Hot and humid climate, although coastal areas are cooled by ocean winds. French settled the area in the early 1600's. Slavery was used and it was used for prison facilities from the 1790's to the 1940's. It is still today a part of France. Cayenne is the capital.
Most people are African or African-European mix.
Low lying interior grasslands and narrow, fertile coastal plains. The Economy - raising sheep and cattle. Factories produce tires, textiles, and leather goods. Lack of minerals hurts industrial development. Influences of the Past - gained independence from Spain in 1811.