakan language family. The people identified as Lokono. The first French establishment is recorded in 1503, but France did not establish a durable presence until colonists founded Cayenne in 1643. Guiana was developed as a slave society, where planters imported Africans as enslaved labourers on large sugar and other plantations in such number as to increase the population. The system of slavery in French Guiana continued until the French Revolution, when the National Convention voted to abolish the French slave trade and slavery in France's overseas colonies in February 1794, months after enslaved Haitians had started a slave rebellion in the colony of Saint-Domingue. However, the 1794 decree was only implemented in Saint-Domingue, Guadeloupe and French Guiana, while the colonies of Senegal, Mauritius, Réunion and Martinique and French India resisted the imposition of these laws.[8]

Bill Marshall, Professor of Comparative Cultural Studies at the University of Stirling[9] wrote of French Guiana's origins:

The first French effort to colonize Guiana, in 1763, failed utterly, as settlers were subject to high mortality given the numerous tropical diseases and harsh climate: all but 2,000 of the initial 12,000 settlers died.

After France ceded Louisiana to the United States in 1804, it developed Guiana as a penal colony, establishing a network of camps and penitentiaries along the coast where prisoners from metropolitan France were sentenced to forced labour.[not verified in body]

During operations as a penal colony beginning in the mid-19th century, the French government transported approximately 56,000 prisoners to Devil's Island. Fewer than 10% survived their sentence.[10]

Île du Diable (Devil's Island) was the site of a small prison facility, part of a larger penal system by the same name, which consisted of prisons on three islands and three larger prisons on the mainland. This was operated from 1852 to 1953.

 
Following the Portuguese conquest of French Guiana in 1809, João Severiano Maciel da Costa served as its only governor until 1817.

In addition, in the late nineteenth century, France began requiring forced residencies by prisoners who survived their hard labour.[11] A Portuguese-British naval squadron took French Guiana for the Portuguese Empire in 1809. It was returned to France with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1814. Though Portugal returned the region to France, it kept a military presence until 1817.

After French Guiana was established as a penal colony, officials sometimes used convicts to catch butterflies. The sentences of the convicts were often long, and the prospect of employment very weak, so the convicts caught butterflies to sell in the international market, both for scientific purposes as well as general collecting.[12]

A border dispute with Brazil arose in the late 19th century over a vast area of jungle, resulting in the short-lived, pro-French, independent state of Counani in the disputed territory. There was some fighting among settlers. The dispute was resolved largely in favour of Brazil by the arbitration of the Swiss government.[13]

The territory of Inini consisted of most of the interior of French Guiana when it was created in 1930.[14] It was abolished in 1946, the year that French Guiana as a whole was formally established as an overseas department of France.[15] In 1936, Félix Éboué from Cayenne became the first black man to serve as governor in a French colony.[16][17]

 
French Guiana, c. 1930

During World War II and the fall of France to Nazi German forces, French Guiana became part of Vichy France. Guiana officially rallied to Free France on 16 March 1943.[18] It abandoned its colony status and once again became a French department on 19 March 1946.[15]

Following the French withdrawal from Vietnam in the 1950s and subsequent warfare conducted in the region by the United States, France helped resettle several hundred Hmong refugees from Laos to French Guiana during the 1970s and 80s, who were fleeing displacement after the communist takeover of Laos by Pathet Lao in 1975.[19][20]

In the late 1980s, more than 10,000 Surinamese refugees, mostly Maroons, arrived in French Guiana, fleeing the Surinamese Civil War.[19]

More recently, French Guiana has received large numbers of Brazilian and Haitian economic migrants.[19] Illegal and ecologically destructive gold mining by Brazilian garimpeiros is a chronic issue in the remote interior rain forest of French Guiana.[21][22] The region still faces such problems as illegal immigration, poorer infrastructure than mainland France, higher costs of living, higher levels of crime and more common social unrest.[23]

In 1964, French president Charles de Gaulle decided to construct a space-travel base in French Guiana. It was intended to replace the Sahara base in Algeria and stimulate economic growth in French Guiana. The department was considered suitable for the purpose because it is near the equator and has extensive access to the ocean as a buffer zone. The Guiana Space Centre, located a short distance along the coast from Kourou, has grown considerably since the initial launches of the Véronique rockets. It is now part of the European space industry and has had commercial success with such launches as the Ariane 4, Ariane 5 and Ariane flight VA256 which launched the James Webb Space Telescope into space.

The Guianese General Council officially adopted a departmental flag in 2010.[24] In a referendum that same year, French Guiana voted against autonomy.[25]

On 20 March 2017, French Guianese workers began going on strike and demonstrating for more resources and infrastructure.[26] 28 March 2017 was the day of the largest demonstration ever held in French Guiana.[27]

French Guiana has been severely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, with more than 1% of French Guianese testing positive by the end of June 2020.[28]

Geography

 
Geographic map of French Guiana in 2009. Note: this map does not show the international Oyapock River Bridge which connects Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock (France) and Oiapoque (Brazil) and has been open to car traffic since March 2017. The new asphalted road between Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and Apatou, which was completed in 2010, does not appear on the map either.

French Guiana lies between latitudes and N, and longitudes 51° and 55° W. It consists of two main geographical regions: a coastal strip where the majority of the people live, and dense, near-inaccessible rainforest which gradually rises to the modest peaks of the Tumuc-Humac mountains along the Brazilian frontier. French Guiana's highest peak is Bellevue de l'Inini in Maripasoula (851 m, 2,792 ft). Other mountains include Mont Itoupé (826 m, 2,710 ft), Cottica Mountain (744 m, 2,441 ft), Pic Coudreau (711 m, 2,333 ft), and Kaw Mountain (337 m, 1,106 ft).

Several small islands are found off the coast: the three Salvation's Islands which include Devil's Island, and the isolated Îles du Connétable bird sanctuary further along the coast towards Brazil.

The Petit-Saut Dam, a hydroelectric dam in the north of French Guiana forms an artificial lake and provides hydroelectricity. There are many rivers in French Guiana, including the Waki River.

As of 2007, the Amazonian forest, located in the most remote part of the department, is protected as the Guiana Amazonian Park, one of the ten national parks of France. The territory of the park covers some 33,900 km2 (13,090 sq mi) upon the communes of Camopi, Maripasoula, Papaïchton, Saint-Élie and Saül.

Climate

 

French Guiana has an equatorial climate predominant.[29] Located within six degrees of the Equator and rising only to modest elevations, French Guiana is hot and oppressively humid all year round. During most of the year, rainfall across the country is heavy due to the presence of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and its powerful thunderstorm cells. In most parts of French Guiana, rainfall is always heavy especially from December to July – typically over 330 millimetres or 13 inches can be expected each month during this period throughout the department. Between August and November, the eastern half experiences a warm dry season with rainfall below 100 millimetres or 3.94 inches and average high temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) occurring in September and October, causing eastern French Guiana to be classified as a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am); Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni in the west has a tropical rainforest climate (Af).

Climate data for Cayenne (Köppen Am/Af)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 32.5
(90.5)
32.3
(90.1)
32.2
(90.0)
33.0
(91.4)
33.2
(91.8)
33.7
(92.7)
34.5
(94.1)
35.0
(95.0)
35.2
(95.4)
35.1
(95.2)
34.6
(94.3)
34.1
(93.4)
35.2
(95.4)
Average high °C (°F) 29.1
(84.4)
29.2
(84.6)
29.6
(85.3)
29.9
(85.8)
29.9
(85.8)
30.2
(86.4)
30.8
(87.4)
31.6
(88.9)
32.1
(89.8)
32.2
(90.0)
31.5
(88.7)
30.1
(86.2)
30.5
(86.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.2
(79.2)
26.3
(79.3)
26.5
(79.7)
26.8
(80.2)
26.7
(80.1)
26.6
(79.9)
26.6
(79.9)
27.0
(80.6)
27.2
(81.0)
27.3
(81.1)
27.0
(80.6)
26.6
(79.9)
26.7
(80.1)
Average low °C (°F) 23.3
(73.9)
23.4
(74.1)
23.5
(74.3)
23.7
(74.7)
23.5
(74.3)
22.9
(73.2)
22.4
(72.3)
22.4
(72.3)
22.2
(72.0)
22.3
(72.1)
22.5
(72.5)
23.1
(73.6)
22.9
(73.2)
Record low °C (°F) 17.4
(63.3)
18.9
(66.0)
18.5
(65.3)
19.0
(66.2)
18.8
(65.8)
18.9
(66.0)
19.0
(66.2)
19.0
(66.2)
18.7
(65.7)
18.6
(65.5)
17.2
(63.0)
18.0
(64.4)
17.2
(63.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 451.2
(17.76)
309.4
(12.18)
334.3
(13.16)
448.4
(17.65)
579.4
(22.81)
411.4
(16.20)
245.7
(9.67)
143.6
(5.65)
55.7
(2.19)
63.3
(2.49)
133.4
(5.25)
340.5
(13.41)
3,516.3
(138.44)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 23.6 20.0 20.7 22.2 26.4 25.2 20.6 14.2 7.1 7.6 11.9 21.6 221.1
Average relative humidity (%) 82 80 82 84 85 82 78 74 71 71 76 81 79
Mean monthly sunshine hours 95.1 92.4 120.0 123.5 122.4 150.4 200.5 234.4 253.4 256.4 211.5 143.3 2,003
Source: Meteo France[30][31]

Environment

French Guiana is home to many different ecosystems: tropical rainforests, coastal mangroves, savannahs, inselbergs and many types of wetlands. It lies within three ecoregions: Guayanan Highlands moist forests, Guianan moist forests, and Guianan mangroves.[32] French Guiana has a high level of biodiversity of both flora and fauna. This is due to the presence of old-growth forests (i.e., ancient/primary forests), which are biodiversity hotspots. The rainforests of French Guiana provide shelter for many species during dry periods and terrestrial glaciation.[33] These forests are protected by a national park (the Guiana Amazonian Park), seven additional nature reserves, and 17 protected sites.[34] The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the European Union (EU) have recommended special efforts to protect these areas.[33]

Following the Grenelle Environment Round Table of 2007, the Grenelle Law II was proposed in 2009, under law number 2010–788. Article 49 of the law proposed the creation of a single organization responsible for environmental conservation in French Guiana. Article 64 proposes a "departmental plan of mining orientation" for French Guiana, which would promote mining (specifically of gold) that is compatible with requirements for environmental protection.[35] The coastal environment along the RN1 has historically experienced the most changes, but development is occurring locally along the RN2, and also in western French Guiana due to gold mining.

 
The grey-winged trumpeter, a species of bird commonly found in the region

5,500 plant species have been recorded, including more than a thousand trees, along with 700 species of birds, 177 species of mammals, over 500 species of fish including 45% of which are endemic and 109 species of amphibians. French Guiana's high biodiversity is similar to that of other regions with tropical rainforests, such as the Brazilian Amazon, Borneo and Sumatra.

Environmental threats include habitat fragmentation from roads, which remains very limited compared to other forests of South America; immediate and deferred impacts of EDF's Petit-Saut Dam; gold mining; poor control of hunting and poaching, facilitated by the creation of many tracks; and the introduction of all-terrain vehicles. Logging remains moderate due to the lack of roads, difficult climate, and difficult terrain. The Forest Code of French Guiana was modified by ordinance on 28 July 2005. Logging concessions or free transfers are sometimes granted by local authorities to persons traditionally deriving their livelihood from the forest.

The beaches of the Amana Nature Reserve are an exceptional marine turtle nesting site. This is one of the largest worldwide for the leatherback turtle.[36][37]

Agriculture

French Guiana has some of the poorest soils in the world. The soil is low in nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, potassium) and organic matter. Soil acidity is another cause of the poor soils, and it requires farmers to add lime to their fields. The soil characteristics have led to the use of slash and burn agriculture. The resulting ashes elevate soil pH (i.e., lower soil acidity), and contribute minerals and other nutrients to the soil. Sites of Terra preta (anthropogenic soils) have been discovered in French Guiana, particularly near the border with Brazil. Research is being actively pursued in multiple fields to determine how these enriched soils were historically created, and how this can be done in modern times.

Economy

 
An Ariane 5 rocket being processed at the Guiana Space Centre; the launch site is estimated to account for as much as 16% of French Guiana's GDP

As a part of France, French Guiana is part of the European Union and the Eurozone; its currency is the euro. The country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for French Guiana is .gf, but .fr is generally used instead.[38]

In 2019, the GDP of French Guiana at market exchange rates was US$4.93 billion (€4.41 billion),[5] ranking as the 2nd largest economy in the Guianas after Guyana (which discovered large oil fields in 2015 and 2018), and the 12th largest in South America.[39]

From the 1960s to the 2000s, French Guiana experienced strong economic growth, fueled by the development of France's Guiana Space Centre (established in French Guiana in 1964 as the independence of Algeria in 1962 led to the closure of France's space center in the Algerian Sahara) and by high population growth which stimulated domestic consumption. French Guiana's economy did not suffer from the Global Financial Crisis of 2008: the GDP grew by an average of +3.4% per year in real terms from 2002 to 2012, slightly faster than the rapidly growing population, which allowed French Guiana to catch up somewhat with the rest of France in terms of standards of living.[5] The GDP per capita rose from 48.0% of metropolitan France's level in 2000 to 48.5% of metropolitan France in 2012.[5]

Since 2013, however, French Guiana's economic growth has been uneven, and more subdued. From 2013 to 2019, the economy grew by an average of only +1.2% in real terms.[5] French Guiana experienced a recession of -0.8% in 2014, and social unrest in 2017 led to almost no economic growth that year. Economic growth recovered at +3.0% in 2018, but was again almost null (+0.2%) in 2019.[5] As a result, the GDP per capita has remained stagnant in nominal terms since 2013, and has declined relative to metropolitan France's. In 2019, the GDP per capita of French Guiana at market exchange rates, not at PPP, was US$17,375 (€15,521),[5] only 42.3% of metropolitan France's average GDP per capita that year, and 50.3% of the metropolitan French regions outside the Paris Region.[5]

French Guiana was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, leading to a recession of -2.7% that year according to provisional estimates, moderate compared to the COVID-19 recession in metropolitan France (-7.9% in 2020).[5]

Regional GDP of French Guiana
(in euros, current prices)
 2000   2006   2012   2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018   2019 
Nominal GDP (€ bn) 1.95 2.91 3.78 3.86 3.96 3.99 4.13 4.13 4.35 4.41
GDP per capita (euros) 11,814 13,874 15,638 15,534 15,480 15,091 15,356 15,151 15,607 15,521
GDP per capita as a %
of Metropolitan France's
48.0% 47.1% 48.5% 47.8% 47.1% 45.1% 45.2% 43.5% 43.7% 42.3%
Sources: INSEE.[5]

French Guiana is heavily dependent on mainland France for subsidies, trade, and goods.[citation needed] The main traditional industries are fishing (accounting for 5% of exports in 2012), gold mining (accounting for 32% of exports in 2012) and timber (accounting for 1% of exports in 2012).[40] In addition, the Guiana Space Centre has played a significant role in the local economy since it was established in Kourou in 1964: it accounted directly and indirectly for 16% of French Guiana's GDP in 2002 (down from 26% in 1994, as the French Guianese economy is becoming increasingly diversified).[41] The Guiana Space Centre employed 1,659 people in 2012.[42]

There is very little manufacturing. Agriculture is largely undeveloped and is mainly confined to the area near the coast and along the Maroni River. Sugar and bananas were traditionally two of the main cash crops grown for export but have almost completely disappeared. Today they have been replaced by livestock raising (essentially beef cattle and pigs) in the coastal savannas between Cayenne and the second-largest town, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, and market gardening (fruits and vegetables) developed by the Hmong communities settled in French Guiana in the 1970s, both destined to the local market. A thriving rice production, developed on polders near Mana from the early 1980s to the late 2000s, has almost completely disappeared since 2011 due to marine erosion and new EU plant health rules which forbid the use of many pesticides and fertilizers. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is growing.

Unemployment has been persistently high in the last few decades, standing between 17% and 24%.[43] In recent years, the unemployment rate has declined from a peak of 23.0% in 2016 to 19.3% in 2019.[44]

Demographics

 
Carnival of Kourou

Historical population

French Guiana experienced a long period of demographic stagnation during the days of the Cayenne and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni penal colonies (19th century and first half of the 20th century), when, with the exception of a brief gold rush in the 1900s and 1910s, it suffered from a bad reputation due to its association with penal colonies and bad sanitary conditions (yellow fever and malaria in particular).

Population started to grow tremendously from the 1950s onwards with the improvement of sanitary conditions (yellow fever and malaria eradication campaigns started in 1949)[45] and the establishment of the Guiana Space Centre in 1964. Population growth has been fueled both by high birth rates and large arrivals of immigrants (from metropolitan France, to man the public administrations and the space center, as well as from neighboring countries, in particular Suriname and Brazil). Arrivals of Surinamese refugees reached record levels in the 1980s during the Surinamese Interior War,[19] resulting in the highest population growth rate in French Guiana's history, recorded between the 1982 and 1990 censuses (+5.8% per year).

In the 21st century, the birth rate has remained high, and new arrivals of migrants seeking asylum (in particular from Haiti) have kept population growth above 2% per year in the 2010s. French Guiana's population reached 301,099 in 2023 (Jan. estimate),[4] more than 10 times the population it had in 1954.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1807 15,483—    
1814 14,463−0.97%
1827 22,416+3.43%
1832 22,531+0.10%
1837 21,221−1.19%
1842 20,365−0.82%
1850 20,100−0.16%
1855 20,198+0.10%
1860 25,687+4.93%
1868 25,151−0.26%
1872 24,171−0.99%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1876 27,082+2.88%
1880 27,333+0.23%
1887 25,796−0.82%
1891 29,650+3.54%
1895 30,310+0.55%
1901 32,908+1.38%
1906 39,117+3.52%
1911 48,810+4.53%
1921 44,202−0.99%
1936 36,975−1.18%
1946 28,506−2.57%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1954 27,863−0.27%
1961 33,505+2.57%
1967 44,392+4.79%
1974 55,125+3.14%
1982 73,022+3.88%
1990 114,678+5.79%
1999 157,213+3.58%
2009 224,469+3.69%
2014 252,338+2.37%
2020 285,133+2.06%
2023 301,099+1.83%
Local population estimates and censuses up to 1946.[46][47][48] INSEE censuses between 1954 and 2019.[49][50] Last INSEE 2022 estimate.[4]

Major metropolitan areas and settlements

There exist three metropolitan areas (as defined by INSEE) in French Guiana. These are Cayenne, which covers 6 communes (Cayenne, Remire-Montjoly, Matoury, Macouria, Montsinéry-Tonnegrande, and Roura),[51] Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, made up of the namesake commune, and Kourou, made up of the namesake commune.

The population of these three metropolitan areas at the 2020 census was the following:[52]

Metropolitan area Population (2020)
Cayenne 151,887
Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni 49,173
Kourou 24,805

Beyond these three metropolitan areas, the most populated communes (municipalities), which are not populated enough to form a metropolitan area, were the following at the 2020 census:[53]

Commune Population (2020)
Mana 11,605
Maripasoula 9,768
Apatou 9,582
Grand-Santi 8,859
Papaichton 5,684
Saint-Georges 4,303

Ethnic groups

 
Fresh market of Hmong Cacao village
 
Daily life in the Wayana village of Antecume Pata

French Guiana's population, most of whom live along the coast, is substantially ethnically diverse. At the 2019 census, 56.5% of the inhabitants of French Guiana were born in French Guiana, 8.9% were born in Metropolitan France, 2.8% were born in the French Caribbean departments and collectivities (Guadeloupe and Martinique etc.), and 31.5% were born in foreign countries (primarily Suriname, Brazil, and Haiti).[54]

Estimates of the percentages of French Guiana ethnic composition are difficult to produce due to the presence of a large proportion of immigrants. People of African descent are the largest ethnic group, though estimates vary as to the exact percentage, depending upon whether the large Haitian community is included as well. Generally, the Creole population is judged to be about 60–70% of the total population if Haitians (comprising roughly one-third of Creoles) are included, and 30–50% otherwise. There are also smaller groups from various Caribbean islands, mainly Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Saint Lucia.

Approximately 41,000 people or 14% of the population is of European ancestry. The vast majority of these are of French ancestry, though there are also people of Spanish and Portuguese ancestry.

The main Asian communities are the Chinese (about 3–4%, primarily from Zhejiang and Guangdong in mainland China) and Hmong from Laos (1–2%). Other groups from Asia include East Indians, Lebanese and Vietnamese.

The main groups living in the interior are the Maroons who are of African descent, and Amerindians. The Maroons, descendants of escaped African slaves, live primarily along the Maroni River. The main Maroon groups are the Saramaca, Aucan (both of whom also live in Suriname), and Boni (Aluku).

The main Amerindian groups (forming about 3–4% of the population) are the Arawak, Carib, Emerillon (now called the Teko), Galibi (now called the Kaliña), Palikur, Wayampi and Wayana. As of the late 1990s, there was evidence of an uncontacted group of Wayampi.

Immigration

Place of birth of residents of French Guiana
(at the 1990, 1999, 2008, 2013, and 2019 censuses)
Census Born in
French Guiana
Born in
Metropolitan France
Born in the
French West Indies
Born in the
rest of Overseas France
Born in foreign
countries with French
citizenship at birth¹
Immigrants²
2019 56.5% 8.9% 2.8% 0.3% 1.0% 30.5%
2013 57.0% 9.4% 2.9% 0.3% 1.2% 29.2%
2008 55.4% 9.6% 3.0% 0.2% 1.3% 30.5%
1999 54.4% 11.8% 4.9% 0.3% 2.0% 26.6%
1990 50.5% 11.7% 5.2% 0.3% 1.9% 30.4%
¹Persons born abroad of French parents, such as Pieds-Noirs and children of French expatriates.
²An immigrant is by French definition a person born in a foreign country and who did not have French citizenship at birth. Note that an immigrant may have acquired French citizenship since moving to France, but is still listed as an immigrant in French statistics. On the other hand, persons born in France with foreign citizenship (the children of immigrants) are not listed as immigrants.
Source: INSEE[55][54]

In recent years, French Guiana has seen an increase in Syrian refugees trying to escape the Syrian Civil War. For them and other groups of migrants, the majority arriving from Latin American and Middle Eastern countries (especially Cuba, Yemen, and Palestine), its status as French territory makes it a "gateway" to Europe. Many live in crowded refugee camps with poor conditions and little protection from the elements. Neither local authorities nor the French government have made significant efforts to help the situation.[56][57][58]

Religion

 
Cayenne Cathedral. Most inhabitants of French Guiana are Catholic.

The dominant religion of French Guiana is Roman Catholicism; the Maroons and some Amerindian peoples maintain their own religions. The Hmong people are also largely Catholic owing to the influence of missionaries who helped bring them to French Guiana.[59] Guianan Catholics are part of the Diocese of Cayenne.

Fertility

The total fertility rate in French Guiana has remained high and is today considerably higher than that of metropolitan France, as well as most of the other French overseas departments. It is largely responsible for the rapid population growth of French Guiana.

Total fertility rate
 1999   2000   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012   2013   2014   2015   2016   2017   2018 
French Guiana 3.87 3.93 3.79 3.73 3.77 3.47 3.79 3.80 3.73 3.57 3.49 3.37 3.42 3.60 3.47 3.44 3.44 3.61 3.93 3.82
4 overseas departmentsA 2.32 2.45 2.42 2.35 2.38 2.40 2.46 2.48 2.48 2.46 2.42 2.39 2.40 2.48 2.44 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Metropolitan France 1.79 1.87 1.88 1.86 1.87 1.90 1.92 1.98 1.96 1.99 1.99 2.02 2.00 1.99 1.97 1.97 1.93 1.89 1.86 1.84
Source: INSEE[60]
A Data for the four overseas departments of French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Réunion, not including the new overseas department of Mayotte.

Languages

The official language of French Guiana is French, and it is the predominant language of the department, spoken by most residents as a first or second language. In addition, a number of other local languages exist. Regional languages include French Guianese Creole (not to be confused with Guyanese Creole), six Amerindian languages (Arawak, Palijur, Kali'na, Wayana, Wayampi, Emerillon), four Maroon creole languages (Saramaka, Paramaccan, Aluku, Ndyuka), as well as Hmong Njua.[61] Other languages spoken include Portuguese, Mandarin, Haitian Creole and Spanish.

Politics

 
Map of the European Union in the world with overseas countries and territories and outermost regions, as of 2019

French Guiana, as part of France, forms part of the European Union – the largest landmass for an area outside of Europe (since Greenland left the European Community in 1985), with one of the longest EU external boundaries. It is one of only three European Union territories outside Europe that is not an island (the others being the Spanish Autonomous Cities in Africa, Ceuta and Melilla). As an integral part of France, its head of state is the president of the French Republic, and its head of government is the prime minister of France. The French government and its agencies have responsibility for a wide range of issues that are reserved to the national executive power, such as defense and external relations.

 
Cayenne City Hall

The president of France appoints a prefect (resident at the prefecture building in Cayenne) as his representative to head the local government of French Guiana. There is one elected, local executive body, the Assemblée de Guyane.[62]

French Guiana sends two deputies to the French National Assembly, one representing the commune (municipality) of Cayenne and the commune of Macouria, and the other representing the rest of French Guiana. This latter constituency is the largest in the French Republic by land area. French Guiana also sends two senators to the French Senate.[citation needed] The first woman to be elected to the Senate was Marie-Laure Phinéra-Horth in 2020.[63][64]

The Guianese Socialist Party dominated politics in French Guiana until 2010.

A chronic issue affecting French Guiana is the influx of illegal immigrants and clandestine gold prospectors from Brazil and Suriname. The border between the department and Suriname, the Maroni River, flows through rain forest and is difficult for the Gendarmerie and the French Foreign Legion to patrol. There have been several phases launched by the French government to combat illegal gold mining in French Guiana, beginning with Operation Anaconda beginning in 2003, followed by Operation Harpie in 2008 and 2009 and Operation Harpie Reinforce in 2010. Colonel François Müller, the commander of French Guiana's gendarmes, believes these operations have been successful. However, after each operation ends, Brazilian miners, garimpeiros [fr], return.[65] Soon after Operation Harpie Reinforce began, an altercation took place between French authorities and Brazilian miners. On 12 March 2010 a team of French soldiers and border police were attacked while returning from a successful operation, during which "the soldiers had arrested 15 miners, confiscated three boats, and seized 617 grams of gold... currently worth about $22,317". Garimpeiros returned to retrieve their lost loot and colleagues. The soldiers fired warning shots and rubber "flash balls", but the miners managed to retake one of their boats and about 500 grams of gold. "The violent reaction by the garimpeiros can be explained by the exceptional take of 617 grams of gold, about 20 percent of the quantity seized in 2009 during the battle against illegal mining", said Phillipe Duporge, the director of French Guiana's border police, at a press conference the next day.[66]

Administrative divisions

French Guiana is divided into 3 arrondissements and 22 communes:

Number Name Area (km2) Population (2019)[67] Individual Map Arrondissement Labelled Map
1 Awala-Yalimapo 187.4 1,449   Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni  
2 Mana 6,333 11,675  
3 Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni 4,830 47,621  
4 Apatou 2,020 9,482  
5 Grand-Santi 2,112 8,779  
6 Papaïchton 2,628 5,757  
7 Saül 4,475 152  
8 Maripasoula 18,360 11,842  
9 Camopi 10,030 1,864   Saint-Georges
10 Saint-Georges 2,320 4,245  
11 Ouanary 1,080 242  
12 Régina 12,130 854  
13 Roura 3,902.5 3,458   Cayenne
14 Saint-Élie 5,680 247  
15 Iracoubo 2,762 1,748  
16 Sinnamary 1,340 2,875  
17 Kourou 2,160 24,903  
18 Macouria 377.5 16,219  
19 Montsinéry-Tonnegrande 634 2,957  
20 Matoury 137.19 33,458  
21 Cayenne 23.6 65,493  
22 Remire-Montjoly 46.11 26,358  

Transport

 
Oyapock River Bridge

The transportation system in French Guiana is deficient compared to Metropolitan France, being concentrated in the coastal zone of the territory, while the inland municipalities are poorly connected and often difficult to access.

Road system

French Guiana has about 2,200 km of roads,[68] which are divided into:

  • National roads (440 km), divided into RN1, RN2, RN3 and RN4 (the last two downgraded to departmental roads during Raffarin's tenure), which connect the main coastal towns, forming a corridor that crosses the coastal strip from the border with Suriname to that of Brazil: RN1, completed in the 1990s, links Cayenne to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, crossing the municipalities of Macouria, Kourou, Sinnamary (the stretch of road between Kourou and Sinnamary is locally called Route de l'espace, "space road") and Iracoubo, while RN2 runs from Cayenne to Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock, where it continues on BR-156 across the bridge over the Oyapock. Today, all rivers are crossed by road bridges, some of them quite long (e.g. the bridge over the Cayenne River is 1225 m long), whereas until 2004 (the year of completion and inauguration of the Approuague bridge) some rivers were still crossed by barges. Transport on national roads is restricted during the rainy season (from 48 to a maximum of 32 tons), while the maximum speed (monitored by the National Gendarmerie posts at Régina and Iracoubo, which are also in charge of controlling the possible flow of illegal traffic and irregular immigrants) is 90 km/h;
  • Departmental roads (408 km), subdivided into urban and rural departmental roads (rural roads), which serve the coastal Villages, 90% of which have no street lighting;
  • Communal roads or forest tracks (1. 311 km), most of which are closed to ordinary traffic and reserved for authorized personnel (employees of authorized mining or logging companies, forest rangers): the longest tracks are the Bélizon track in the commune of Saül (Guiana) (150 km), the Saint-Élie-diga track in Petit-Saut (26 km), the Coralie track (the oldest in the department, created to reach the Boulanger mine) and the Maripasoula-Papaïchton track. The communal roads are not usually paved and often go into the forest from the departmental roads;

Despite the existence of numerous projects to upgrade and asphalt roads (such as the Bélizon road or the Apatou-Maripasoula-Saül axis), which are often opposed by environmental movements because of environmental fragmentation and problems for Amerindian and Maroon communities, several French Guiana municipalities (Ouanary, Camopi, Saül, Saint-Élie, Grand-Santi, Papaïchton, Maripasoula, Apatou) still do not have road access.

Following a treaty between France and Brazil signed in July 2005, the Oyapock River Bridge over the Oyapock River was built and completed in 2011, becoming the first land crossing ever between French Guiana and the rest of the world (there exists no other bridge crossing the Oyapock River, and no bridge crossing the Maroni River marking the border with Suriname, although there is a ferry crossing to Albina, Suriname). The bridge was officially opened on 18 March 2017, however the border post construction on the Brazilian side caused additional delays.[69] As of 2020, it possible to drive uninterrupted from Cayenne to Macapá (on the Amazon River), the capital of the state of Amapá in Brazil.[70]

Railway system

 
The railway section of the Tiger Camp. Saint-Laurent to Saint-Jean-du-Maroni Railway (Prison Administration circa 1905).

French Guiana does not have a railway system, with the exception of a small section in the Centre Spatial Guyanais used for the transport of components: when the territory was a penal colony, there were some railroad lines built by the prisoners themselves to connect the various baths with each other, the remains of which (now disused and mostly engulfed by the jungle) are still visible in some areas. These lines include the section from Montsinéry-Tonnegrande to the so-called bagne des Annamites, the section from Saint-Élie to the Saut du Tigre labor camp (now submerged by the artificial lake created by the Petit-Saut dam) and the section from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni-Mana-Saint-Jean-du-Maroni.

Ports

Transportation by boat is quite widespread in French Guiana: among the most important Ports are the port of Dégrad-Des-Cannes, located at the mouth of the Mahury River, in the commune of Rémire-Montjoly, through which most of the imported or exported goods of the territory pass and where the local detachment of the Marine nationale is housed, and the port of Larivot, located in Matoury, where the Guyanese fishing fleet is concentrated.

The port of Dégrad-Des-Cannes, built in 1969 to cope with the impossibility of the former port of Cayenne to decongest the growing maritime traffic, has a rather limited draft, and larger ships often prefer to dock at Ile du Salut to unload people and goods (which are then transported to the mainland by smaller ships) to avoid running aground. The port of Pariacabo in Kourou is home to the Colibri and Toucan ships, which carry components for Ariane missiles.

The inland rivers are heavily traversed by canoes and other small boats, linking the villages on the Marowijne, Oyapock and Approuague Rivers, which often cannot be reached in any other way; the lake created by the Petit-Saut dam is also frequently crossed, although it is officially forbidden to cross the body of water.

In the department, 460 km of aquatic environment are considered navigable.

Airports

 
Cayenne Airport

French Guiana is served by Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport, located in Matoury. There are also several airstrips in the department, located in Camopi, Maripasoula, Ouanary, Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and Saül, for a total of eleven hubs (four paved and seven unpaved).

From the main airport, there are two daily direct flights to Paris (Paris Orly airport, with an average flight time of about 8 hours and 25 minutes from French Guiana to the capital and 9 hours and 10 minutes vice-versa), offered by Air France and Air Caraïbes, as well as other flights to Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre, Port-au-Prince, Miami and Belém. The regional carrier Air Guyane Express also offers daily flights to Maripasoula and Saül, as well as more sporadic flights (mainly related to postal deliveries) to Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock and Camopi.

Public transportation

 
An Agglo bus, public transport, in the city of Cayenne, French Guiana

There is a public bus service that currently only covers the municipality of Cayenne and is run by the SMTC (Syndicat Mixte de Transport en Commun, now changed to Régie Communautaire des Transports – RCT) and consists of seven lines.

For connections between the coastal towns (except Montsinéry-Tonnegrande), the "collective cab" (Taxis Co) method is quite widespread, which are minibuses with a capacity of about ten people that leave as soon as there is a certain number of users on board. In 2010, the general council reached an agreement with some of the operators of this service to make it at least partially public under the name of TIG (Transporte Interurbano de la Guiana), with fixed departure times and predefined stops.

On the main rivers (Marowijne and Oyapock), there are pirogue services (called pirogues cabs), which go both to inland centers and across the border (such as Albina in Suriname or Oiapoque in Brazil).

Military, police and security forces

French Armed Forces

French military forces in Guiana number around 2,000 personnel[71] and include the following:

 
Headquarters of the 9th Marine Infantry Regiment (9e RIMa) in Cayenne

Gendarmerie and National Police

Culture

Architecture

 
Subprefecture of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
 
Thémire house, Creole style, in Cayenne

The local architecture is characterized by its Creole, Amerindian and Bushinenge influences. The main towns contain predominantly Creole-style architecture, with some Western-style buildings and forts. In the communes with the black maroon populations one can see houses of bushinengue styles. And the Amerindian communes are recognized for their pre-colonial type carbets. Most of these buildings were designed with local materials, such as wood from the Amazonian forests and bricks made on site. These local architectures blend with contemporary style buildings.

Festivities

 
Group parades during the Great Night Parade of Cayenne
 
Horses of air and light at the Big Parade of the Litoral, in Kourou

The Carnival is one of the major events in French Guiana. Considered the longest in the world, it takes place on afternoon of Sunday, between Epiphany at the beginning of January and Ash Wednesday in February or (month). Groups disguised according to the theme of the year parade around decorated floats to the rhythm of percussion and brass. The preparation of the groups starts months before the carnival. The groups parade in front of thousands of spectators who gather on the sidewalks and bleachers arranged for the occasion.

 
Touloulous in Cayenne streets in 2007

Brazilian groups identical to those in the Rio carnival are also appreciated for their rhythms and their alluring costumes. The Chinese community of Cayenne also participates in the parades, bringing its characteristic touch, dragons.

At the start of the evening, the Touloulous, typical characters of the Guianan carnival, go to the dancings to participate in the famous paré-masked balls.

Cuisine

 
Atipa in coconut milk, typical dish of Guiana cuisine
 
Bottle of Belle Cabresse 50° (rhum agricole)

Guianan cuisine is rich in the different cultures that mix in French Guiana. Creole restaurants rub shoulders with Chinese restaurants in large cities such as Cayenne, Kourou and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. The local culinary art originally brought together Guianan Creole, Bushinengue and Native American cuisines.

All of these cuisines have several ingredients in common:

This southern Caribbean territory has many typical dishes, such as Awara broth, Creole galette, Dizé milé, Countess, Cramanioc pudding, Kalawanng, Couac gratin and salad, Fricasse of iguana or its famous Pimentade (fish or chicken court-bouillon).

Atipas are local fishes beloved by the French Guianese often prepared with coconut milk.

At Easter, Guianan people eat a traditional dish called Awara broth.

For weddings, locals traditionally eat Colombo, which is a type of curry that has become a staple of the French Guianese cuisine.

Literature

French Guiana literature includes all works written by local authors or persons related to French Guiana. It is expressed both in French and in Guianan Creole.

Local literature is a literature closely related to that of the French West Indies: especially the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. For some, it is an Antillean-Guyanese literature in relation to the themes addressed, which are mainly related to slavery and other social problems. Thus, this literature takes several forms. First, orality, because it is a characteristic element of Guianan literature, as in many countries of Black America. In this connection, we can consider tales, Legends, fables and, in another form, Novels.[80]

Nineteenth century French Guiana is marked by a weak presence of writers. At that time, writers only published a few scattered poems in local newspapers. Today, however, it is difficult to trace the writings of some French Guianan poets: Ho-A-Sim-Elosem, Munian, R. Octaville, etc. Two Guianan poets are the exception. According to Ndagano (1996), Ismaÿl Urbain[81] and Fabien Flavien would be considered the first French Guianan poets.[82] However, Alfred Parépou is a writer who marked his era with his work Atipa (1885).

The period from 1900 to 1950 constitutes an important stage in local literature insofar as it gave birth to numerous writers who had a considerable impact, such as those of Negritude (Négritude). The Guianan of the 1950s and 1960s is notable for writing about the black cause. Serge Patient and Elie Stephenson did address this issue in their writings.

Since 1970 different generations of writers have become aware of the black cause or slavery. Whether through their writings or their political activities, they take into account this painful period that had serious consequences on the local society and on the black world in general. For this generation, Christiane Taubira remains the figurehead. Other writers are interested in other types of themes, such as regional nature, etc.

Sport

Sport in French Guiana dates back to long before the colonial period. Popularized since the 19th century, the first sports competition organized to commemorate 14 July was held in 1890. At that time, there were already physical activities favorable to the inhabitants of this Amazonian territory, but also sports coming from Europe, which favored the colonizers. There were foot races, donkey races, canoe races, bicycle races, tricycle races, nautical regattas in the ports, and traditional popular games.

The most popular sport in French Guiana today is football, followed by basketball, cycling, swimming and handball, although there are some canoeing, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, aikido, karate, fencing, horseback riding, rowing and volleyball clubs in the department.

As a French Overseas department, Guiana is not a member of the Pan American Sports Organization; rather, athletes compete within the French National Olympic and Sports Committee and are governed by the Ligue d'Athlétisme de la Guyane, a sub-unit of the Fédération française d'athlétisme.

Starting in 1960, the Tour of Guiana, an annual multiple-stage bicycle race, is held.[83]

Football

The territory has its own local team, the French Guiana football team. A regional football league, the French Guiana Football League, was established in October 1962. It is currently not affiliated to FIFA, but has been affiliated to the FFF since 27 April 1963 and has been an associate member of CONCACAF (North, Central American and Caribbean League) since 1978.

In April 2013, the LFG became a full member of CONCACAF. The French Guiana Football Team, also known as Yana Dòkò, is a selection of the best local players under the auspices of the Guiana Football League. It is not recognized by FIFA, but participates in CONCACAF competitions. It played its first match against Dutch Guiana (now Suriname) in 1936, losing 1 to 3.[84] It had its biggest victory on 26 September 2012 against St. Pierre and Miquelon (11 to 1) and its biggest defeat was also against Dutch Guiana, losing 9 to 0 on 2 March 1947.

The team has participated in events such as the CONCACAF Nations Cup / Gold Cup, Caribbean Nations Cup (between 1978 and 2017), CONCACAF Nations League, Overseas Cup (Coupe de l'Outre-Mer, 2008–2012) and the Tournament of 4 (Tournoi des 4).

 
Georges-Chaumet Stadium, French Guiana

Tour

The Tour of Guiana (locally: Tour de Guyane), formerly known as "Le Tour du Littoral" (the Littoral Tour) or more rarely as "La Grande Boucle Guayanaise", is a cycling stage race that takes place mainly in French Guiana each year, although it occasionally crosses neighbouring countries.

It takes place in nine stages, with a route linking the main towns of the department: Cayenne, Kourou, and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. It was created in 1950 and is organised by the Comité Régional de Cyclisme de la Guyane (French Guiana Cycling Committee).

The tour has been international since 1978. Over the years it has gained in importance and popularity and its duration has increased. The participation has grown from a mostly French Guianan group in the first editions to editions with more than 10 different nationalities. The 2020 edition of the Tour could not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is also the case for the Tour in 2021.[85]

 
Kevin Séraphin, ex NBA player

In popular culture

The novel Papillon, by the French convict Henri Charrière, is set in French Guiana. It was first published in France in 1969, describing his escape from a penal colony there. Becoming an instant bestseller, it was translated into English from the original French by June P. Wilson and Walter B. Michaels for a 1970 edition, and by author Patrick O'Brian. Soon afterward the book was adapted for a Hollywood film of the same name. Charrière stated that all events in the book are truthful and accurate, allowing for minor lapses in memory. Since its publication there has been controversy over its accuracy.[86][87]

See also

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Further reading

  • Robert Aldrich and John Connell. France's Overseas Frontier : Départements et territoires d'outre-mer Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-521-03036-6.
  • René Belbenoit. Dry guillotine: Fifteen years among the living dead 1938, Reprint: Berkley (1975). ISBN 0-425-02950-6.
  • René Belbenoit. Hell on Trial 1940, translated from the original French manuscript by Preston Rambo. E. P Dutton & Co. Reprint by Blue Ribbon Books, New York, 194 p. Reprint: Bantam Books, 1971.
  • Henri Charrière. Papillon Reprints: Hart-Davis, MacGibbon Ltd. 1970. ISBN 0-246-63987-3 (hbk); Perennial, 2001. ISBN 0-06-093479-4 (sbk).
  • John Gimlette, Wild Coast: Travels on South America's Untamed Edge 2011
  • Joshua R. Hyles (2013). Guiana and the Shadows of Empire: Colonial and Cultural Negotiations at the Edge of the World. Lexington Books. ISBN 9780739187807.
  • Peter Redfield. Space in the Tropics: From Convicts to Rockets in French Guiana ISBN 0-520-21985-6.
  • Miranda Frances Spieler. Empire and Underworld: Captivity in French Guiana (Harvard University Press; 2012) studies slaves, criminals, indentured workers, and other marginalized people from 1789 to 1870.

External links

  •   Media related to French Guiana at Wikimedia Commons
  • Prefecture website (in French)
  • Collectivité territoriale de Guyane website (in French)
  • Tourism committee of French Guiana

french, guiana, confused, with, guyana, guianas, french, guinea, guyenne, this, article, need, rewritten, comply, with, wikipedia, quality, standards, help, talk, page, contain, suggestions, september, 2022, ɑː, french, guyane, ɡɥijan, listen, french, guianese. Not to be confused with Guyana The Guianas French Guinea or Guyenne This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia s quality standards You can help The talk page may contain suggestions September 2022 French Guiana ɡ i ˈ ɑː n e or ɡ i ˈ ae n e French Guyane ɡɥijan listen French Guianese Creole Lagwiyann la ɡɥi jan is an overseas department of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas Bordered by Suriname to the west and Brazil to the east and south French Guiana covers a land area of 83 534 km2 32 253 sq mi 3 and is inhabited by 301 099 people French Guiana Guyane French Overseas department region and single territorial collectivity of France and outermost region of the European UnionTerritorial Collectivity of French GuianaCollectivite territoriale de Guyane French Coat of armsMotto Fert Aurum IndustriaAnthem La Marseillaise The Marseillaise source source track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track Coordinates 4 N 53 W 4 N 53 W 4 53 Coordinates 4 N 53 W 4 N 53 W 4 53Country FrancePrefectureCayenneDepartments1 every overseas region consists of a department in itself Government PrefectThierry Queffelec 1 President of the AssemblyGabriel Serville Guyane Kontre pour avancer LegislatureAssembly of French GuianaArea 2 3 Total83 846 km2 32 373 sq mi Land83 534 km2 32 253 sq mi Rank2nd region and 1st departmentPopulation January 2023 4 Total301 099 Density3 6 km2 9 3 sq mi Demonym s French Guianan French GuianeseTime zoneUTC 3 00 BRT ISO 3166 codeGFFR 973Gross Regional Product 2019 5 Ranked 17thTotal 4 41 billionPer capita 15 521NUTS RegionFRAWebsiteTerritorial CollectivityPrefecture View of Fort Ceperou Mount Cayenne French Guiana is the second largest region of France more than one seventh the size of Metropolitan France and the largest outermost region within the European Union It has a very low population density with only 3 6 inhabitants per square kilometre 9 3 sq mi Its population is less than 1 200 that of Metropolitan France Half of its 301 099 inhabitants in 2023 lived in the metropolitan area of Cayenne its capital 98 9 of the land territory of French Guiana is covered by forests 6 a large part of which is primeval rainforest The Guiana Amazonian Park which is the largest national park in the European Union 7 covers 41 of French Guiana s territory Since December 2015 both the region and department have been ruled by a single assembly within the framework of a new territorial collectivity the French Guiana Territorial Collectivity French collectivite territoriale de Guyane This assembly the French Guiana Assembly French assemblee de Guyane replaced the former regional council and departmental council which were disbanded The French Guiana Assembly is in charge of regional and departmental government Its president is Gabriel Serville View from Salvation Islands Kourou Fully integrated in the French Republic since 1946 French Guiana is a part of the European Union and its official currency is the euro A large part of French Guiana s economy depends on jobs and businesses associated with the presence of the Guiana Space Centre now the European Space Agency s primary launch site near the equator As elsewhere in France the official language is standard French but each ethnic community has its own language of which French Guianese Creole a French based creole language is the most widely spoken French Guiana is the only territory on the continental mainland of either North or South America that is under the sovereignty of a European state much less fully integrated in a European state The border between French Guiana and Brazil is the longest land border that France shares with another country as well as one of only two borders which France shares with non European states the other being the border with Suriname in the west Contents 1 Name 2 History 3 Geography 3 1 Climate 3 2 Environment 3 3 Agriculture 4 Economy 5 Demographics 5 1 Historical population 5 2 Major metropolitan areas and settlements 5 3 Ethnic groups 5 4 Immigration 5 5 Religion 5 6 Fertility 6 Languages 7 Politics 7 1 Administrative divisions 8 Transport 8 1 Road system 8 2 Railway system 8 3 Ports 8 4 Airports 8 5 Public transportation 9 Military police and security forces 9 1 French Armed Forces 9 2 Gendarmerie and National Police 10 Culture 10 1 Architecture 10 2 Festivities 10 3 Cuisine 10 4 Literature 11 Sport 11 1 Football 11 2 Tour 12 In popular culture 13 See also 14 References 15 Further reading 16 External linksName Edit Map of northern South America showing the extent of the Guyanas region The addition of the adjective French in most languages other than French is rooted in colonial times when five such colonies The Guianas had been named along the coast subject to differing powers namely from west to east Spanish Guiana now Guayana Region in Venezuela British Guiana now Guyana Dutch Guiana now Suriname French Guiana and Portuguese Guiana now Amapa in Brazil French Guiana and the two larger countries to the north and west Guyana and Suriname are still often collectively referred to as the Guianas and constitute one large landmass known as the Guiana Shield History EditMain article History of French Guiana See also French colonization of the Americas and Portuguese conquest of French Guiana French Guiana was originally inhabited by indigenous people Kalina Arawak Galibi Palikur Teko Wayampi and Wayana The French attempted to create a colony there in the 16th century in conjunction with its settlement of some Caribbean islands such as Guadeloupe and Saint Domingue Prior to European colonization the territory was originally inhabited by Native Americans most speaking the Arawak language of the Arawakan language family The people identified as Lokono The first French establishment is recorded in 1503 but France did not establish a durable presence until colonists founded Cayenne in 1643 Guiana was developed as a slave society where planters imported Africans as enslaved labourers on large sugar and other plantations in such number as to increase the population The system of slavery in French Guiana continued until the French Revolution when the National Convention voted to abolish the French slave trade and slavery in France s overseas colonies in February 1794 months after enslaved Haitians had started a slave rebellion in the colony of Saint Domingue However the 1794 decree was only implemented in Saint Domingue Guadeloupe and French Guiana while the colonies of Senegal Mauritius Reunion and Martinique and French India resisted the imposition of these laws 8 Bill Marshall Professor of Comparative Cultural Studies at the University of Stirling 9 wrote of French Guiana s origins The first French effort to colonize Guiana in 1763 failed utterly as settlers were subject to high mortality given the numerous tropical diseases and harsh climate all but 2 000 of the initial 12 000 settlers died After France ceded Louisiana to the United States in 1804 it developed Guiana as a penal colony establishing a network of camps and penitentiaries along the coast where prisoners from metropolitan France were sentenced to forced labour not verified in body During operations as a penal colony beginning in the mid 19th century the French government transported approximately 56 000 prisoners to Devil s Island Fewer than 10 survived their sentence 10 Ile du Diable Devil s Island was the site of a small prison facility part of a larger penal system by the same name which consisted of prisons on three islands and three larger prisons on the mainland This was operated from 1852 to 1953 Following the Portuguese conquest of French Guiana in 1809 Joao Severiano Maciel da Costa served as its only governor until 1817 In addition in the late nineteenth century France began requiring forced residencies by prisoners who survived their hard labour 11 A Portuguese British naval squadron took French Guiana for the Portuguese Empire in 1809 It was returned to France with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1814 Though Portugal returned the region to France it kept a military presence until 1817 After French Guiana was established as a penal colony officials sometimes used convicts to catch butterflies The sentences of the convicts were often long and the prospect of employment very weak so the convicts caught butterflies to sell in the international market both for scientific purposes as well as general collecting 12 A border dispute with Brazil arose in the late 19th century over a vast area of jungle resulting in the short lived pro French independent state of Counani in the disputed territory There was some fighting among settlers The dispute was resolved largely in favour of Brazil by the arbitration of the Swiss government 13 The territory of Inini consisted of most of the interior of French Guiana when it was created in 1930 14 It was abolished in 1946 the year that French Guiana as a whole was formally established as an overseas department of France 15 In 1936 Felix Eboue from Cayenne became the first black man to serve as governor in a French colony 16 17 French Guiana c 1930 During World War II and the fall of France to Nazi German forces French Guiana became part of Vichy France Guiana officially rallied to Free France on 16 March 1943 18 It abandoned its colony status and once again became a French department on 19 March 1946 15 Following the French withdrawal from Vietnam in the 1950s and subsequent warfare conducted in the region by the United States France helped resettle several hundred Hmong refugees from Laos to French Guiana during the 1970s and 80s who were fleeing displacement after the communist takeover of Laos by Pathet Lao in 1975 19 20 In the late 1980s more than 10 000 Surinamese refugees mostly Maroons arrived in French Guiana fleeing the Surinamese Civil War 19 More recently French Guiana has received large numbers of Brazilian and Haitian economic migrants 19 Illegal and ecologically destructive gold mining by Brazilian garimpeiros is a chronic issue in the remote interior rain forest of French Guiana 21 22 The region still faces such problems as illegal immigration poorer infrastructure than mainland France higher costs of living higher levels of crime and more common social unrest 23 In 1964 French president Charles de Gaulle decided to construct a space travel base in French Guiana It was intended to replace the Sahara base in Algeria and stimulate economic growth in French Guiana The department was considered suitable for the purpose because it is near the equator and has extensive access to the ocean as a buffer zone The Guiana Space Centre located a short distance along the coast from Kourou has grown considerably since the initial launches of the Veronique rockets It is now part of the European space industry and has had commercial success with such launches as the Ariane 4 Ariane 5 and Ariane flight VA256 which launched the James Webb Space Telescope into space The Guianese General Council officially adopted a departmental flag in 2010 24 In a referendum that same year French Guiana voted against autonomy 25 On 20 March 2017 French Guianese workers began going on strike and demonstrating for more resources and infrastructure 26 28 March 2017 was the day of the largest demonstration ever held in French Guiana 27 French Guiana has been severely affected by the COVID 19 outbreak with more than 1 of French Guianese testing positive by the end of June 2020 28 Geography EditMain article Geography of French Guiana Geographic map of French Guiana in 2009 Note this map does not show the international Oyapock River Bridge which connects Saint Georges de l Oyapock France and Oiapoque Brazil and has been open to car traffic since March 2017 The new asphalted road between Saint Laurent du Maroni and Apatou which was completed in 2010 does not appear on the map either French Guiana lies between latitudes 2 and 6 N and longitudes 51 and 55 W It consists of two main geographical regions a coastal strip where the majority of the people live and dense near inaccessible rainforest which gradually rises to the modest peaks of the Tumuc Humac mountains along the Brazilian frontier French Guiana s highest peak is Bellevue de l Inini in Maripasoula 851 m 2 792 ft Other mountains include Mont Itoupe 826 m 2 710 ft Cottica Mountain 744 m 2 441 ft Pic Coudreau 711 m 2 333 ft and Kaw Mountain 337 m 1 106 ft Several small islands are found off the coast the three Salvation s Islands which include Devil s Island and the isolated Iles du Connetable bird sanctuary further along the coast towards Brazil The Petit Saut Dam a hydroelectric dam in the north of French Guiana forms an artificial lake and provides hydroelectricity There are many rivers in French Guiana including the Waki River As of 2007 update the Amazonian forest located in the most remote part of the department is protected as the Guiana Amazonian Park one of the ten national parks of France The territory of the park covers some 33 900 km2 13 090 sq mi upon the communes of Camopi Maripasoula Papaichton Saint Elie and Saul Climate Edit Koppen climate classification of French Guiana French Guiana has an equatorial climate predominant 29 Located within six degrees of the Equator and rising only to modest elevations French Guiana is hot and oppressively humid all year round During most of the year rainfall across the country is heavy due to the presence of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and its powerful thunderstorm cells In most parts of French Guiana rainfall is always heavy especially from December to July typically over 330 millimetres or 13 inches can be expected each month during this period throughout the department Between August and November the eastern half experiences a warm dry season with rainfall below 100 millimetres or 3 94 inches and average high temperatures above 30 C 86 F occurring in September and October causing eastern French Guiana to be classified as a tropical monsoon climate Koppen Am Saint Laurent du Maroni in the west has a tropical rainforest climate Af Climate data for Cayenne Koppen Am Af Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 32 5 90 5 32 3 90 1 32 2 90 0 33 0 91 4 33 2 91 8 33 7 92 7 34 5 94 1 35 0 95 0 35 2 95 4 35 1 95 2 34 6 94 3 34 1 93 4 35 2 95 4 Average high C F 29 1 84 4 29 2 84 6 29 6 85 3 29 9 85 8 29 9 85 8 30 2 86 4 30 8 87 4 31 6 88 9 32 1 89 8 32 2 90 0 31 5 88 7 30 1 86 2 30 5 86 9 Daily mean C F 26 2 79 2 26 3 79 3 26 5 79 7 26 8 80 2 26 7 80 1 26 6 79 9 26 6 79 9 27 0 80 6 27 2 81 0 27 3 81 1 27 0 80 6 26 6 79 9 26 7 80 1 Average low C F 23 3 73 9 23 4 74 1 23 5 74 3 23 7 74 7 23 5 74 3 22 9 73 2 22 4 72 3 22 4 72 3 22 2 72 0 22 3 72 1 22 5 72 5 23 1 73 6 22 9 73 2 Record low C F 17 4 63 3 18 9 66 0 18 5 65 3 19 0 66 2 18 8 65 8 18 9 66 0 19 0 66 2 19 0 66 2 18 7 65 7 18 6 65 5 17 2 63 0 18 0 64 4 17 2 63 0 Average rainfall mm inches 451 2 17 76 309 4 12 18 334 3 13 16 448 4 17 65 579 4 22 81 411 4 16 20 245 7 9 67 143 6 5 65 55 7 2 19 63 3 2 49 133 4 5 25 340 5 13 41 3 516 3 138 44 Average rainy days 1 0 mm 23 6 20 0 20 7 22 2 26 4 25 2 20 6 14 2 7 1 7 6 11 9 21 6 221 1Average relative humidity 82 80 82 84 85 82 78 74 71 71 76 81 79Mean monthly sunshine hours 95 1 92 4 120 0 123 5 122 4 150 4 200 5 234 4 253 4 256 4 211 5 143 3 2 003Source Meteo France 30 31 Environment Edit Ile du Diable seen from Ile Royale Guiana Amazonian Park French Guiana is home to many different ecosystems tropical rainforests coastal mangroves savannahs inselbergs and many types of wetlands It lies within three ecoregions Guayanan Highlands moist forests Guianan moist forests and Guianan mangroves 32 French Guiana has a high level of biodiversity of both flora and fauna This is due to the presence of old growth forests i e ancient primary forests which are biodiversity hotspots The rainforests of French Guiana provide shelter for many species during dry periods and terrestrial glaciation 33 These forests are protected by a national park the Guiana Amazonian Park seven additional nature reserves and 17 protected sites 34 The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN and the European Union EU have recommended special efforts to protect these areas 33 Following the Grenelle Environment Round Table of 2007 the Grenelle Law II was proposed in 2009 under law number 2010 788 Article 49 of the law proposed the creation of a single organization responsible for environmental conservation in French Guiana Article 64 proposes a departmental plan of mining orientation for French Guiana which would promote mining specifically of gold that is compatible with requirements for environmental protection 35 The coastal environment along the RN1 has historically experienced the most changes but development is occurring locally along the RN2 and also in western French Guiana due to gold mining The grey winged trumpeter a species of bird commonly found in the region 5 500 plant species have been recorded including more than a thousand trees along with 700 species of birds 177 species of mammals over 500 species of fish including 45 of which are endemic and 109 species of amphibians French Guiana s high biodiversity is similar to that of other regions with tropical rainforests such as the Brazilian Amazon Borneo and Sumatra Environmental threats include habitat fragmentation from roads which remains very limited compared to other forests of South America immediate and deferred impacts of EDF s Petit Saut Dam gold mining poor control of hunting and poaching facilitated by the creation of many tracks and the introduction of all terrain vehicles Logging remains moderate due to the lack of roads difficult climate and difficult terrain The Forest Code of French Guiana was modified by ordinance on 28 July 2005 Logging concessions or free transfers are sometimes granted by local authorities to persons traditionally deriving their livelihood from the forest The beaches of the Amana Nature Reserve are an exceptional marine turtle nesting site This is one of the largest worldwide for the leatherback turtle 36 37 Agriculture Edit French Guiana has some of the poorest soils in the world The soil is low in nutrients e g nitrogen potassium and organic matter Soil acidity is another cause of the poor soils and it requires farmers to add lime to their fields The soil characteristics have led to the use of slash and burn agriculture The resulting ashes elevate soil pH i e lower soil acidity and contribute minerals and other nutrients to the soil Sites of Terra preta anthropogenic soils have been discovered in French Guiana particularly near the border with Brazil Research is being actively pursued in multiple fields to determine how these enriched soils were historically created and how this can be done in modern times Economy EditMain article Economy of French Guiana An Ariane 5 rocket being processed at the Guiana Space Centre the launch site is estimated to account for as much as 16 of French Guiana s GDP As a part of France French Guiana is part of the European Union and the Eurozone its currency is the euro The country code top level domain ccTLD for French Guiana is gf but fr is generally used instead 38 In 2019 the GDP of French Guiana at market exchange rates was US 4 93 billion 4 41 billion 5 ranking as the 2nd largest economy in the Guianas after Guyana which discovered large oil fields in 2015 and 2018 and the 12th largest in South America 39 From the 1960s to the 2000s French Guiana experienced strong economic growth fueled by the development of France s Guiana Space Centre established in French Guiana in 1964 as the independence of Algeria in 1962 led to the closure of France s space center in the Algerian Sahara and by high population growth which stimulated domestic consumption French Guiana s economy did not suffer from the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 the GDP grew by an average of 3 4 per year in real terms from 2002 to 2012 slightly faster than the rapidly growing population which allowed French Guiana to catch up somewhat with the rest of France in terms of standards of living 5 The GDP per capita rose from 48 0 of metropolitan France s level in 2000 to 48 5 of metropolitan France in 2012 5 Since 2013 however French Guiana s economic growth has been uneven and more subdued From 2013 to 2019 the economy grew by an average of only 1 2 in real terms 5 French Guiana experienced a recession of 0 8 in 2014 and social unrest in 2017 led to almost no economic growth that year Economic growth recovered at 3 0 in 2018 but was again almost null 0 2 in 2019 5 As a result the GDP per capita has remained stagnant in nominal terms since 2013 and has declined relative to metropolitan France s In 2019 the GDP per capita of French Guiana at market exchange rates not at PPP was US 17 375 15 521 5 only 42 3 of metropolitan France s average GDP per capita that year and 50 3 of the metropolitan French regions outside the Paris Region 5 French Guiana was affected by the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020 leading to a recession of 2 7 that year according to provisional estimates moderate compared to the COVID 19 recession in metropolitan France 7 9 in 2020 5 Regional GDP of French Guiana in euros current prices 2000 2006 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Nominal GDP bn 1 95 2 91 3 78 3 86 3 96 3 99 4 13 4 13 4 35 4 41GDP per capita euros 11 814 13 874 15 638 15 534 15 480 15 091 15 356 15 151 15 607 15 521GDP per capita as a of Metropolitan France s 48 0 47 1 48 5 47 8 47 1 45 1 45 2 43 5 43 7 42 3 Sources INSEE 5 French Guiana is heavily dependent on mainland France for subsidies trade and goods citation needed The main traditional industries are fishing accounting for 5 of exports in 2012 gold mining accounting for 32 of exports in 2012 and timber accounting for 1 of exports in 2012 40 In addition the Guiana Space Centre has played a significant role in the local economy since it was established in Kourou in 1964 it accounted directly and indirectly for 16 of French Guiana s GDP in 2002 down from 26 in 1994 as the French Guianese economy is becoming increasingly diversified 41 The Guiana Space Centre employed 1 659 people in 2012 42 There is very little manufacturing Agriculture is largely undeveloped and is mainly confined to the area near the coast and along the Maroni River Sugar and bananas were traditionally two of the main cash crops grown for export but have almost completely disappeared Today they have been replaced by livestock raising essentially beef cattle and pigs in the coastal savannas between Cayenne and the second largest town Saint Laurent du Maroni and market gardening fruits and vegetables developed by the Hmong communities settled in French Guiana in the 1970s both destined to the local market A thriving rice production developed on polders near Mana from the early 1980s to the late 2000s has almost completely disappeared since 2011 due to marine erosion and new EU plant health rules which forbid the use of many pesticides and fertilizers Tourism especially eco tourism is growing Unemployment has been persistently high in the last few decades standing between 17 and 24 43 In recent years the unemployment rate has declined from a peak of 23 0 in 2016 to 19 3 in 2019 44 Demographics EditMain article Demographics of French Guiana Carnival of Kourou Historical population Edit French Guiana experienced a long period of demographic stagnation during the days of the Cayenne and Saint Laurent du Maroni penal colonies 19th century and first half of the 20th century when with the exception of a brief gold rush in the 1900s and 1910s it suffered from a bad reputation due to its association with penal colonies and bad sanitary conditions yellow fever and malaria in particular Population started to grow tremendously from the 1950s onwards with the improvement of sanitary conditions yellow fever and malaria eradication campaigns started in 1949 45 and the establishment of the Guiana Space Centre in 1964 Population growth has been fueled both by high birth rates and large arrivals of immigrants from metropolitan France to man the public administrations and the space center as well as from neighboring countries in particular Suriname and Brazil Arrivals of Surinamese refugees reached record levels in the 1980s during the Surinamese Interior War 19 resulting in the highest population growth rate in French Guiana s history recorded between the 1982 and 1990 censuses 5 8 per year In the 21st century the birth rate has remained high and new arrivals of migrants seeking asylum in particular from Haiti have kept population growth above 2 per year in the 2010s French Guiana s population reached 301 099 in 2023 Jan estimate 4 more than 10 times the population it had in 1954 Historical populationYearPop p a 180715 483 181414 463 0 97 182722 416 3 43 183222 531 0 10 183721 221 1 19 184220 365 0 82 185020 100 0 16 185520 198 0 10 186025 687 4 93 186825 151 0 26 187224 171 0 99 YearPop p a 187627 082 2 88 188027 333 0 23 188725 796 0 82 189129 650 3 54 189530 310 0 55 190132 908 1 38 190639 117 3 52 191148 810 4 53 192144 202 0 99 193636 975 1 18 194628 506 2 57 YearPop p a 195427 863 0 27 196133 505 2 57 196744 392 4 79 197455 125 3 14 198273 022 3 88 1990114 678 5 79 1999157 213 3 58 2009224 469 3 69 2014252 338 2 37 2020285 133 2 06 2023301 099 1 83 Local population estimates and censuses up to 1946 46 47 48 INSEE censuses between 1954 and 2019 49 50 Last INSEE 2022 estimate 4 Major metropolitan areas and settlements Edit There exist three metropolitan areas as defined by INSEE in French Guiana These are Cayenne which covers 6 communes Cayenne Remire Montjoly Matoury Macouria Montsinery Tonnegrande and Roura 51 Saint Laurent du Maroni made up of the namesake commune and Kourou made up of the namesake commune The population of these three metropolitan areas at the 2020 census was the following 52 Metropolitan area Population 2020 Cayenne 151 887Saint Laurent du Maroni 49 173Kourou 24 805Beyond these three metropolitan areas the most populated communes municipalities which are not populated enough to form a metropolitan area were the following at the 2020 census 53 Commune Population 2020 Mana 11 605Maripasoula 9 768Apatou 9 582Grand Santi 8 859Papaichton 5 684Saint Georges 4 303Ethnic groups Edit Fresh market of Hmong Cacao village Daily life in the Wayana village of Antecume Pata French Guiana s population most of whom live along the coast is substantially ethnically diverse At the 2019 census 56 5 of the inhabitants of French Guiana were born in French Guiana 8 9 were born in Metropolitan France 2 8 were born in the French Caribbean departments and collectivities Guadeloupe and Martinique etc and 31 5 were born in foreign countries primarily Suriname Brazil and Haiti 54 Estimates of the percentages of French Guiana ethnic composition are difficult to produce due to the presence of a large proportion of immigrants People of African descent are the largest ethnic group though estimates vary as to the exact percentage depending upon whether the large Haitian community is included as well Generally the Creole population is judged to be about 60 70 of the total population if Haitians comprising roughly one third of Creoles are included and 30 50 otherwise There are also smaller groups from various Caribbean islands mainly Martinique Guadeloupe and Saint Lucia Approximately 41 000 people or 14 of the population is of European ancestry The vast majority of these are of French ancestry though there are also people of Spanish and Portuguese ancestry The main Asian communities are the Chinese about 3 4 primarily from Zhejiang and Guangdong in mainland China and Hmong from Laos 1 2 Other groups from Asia include East Indians Lebanese and Vietnamese The main groups living in the interior are the Maroons who are of African descent and Amerindians The Maroons descendants of escaped African slaves live primarily along the Maroni River The main Maroon groups are the Saramaca Aucan both of whom also live in Suriname and Boni Aluku The main Amerindian groups forming about 3 4 of the population are the Arawak Carib Emerillon now called the Teko Galibi now called the Kalina Palikur Wayampi and Wayana As of the late 1990s there was evidence of an uncontacted group of Wayampi Immigration Edit Place of birth of residents of French Guiana at the 1990 1999 2008 2013 and 2019 censuses Census Born inFrench Guiana Born inMetropolitan France Born in theFrench West Indies Born in therest of Overseas France Born in foreigncountries with Frenchcitizenship at birth Immigrants 2019 56 5 8 9 2 8 0 3 1 0 30 5 2013 57 0 9 4 2 9 0 3 1 2 29 2 2008 55 4 9 6 3 0 0 2 1 3 30 5 1999 54 4 11 8 4 9 0 3 2 0 26 6 1990 50 5 11 7 5 2 0 3 1 9 30 4 Persons born abroad of French parents such as Pieds Noirs and children of French expatriates An immigrant is by French definition a person born in a foreign country and who did not have French citizenship at birth Note that an immigrant may have acquired French citizenship since moving to France but is still listed as an immigrant in French statistics On the other hand persons born in France with foreign citizenship the children of immigrants are not listed as immigrants Source INSEE 55 54 In recent years French Guiana has seen an increase in Syrian refugees trying to escape the Syrian Civil War For them and other groups of migrants the majority arriving from Latin American and Middle Eastern countries especially Cuba Yemen and Palestine its status as French territory makes it a gateway to Europe Many live in crowded refugee camps with poor conditions and little protection from the elements Neither local authorities nor the French government have made significant efforts to help the situation 56 57 58 Religion Edit Cayenne Cathedral Most inhabitants of French Guiana are Catholic The dominant religion of French Guiana is Roman Catholicism the Maroons and some Amerindian peoples maintain their own religions The Hmong people are also largely Catholic owing to the influence of missionaries who helped bring them to French Guiana 59 Guianan Catholics are part of the Diocese of Cayenne Fertility Edit The total fertility rate in French Guiana has remained high and is today considerably higher than that of metropolitan France as well as most of the other French overseas departments It is largely responsible for the rapid population growth of French Guiana Total fertility rate 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 French Guiana 3 87 3 93 3 79 3 73 3 77 3 47 3 79 3 80 3 73 3 57 3 49 3 37 3 42 3 60 3 47 3 44 3 44 3 61 3 93 3 824 overseas departmentsA 2 32 2 45 2 42 2 35 2 38 2 40 2 46 2 48 2 48 2 46 2 42 2 39 2 40 2 48 2 44 N A N A N A N A N AMetropolitan France 1 79 1 87 1 88 1 86 1 87 1 90 1 92 1 98 1 96 1 99 1 99 2 02 2 00 1 99 1 97 1 97 1 93 1 89 1 86 1 84Source INSEE 60 A Data for the four overseas departments of French Guiana Martinique Guadeloupe and Reunion not including the new overseas department of Mayotte Languages EditThe official language of French Guiana is French and it is the predominant language of the department spoken by most residents as a first or second language In addition a number of other local languages exist Regional languages include French Guianese Creole not to be confused with Guyanese Creole six Amerindian languages Arawak Palijur Kali na Wayana Wayampi Emerillon four Maroon creole languages Saramaka Paramaccan Aluku Ndyuka as well as Hmong Njua 61 Other languages spoken include Portuguese Mandarin Haitian Creole and Spanish Politics EditMain article Politics of French Guiana Map of the European Union in the world with overseas countries and territories and outermost regions as of 2019 French Guiana as part of France forms part of the European Union the largest landmass for an area outside of Europe since Greenland left the European Community in 1985 with one of the longest EU external boundaries It is one of only three European Union territories outside Europe that is not an island the others being the Spanish Autonomous Cities in Africa Ceuta and Melilla As an integral part of France its head of state is the president of the French Republic and its head of government is the prime minister of France The French government and its agencies have responsibility for a wide range of issues that are reserved to the national executive power such as defense and external relations Cayenne City Hall The president of France appoints a prefect resident at the prefecture building in Cayenne as his representative to head the local government of French Guiana There is one elected local executive body the Assemblee de Guyane 62 French Guiana sends two deputies to the French National Assembly one representing the commune municipality of Cayenne and the commune of Macouria and the other representing the rest of French Guiana This latter constituency is the largest in the French Republic by land area French Guiana also sends two senators to the French Senate citation needed The first woman to be elected to the Senate was Marie Laure Phinera Horth in 2020 63 64 The Guianese Socialist Party dominated politics in French Guiana until 2010 A chronic issue affecting French Guiana is the influx of illegal immigrants and clandestine gold prospectors from Brazil and Suriname The border between the department and Suriname the Maroni River flows through rain forest and is difficult for the Gendarmerie and the French Foreign Legion to patrol There have been several phases launched by the French government to combat illegal gold mining in French Guiana beginning with Operation Anaconda beginning in 2003 followed by Operation Harpie in 2008 and 2009 and Operation Harpie Reinforce in 2010 Colonel Francois Muller the commander of French Guiana s gendarmes believes these operations have been successful However after each operation ends Brazilian miners garimpeiros fr return 65 Soon after Operation Harpie Reinforce began an altercation took place between French authorities and Brazilian miners On 12 March 2010 a team of French soldiers and border police were attacked while returning from a successful operation during which the soldiers had arrested 15 miners confiscated three boats and seized 617 grams of gold currently worth about 22 317 Garimpeiros returned to retrieve their lost loot and colleagues The soldiers fired warning shots and rubber flash balls but the miners managed to retake one of their boats and about 500 grams of gold The violent reaction by the garimpeiros can be explained by the exceptional take of 617 grams of gold about 20 percent of the quantity seized in 2009 during the battle against illegal mining said Phillipe Duporge the director of French Guiana s border police at a press conference the next day 66 Administrative divisions Edit French Guiana is divided into 3 arrondissements and 22 communes Number Name Area km2 Population 2019 67 Individual Map Arrondissement Labelled Map1 Awala Yalimapo 187 4 1 449 Saint Laurent du Maroni 2 Mana 6 333 11 675 3 Saint Laurent du Maroni 4 830 47 621 4 Apatou 2 020 9 482 5 Grand Santi 2 112 8 779 6 Papaichton 2 628 5 757 7 Saul 4 475 152 8 Maripasoula 18 360 11 842 9 Camopi 10 030 1 864 Saint Georges10 Saint Georges 2 320 4 245 11 Ouanary 1 080 242 12 Regina 12 130 854 13 Roura 3 902 5 3 458 Cayenne14 Saint Elie 5 680 247 15 Iracoubo 2 762 1 748 16 Sinnamary 1 340 2 875 17 Kourou 2 160 24 903 18 Macouria 377 5 16 219 19 Montsinery Tonnegrande 634 2 957 20 Matoury 137 19 33 458 21 Cayenne 23 6 65 493 22 Remire Montjoly 46 11 26 358 Transport EditMain article Transport in French Guiana Oyapock River Bridge The transportation system in French Guiana is deficient compared to Metropolitan France being concentrated in the coastal zone of the territory while the inland municipalities are poorly connected and often difficult to access Road system Edit French Guiana has about 2 200 km of roads 68 which are divided into National roads 440 km divided into RN1 RN2 RN3 and RN4 the last two downgraded to departmental roads during Raffarin s tenure which connect the main coastal towns forming a corridor that crosses the coastal strip from the border with Suriname to that of Brazil RN1 completed in the 1990s links Cayenne to Saint Laurent du Maroni crossing the municipalities of Macouria Kourou Sinnamary the stretch of road between Kourou and Sinnamary is locally called Route de l espace space road and Iracoubo while RN2 runs from Cayenne to Saint Georges de l Oyapock where it continues on BR 156 across the bridge over the Oyapock Today all rivers are crossed by road bridges some of them quite long e g the bridge over the Cayenne River is 1225 m long whereas until 2004 the year of completion and inauguration of the Approuague bridge some rivers were still crossed by barges Transport on national roads is restricted during the rainy season from 48 to a maximum of 32 tons while the maximum speed monitored by the National Gendarmerie posts at Regina and Iracoubo which are also in charge of controlling the possible flow of illegal traffic and irregular immigrants is 90 km h Departmental roads 408 km subdivided into urban and rural departmental roads rural roads which serve the coastal Villages 90 of which have no street lighting Communal roads or forest tracks 1 311 km most of which are closed to ordinary traffic and reserved for authorized personnel employees of authorized mining or logging companies forest rangers the longest tracks are the Belizon track in the commune of Saul Guiana 150 km the Saint Elie diga track in Petit Saut 26 km the Coralie track the oldest in the department created to reach the Boulanger mine and the Maripasoula Papaichton track The communal roads are not usually paved and often go into the forest from the departmental roads Despite the existence of numerous projects to upgrade and asphalt roads such as the Belizon road or the Apatou Maripasoula Saul axis which are often opposed by environmental movements because of environmental fragmentation and problems for Amerindian and Maroon communities several French Guiana municipalities Ouanary Camopi Saul Saint Elie Grand Santi Papaichton Maripasoula Apatou still do not have road access Following a treaty between France and Brazil signed in July 2005 the Oyapock River Bridge over the Oyapock River was built and completed in 2011 becoming the first land crossing ever between French Guiana and the rest of the world there exists no other bridge crossing the Oyapock River and no bridge crossing the Maroni River marking the border with Suriname although there is a ferry crossing to Albina Suriname The bridge was officially opened on 18 March 2017 however the border post construction on the Brazilian side caused additional delays 69 As of 2020 it possible to drive uninterrupted from Cayenne to Macapa on the Amazon River the capital of the state of Amapa in Brazil 70 Railway system Edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message The railway section of the Tiger Camp Saint Laurent to Saint Jean du Maroni Railway Prison Administration circa 1905 French Guiana does not have a railway system with the exception of a small section in the Centre Spatial Guyanais used for the transport of components when the territory was a penal colony there were some railroad lines built by the prisoners themselves to connect the various baths with each other the remains of which now disused and mostly engulfed by the jungle are still visible in some areas These lines include the section from Montsinery Tonnegrande to the so called bagne des Annamites the section from Saint Elie to the Saut du Tigre labor camp now submerged by the artificial lake created by the Petit Saut dam and the section from Saint Laurent du Maroni Mana Saint Jean du Maroni Ports Edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Transportation by boat is quite widespread in French Guiana among the most important Ports are the port of Degrad Des Cannes located at the mouth of the Mahury River in the commune of Remire Montjoly through which most of the imported or exported goods of the territory pass and where the local detachment of the Marine nationale is housed and the port of Larivot located in Matoury where the Guyanese fishing fleet is concentrated The port of Degrad Des Cannes built in 1969 to cope with the impossibility of the former port of Cayenne to decongest the growing maritime traffic has a rather limited draft and larger ships often prefer to dock at Ile du Salut to unload people and goods which are then transported to the mainland by smaller ships to avoid running aground The port of Pariacabo in Kourou is home to the Colibri and Toucan ships which carry components for Ariane missiles The inland rivers are heavily traversed by canoes and other small boats linking the villages on the Marowijne Oyapock and Approuague Rivers which often cannot be reached in any other way the lake created by the Petit Saut dam is also frequently crossed although it is officially forbidden to cross the body of water In the department 460 km of aquatic environment are considered navigable Airports Edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Cayenne Airport French Guiana is served by Cayenne Felix Eboue Airport located in Matoury There are also several airstrips in the department located in Camopi Maripasoula Ouanary Saint Georges de l Oyapock Saint Laurent du Maroni and Saul for a total of eleven hubs four paved and seven unpaved From the main airport there are two daily direct flights to Paris Paris Orly airport with an average flight time of about 8 hours and 25 minutes from French Guiana to the capital and 9 hours and 10 minutes vice versa offered by Air France and Air Caraibes as well as other flights to Fort de France Pointe a Pitre Port au Prince Miami and Belem The regional carrier Air Guyane Express also offers daily flights to Maripasoula and Saul as well as more sporadic flights mainly related to postal deliveries to Saint Georges de l Oyapock and Camopi Public transportation Edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message An Agglo bus public transport in the city of Cayenne French Guiana There is a public bus service that currently only covers the municipality of Cayenne and is run by the SMTC Syndicat Mixte de Transport en Commun now changed to Regie Communautaire des Transports RCT and consists of seven lines For connections between the coastal towns except Montsinery Tonnegrande the collective cab Taxis Co method is quite widespread which are minibuses with a capacity of about ten people that leave as soon as there is a certain number of users on board In 2010 the general council reached an agreement with some of the operators of this service to make it at least partially public under the name of TIG Transporte Interurbano de la Guiana with fixed departure times and predefined stops On the main rivers Marowijne and Oyapock there are pirogue services called pirogues cabs which go both to inland centers and across the border such as Albina in Suriname or Oiapoque in Brazil Military police and security forces EditFrench Armed Forces Edit French military forces in Guiana number around 2 000 personnel 71 and include the following Headquarters of the 9th Marine Infantry Regiment 9e RIMa in Cayenne The 9th Marine Infantry Regiment 9e RIMa in Cayenne the Madeleine The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 3e REI in Kourou The RSMAG Regiment Adapted Military Service of French Guiana located in Saint Jean du Maroni with a detachment in Cayenne Various detachments 68 Air Transport Squadron which includes five Puma helicopters four Fennec helicopters and three Casa CN235 aircraft 72 73 A platoon of the French Navy based at the naval base of Degrad des Cannes and operating two Confiance class patrol vessels La Confiance and La Resolue as well as one Net Retrieval Boat ERF La Caouanne 74 75 One Engins de Debarquement Amphibie Standards EDA S landing craft is also to be delivered to naval forces based in French Guiana by 2025 The landing craft is to better support coastal and riverine operations in the territory 76 A detachment of the Paris Fire Brigade in Kourou ensuring the protection of the Guiana Space Centre Gendarmerie and National Police Edit Elements of the National Gendarmerie some 840 personnel and the national police are deployed in French Guiana and are divided into 16 brigades These serve Cayenne Remire Montjoly Cacao Regina Saint Georges de l Oyapock Camopi Macouria Kourou Sinnamary Iracoubo Mana Saint Laurent du Maroni Apatou Grand Santi Papaichton Maripasoula and Matoury The National Gendarmerie include five mobile gendarmerie squadrons 77 The Maritime Gendarmerie operates the patrol boats Charente and Organabo in the territory Charente having been deployed to the territory in 2022 to replace the previous boat Mahury which was no longer deemed serviceable 78 79 Culture EditArchitecture Edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message French Guiana Prefecture Building in Cayenne Subprefecture of Saint Laurent du Maroni Themire house Creole style in Cayenne The local architecture is characterized by its Creole Amerindian and Bushinenge influences The main towns contain predominantly Creole style architecture with some Western style buildings and forts In the communes with the black maroon populations one can see houses of bushinengue styles And the Amerindian communes are recognized for their pre colonial type carbets Most of these buildings were designed with local materials such as wood from the Amazonian forests and bricks made on site These local architectures blend with contemporary style buildings Festivities Edit See also Music of French Guiana Carnival in French Guiana and Touloulou Group parades during the Great Night Parade of Cayenne Horses of air and light at the Big Parade of the Litoral in Kourou The Carnival is one of the major events in French Guiana Considered the longest in the world it takes place on afternoon of Sunday between Epiphany at the beginning of January and Ash Wednesday in February or month Groups disguised according to the theme of the year parade around decorated floats to the rhythm of percussion and brass The preparation of the groups starts months before the carnival The groups parade in front of thousands of spectators who gather on the sidewalks and bleachers arranged for the occasion Touloulous in Cayenne streets in 2007 Brazilian groups identical to those in the Rio carnival are also appreciated for their rhythms and their alluring costumes The Chinese community of Cayenne also participates in the parades bringing its characteristic touch dragons At the start of the evening the Touloulous typical characters of the Guianan carnival go to the dancings to participate in the famous pare masked balls Cuisine Edit See also French Guianan cuisine and CouacThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Atipa in coconut milk typical dish of Guiana cuisine Countess cake Bottle of Belle Cabresse 50 rhum agricole Guianan cuisine is rich in the different cultures that mix in French Guiana Creole restaurants rub shoulders with Chinese restaurants in large cities such as Cayenne Kourou and Saint Laurent du Maroni The local culinary art originally brought together Guianan Creole Bushinengue and Native American cuisines All of these cuisines have several ingredients in common Manioc Smoked meats and fishThis southern Caribbean territory has many typical dishes such as Awara broth Creole galette Dize mile Countess Cramanioc pudding Kalawanng Couac gratin and salad Fricasse of iguana or its famous Pimentade fish or chicken court bouillon Atipas are local fishes beloved by the French Guianese often prepared with coconut milk At Easter Guianan people eat a traditional dish called Awara broth For weddings locals traditionally eat Colombo which is a type of curry that has become a staple of the French Guianese cuisine Literature Edit French Guiana literature includes all works written by local authors or persons related to French Guiana It is expressed both in French and in Guianan Creole Local literature is a literature closely related to that of the French West Indies especially the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe For some it is an Antillean Guyanese literature in relation to the themes addressed which are mainly related to slavery and other social problems Thus this literature takes several forms First orality because it is a characteristic element of Guianan literature as in many countries of Black America In this connection we can consider tales Legends fables and in another form Novels 80 Nineteenth century French Guiana is marked by a weak presence of writers At that time writers only published a few scattered poems in local newspapers Today however it is difficult to trace the writings of some French Guianan poets Ho A Sim Elosem Munian R Octaville etc Two Guianan poets are the exception According to Ndagano 1996 Ismayl Urbain 81 and Fabien Flavien would be considered the first French Guianan poets 82 However Alfred Parepou is a writer who marked his era with his work Atipa 1885 The period from 1900 to 1950 constitutes an important stage in local literature insofar as it gave birth to numerous writers who had a considerable impact such as those of Negritude Negritude The Guianan of the 1950s and 1960s is notable for writing about the black cause Serge Patient and Elie Stephenson did address this issue in their writings Since 1970 different generations of writers have become aware of the black cause or slavery Whether through their writings or their political activities they take into account this painful period that had serious consequences on the local society and on the black world in general For this generation Christiane Taubira remains the figurehead Other writers are interested in other types of themes such as regional nature etc Sport EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Sport in French Guiana dates back to long before the colonial period Popularized since the 19th century the first sports competition organized to commemorate 14 July was held in 1890 At that time there were already physical activities favorable to the inhabitants of this Amazonian territory but also sports coming from Europe which favored the colonizers There were foot races donkey races canoe races bicycle races tricycle races nautical regattas in the ports and traditional popular games The most popular sport in French Guiana today is football followed by basketball cycling swimming and handball although there are some canoeing judo Brazilian jiu jitsu aikido karate fencing horseback riding rowing and volleyball clubs in the department As a French Overseas department Guiana is not a member of the Pan American Sports Organization rather athletes compete within the French National Olympic and Sports Committee and are governed by the Ligue d Athletisme de la Guyane a sub unit of the Federation francaise d athletisme Starting in 1960 the Tour of Guiana an annual multiple stage bicycle race is held 83 Football Edit The territory has its own local team the French Guiana football team A regional football league the French Guiana Football League was established in October 1962 It is currently not affiliated to FIFA but has been affiliated to the FFF since 27 April 1963 and has been an associate member of CONCACAF North Central American and Caribbean League since 1978 In April 2013 the LFG became a full member of CONCACAF The French Guiana Football Team also known as Yana Doko is a selection of the best local players under the auspices of the Guiana Football League It is not recognized by FIFA but participates in CONCACAF competitions It played its first match against Dutch Guiana now Suriname in 1936 losing 1 to 3 84 It had its biggest victory on 26 September 2012 against St Pierre and Miquelon 11 to 1 and its biggest defeat was also against Dutch Guiana losing 9 to 0 on 2 March 1947 The team has participated in events such as the CONCACAF Nations Cup Gold Cup Caribbean Nations Cup between 1978 and 2017 CONCACAF Nations League Overseas Cup Coupe de l Outre Mer 2008 2012 and the Tournament of 4 Tournoi des 4 Georges Chaumet Stadium French Guiana Tour Edit The Tour of Guiana locally Tour de Guyane formerly known as Le Tour du Littoral the Littoral Tour or more rarely as La Grande Boucle Guayanaise is a cycling stage race that takes place mainly in French Guiana each year although it occasionally crosses neighbouring countries It takes place in nine stages with a route linking the main towns of the department Cayenne Kourou and Saint Laurent du Maroni It was created in 1950 and is organised by the Comite Regional de Cyclisme de la Guyane French Guiana Cycling Committee The tour has been international since 1978 Over the years it has gained in importance and popularity and its duration has increased The participation has grown from a mostly French Guianan group in the first editions to editions with more than 10 different nationalities The 2020 edition of the Tour could not take place due to the COVID 19 pandemic This is also the case for the Tour in 2021 85 Kevin Seraphin ex NBA playerIn popular culture EditThe novel Papillon by the French convict Henri Charriere is set in French Guiana It was first published in France in 1969 describing his escape from a penal colony there Becoming an instant bestseller it was translated into English from the original French by June P Wilson and Walter B Michaels for a 1970 edition and by author Patrick O Brian Soon afterward the book was adapted for a Hollywood film of the same name Charriere stated that all events in the book are truthful and accurate allowing for minor lapses in memory Since its publication there has been controversy over its accuracy 86 87 See also EditIndex of French Guiana related articles List of colonial and departmental heads of French Guiana Republic of Independent GuianaReferences Edit Un nouveau prefet pour Wallis et Futuna Wallis et Futuna la 1ere in French Retrieved 11 February 2021 Christiane Taubira 28 April 2009 FICHE QUESTION Questions National Assembly of France in French Retrieved 27 November 2021 a b Population by sex annual rate of population increase surface area and density PDF United Nations 2013 p 5 Retrieved 27 November 2021 a b c INSEE Estimation de population par region sexe et grande classe d age Annees 1975 a 2023 in French Retrieved 24 January 2023 a b c d e f g h i j Produits interieurs bruts regionaux et valeurs ajoutees regionales de 2000 a 2020 INSEE Retrieved 25 March 2022 FAOSTAT Land Use Food and Agriculture Organization Retrieved 3 February 2019 Parc amazonien de Guyane le plus vaste Parc national de France et de l Union europeenne Guiana Amazonian Park Retrieved 3 February 2019 Peabody Sue French Emancipation Oxford Bibliographies Retrieved 27 October 2019 University of Stirling Stirling Research Database Prof Bill Marshall Marshall Bill 2005 France and the Americas Culture Politics and History Santa Barbara CA ABC CLIO Inc pp 372 373 ISBN 1 85109 411 3 French Guiana Encyclopaedia Britannica Anderson Clare Convicts Collecting and Knowledge Production in the Nineteenth Century staffblogs le ac uk Carlos A Parodi 2002 The Politics of South American Boundaries Praeger Publishers ISBN 0 275 97194 5 Creation de territoire en Guyane francaises Journal officiel de la Guyane francaise via Bibliotheque Nationale de France in French 6 June 1930 Retrieved 6 June 2020 a b Loi n 46 451 du 19 mars 1946 tendant au classement comme departements francais de la Guadeloupe de la Martinique de la Reunion et de la Guyane francaise Government of the French Republic in French 19 March 1946 Retrieved 17 April 2021 Meet Felix Eboue First Black Man Appointed Governor In Ihe French Colonies How Africa Retrieved 17 April 2021 La Guyane retrouve la memoire en changeant le nom de l aeroport Le Monde in French Retrieved 17 April 2021 Thabouillot Gerard 2011 Etre chef de poste en Inini 1930 1969 Persee Outre Mers Revue d histoire in French p 48 ISSN 2275 4954 Retrieved 17 April 2021 a b c d Panorama de la population immigree en Guyane PDF INSEE Retrieved 2 February 2019 Revisited From Laos to French Guiana The story of the Hmong people France 24 6 November 2020 Retrieved 11 July 2021 Illegal polluting and dangerous the gold rush in French Guiana The Guardian 17 December 2007 Retrieved 2 February 2019 The fight against illegal gold mining in French Guiana France 24 29 August 2017 Retrieved 2 February 2019 Why one part of South America is facing a total shutdown BBC News 10 April 2017 Retrieved 14 September 2018 The General Council adopts the Guyanese flag 97320 com in French OuebTV 26 January 2010 Archived from the original on 31 May 2017 French Guiana and Martinique reject increased autonomy BBC 11 January 2010 Retrieved 19 December 2019 Marot Laurent 27 March 2017 La Guyane paralysee par les mouvements sociaux Le Monde Retrieved 3 April 2017 Guyane manifestations historiques pour la journee morte Le Point 28 March 2017 Retrieved 4 April 2017 Thebia Marie Claude 29 June 2020 Coronavirus 3 deces en 48h et 313 nouvelles contaminations indique le Covid info de ce lundi 29 juin Guyane 1 Retrieved 30 June 2020 French Guiana Climate Average Weather Temperatures Rainfall Sunshine Humidity Graphs www french guiana climatemps com Retrieved 16 April 2020 Climatological Information for Cayenne France Meteo France 7 August 2019 CAYENNE MATOURY 973 PDF Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1981 2010 et records in French Meteo France Retrieved 7 August 2019 Dinerstein Eric Olson David Joshi Anup Vynne Carly Burgess Neil D Wikramanayake Eric Hahn Nathan Palminteri Suzanne Hedao Prashant Noss Reed Hansen Matt Locke Harvey Ellis Erle C Jones Benjamin Barber Charles Victor Hayes Randy Kormos Cyril Martin Vance Crist Eileen Sechrest Wes Price Lori Baillie Jonathan E M Weeden Don Suckling Kieran Davis Crystal Sizer Nigel Moore Rebecca Thau David Birch Tanya Potapov Peter Turubanova Svetlana Tyukavina Alexandra de Souza Nadia Pintea Lilian Brito Jose C Llewellyn Othman A Miller Anthony G Patzelt Annette Ghazanfar Shahina A Timberlake Jonathan Kloser Heinz Shennan Farpon Yara Kindt Roeland Lilleso Jens Peter Barnekow van Breugel Paulo Graudal Lars Voge Maianna Al Shammari Khalaf F Saleem Muhammad 2017 An Ecoregion Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm BioScience 67 6 534 545 doi 10 1093 biosci bix014 ISSN 0006 3568 PMC 5451287 PMID 28608869 a b Comite francais de l Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature French Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature 2003 Guyane Guyana PDF Biodiversite et conservation en outre mer Biodiversity and conservation overseas Comite francais de l UICN French Committee of the IUCN Retrieved 3 January 2010 Tourism en Guyane PDF Guyane Amazonie in French Retrieved 24 March 2021 Borloo Jean Louis 12 January 2009 Portant engagement national pour l environnement on national commitment to the environment Loi n 2010 788 law number 2010 788 Senat francais French Senate Retrieved 3 January 2010 Mana precurseurse depuis toujours Le Jour du Seigneur in French Retrieved 24 March 2021 Sabrina Fossettea 2008 The world s largest leatherback rookeries A review of conservation oriented research in French Guiana Suriname and Gabon Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 356 1 2 69 82 doi 10 1016 j jembe 2007 12 024 French Guiana CIA World Factbook 2004 International Monetary Fund World Economic Outlook Database October 2021 Gross domestic product current prices U S dollars Retrieved 25 March 2022 IEDOM Guyane Rapport annuel 2012 PDF p 46 Retrieved 4 March 2014 INSEE Le poids du spatial diminue l economie de la Guyane se diversifie PDF Retrieved 4 March 2014 IEDOM Guyane Rapport annuel 2012 PDF p 136 Retrieved 4 March 2014 INSEE T401 Taux de chomage localise au 2e trimestre par departement d outre mer Retrieved 2 April 2022 INSEE Taux de chomage au sens du BIT moyenne annuelle Ensemble Guyane Retrieved 2 April 2022 Lepelletier L et al July 1989 Le paludisme en Guyane I Situation generale de l endemie PDF Bulletin de la Societe de Pathologie Exotique 82 3 385 392 Retrieved 1 April 2022 Alexandre Moreau de Jonnes 1842 Recherches statistiques sur l esclavage colonial et les moyens de le supprimer Imprimerie de Bourgogne et Martinet p 21 Serge Mam Lam Fouck 1987 Chapitre 2 Le systeme esclavagiste Histoire de la societe guyanaise les annees cruciales 1848 1946 Editions Caribeennes p 32 Serge Mam Lam Fouck 1987 Chapitre 6 Elite et masses populaires Histoire de la societe guyanaise les annees cruciales 1848 1946 Editions Caribeennes p 167 ISBN 9782402040815 French Guiana World Population 1983 Recent Demographic Estimates for the Countries and Regions of the World US Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census 1983 p 360 INSEE Historique des populations communales Recensements de la population 1876 2019 in French Retrieved 1 April 2022 1 INSEE Statistiques locales Aire d attraction des villes 2020 population municipale 2020 INSEE Retrieved 14 January 2023 INSEE Historique des populations communales Recensements de la population 1876 2020 in French Retrieved 14 January 2023 a b INSEE Individus localises a la region en 2019 Recensement de la population Fichiers detail in French Retrieved 9 February 2023 INSEE Donnees harmonisees des recensements de la population 1968 2018 in French Retrieved 11 February 2022 Medina Alicia 12 November 2020 The unexpected journey of Syrian refugees in French Guiana Retrieved 28 December 2021 Oberti Charlotte 30 October 2020 French Guiana A new migrant gateway to France buckles under pressure Retrieved 26 December 2021 Thebia Boris 3 February 2021 In a French outpost in South America no secret EU gateway for fleeing Cubans Retrieved 26 December 2021 Palmerlee Danny 2007 South America Lonely Planet ISBN 978 1 74104 443 0 INSEE P3D Indicateurs generaux de la population par departement et region Series depuis 1990 in French Retrieved 20 June 2020 Ethnologue report for French Guiana Ethnologue 16th ed 2009 Retrieved 22 September 2009 Evolution institutionnelle La Collectivite Territoriale de Guyane Archived from the original on 7 October 2015 Retrieved 7 October 2015 Senatoriales Marie Laure Phinera Horth devient la 1ere femme senatrice de la Guyane Guyane la 1ere in French Retrieved 4 April 2022 Mme Marie Laure Phinera Horth senatrice de la Guyane Guyane Senat www senat fr Retrieved 8 April 2022 Tabor Damon 1 April 2010 French Guiana Interview with Colonel Francois Muller Commander of the Gendarmes untoldstories pulitzercenter org Tabor Damon 17 March 2010 French Guiana Welcome to the Jungle untoldstories pulitzercenter org Populations legales 2019 973 Guyane INSEE Resultats de la recherche Insee www insee fr Retrieved 1 August 2021 Ponte entre Brasil e Uniao Europeia e aberta no Amapa apos 6 anos pronta Amapa in Brazilian Portuguese 18 March 2017 Retrieved 18 March 2017 Le pont de l Oyapock inaugure et officiellement ouvert a la circulation Guyane la 1ere in French Retrieved 11 May 2020 Journal of Guyana RFO TV 18 August 2009 Forces armees en Guyane Armed Forces in Guyana in French Ministere des Armees Retrieved 24 December 2022 Aeroport in French Chambre de Commerce et d Industrie de la Guyane Archived from the original on 31 July 2012 Lagneau Laurent 21 May 2016 Peche illegale L embarcation remonte filets La Caouanne demontre son efficacite in French zone Militaire Retrieved 4 March 2023 Marine Nationale Dossier d Information p 23 PDF Cols Bleus in French January 2023 Retrieved 4 March 2023 First Two EDA S Next Gen Amphibious Landing Craft Delivered to French DGA 25 November 2021 Archived from the original on 26 November 2021 Retrieved 10 December 2021 Les DOM defi pour la Republique chance pour la France 100 propositions pour fonder l avenir Volume 2 comptes rendus des auditions et des deplacements de la mission Groizeleau Vincent 5 December 2022 Le Marfret Niolon emmene une vedette de la Gendarmerie maritime en Guyane The Marfret Niolon takes a Maritime Gendarmerie patrol boat to Guyana Mer et Marine in French Retrieved 24 December 2022 Vedette Cotiere de Surveillance Maritime VCSM Boats Homelandsecurity Technology Archived from the original on 7 December 2021 Retrieved 28 August 2022 Blaise Bitegue Dit Manga La Litterature guyanaise de demain d ou vient elle Nouvelles Etudes Francophones vol 23 no 2 2008 p 155 176 Ismayl Urbain Ile en ile in French 25 September 2017 Retrieved 1 August 2021 Biringanine Ndagano Introduction a la litterature guyanaise CDDP de la Guyane 1996 ISBN 2 908931 16 8 et 978 2 908931 16 7 OCLC 39181587 Comite Regional de Cyclisme de la Guyane Guyane Cyclisme in French Retrieved 6 May 2020 French Guyana 1 3 Suriname Guayana Francesa 1 3 Surinam www soccer db info Retrieved 2 August 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Tour cycliste de Guyane 2021 l evenement sportif de l annee prevu en aout est annule annonce Jean Yves Thiver Guyane la 1ere in French Retrieved 2 August 2021 If this is correct the real Papillon Rue Rude December 2005 Randall Colin 27 June 2005 Ex convict aged 104 claims to be Papillon Telegraph co ukFurther reading EditRobert Aldrich and John Connell France s Overseas Frontier Departements et territoires d outre mer Cambridge University Press 2006 ISBN 0 521 03036 6 Rene Belbenoit Dry guillotine Fifteen years among the living dead 1938 Reprint Berkley 1975 ISBN 0 425 02950 6 Rene Belbenoit Hell on Trial 1940 translated from the original French manuscript by Preston Rambo E P Dutton amp Co Reprint by Blue Ribbon Books New York 194 p Reprint Bantam Books 1971 Henri Charriere Papillon Reprints Hart Davis MacGibbon Ltd 1970 ISBN 0 246 63987 3 hbk Perennial 2001 ISBN 0 06 093479 4 sbk John Gimlette Wild Coast Travels on South America s Untamed Edge 2011 Joshua R Hyles 2013 Guiana and the Shadows of Empire Colonial and Cultural Negotiations at the Edge of the World Lexington Books ISBN 9780739187807 Peter Redfield Space in the Tropics From Convicts to Rockets in French Guiana ISBN 0 520 21985 6 Miranda Frances Spieler Empire and Underworld Captivity in French Guiana Harvard University Press 2012 studies slaves criminals indentured workers and other marginalized people from 1789 to 1870 External links Edit Media related to French Guiana at Wikimedia Commons Prefecture website in French Collectivite territoriale de Guyane website in French Tourism committee of French Guiana Portals France European Union Geography South America Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title French Guiana amp oldid 1145046549, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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