French Guiana

French Guianais anoverseas department and region of Francelocated on the northern coast ofSouth Americainthe Guianasand theWest Indies. Bordered bySurinameto the west andBrazilto the east and south, French Guiana covers a total area of 84,000 km(32,000 sq mi)and aland areaof 83,534 km(32,253 sq mi).As of January 2025, it is home to 292,354 people.
French Guiana is the second-largest region in France, being approximately one-seventh the size of Metropolitan France, and the largestoutermost regionwithin theEuropean Union. It has a very low population density, with only 3.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (9.3/sq mi). About half of its residents live in its capital, Cayenne. Approximately 98.9% of French Guiana is covered by forests,much of itprimevalrainforest. TheGuiana Amazonian Park, the largestnational parkin the European Unioncovers 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 asingle territorial collectivity, the French Guiana Territorial Collectivity.This assembly, theFrench Guiana Assembly,replaced the formerregionalanddepartmental council, which were dissolved. The French Guiana Assembly is in charge of regional and departmental government. Its president isGabriel Serville.
Fully integrated in the French Republicsince 1946, French Guiana is a part of the European Union, and its official currency is theeuro. A large part of French Guiana's economy depends on jobs and businesses associated with the presence of theGuiana Space Centre, now theEuropean 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 whichFrench Guianese Creole, a French-basedcreole language, is the most widely spoken. French Guiana is the only territory on the continental mainland of theAmericasthat is still under the sovereignty of aEuropeanstate.
Theborder between French Guiana and Brazilis the longest land border that France shares with another country, as well as one of only twoborderswhich France shares with non-European states, the other being theborder with Surinamein the west.
According to theOxford English Dictionary, the name "Guyana" is an indigenous term meaning "land of many waters".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 (nowGuayana Regionin Venezuela),British Guiana(nowGuyana),Dutch Guiana(nowSuriname), French Guiana, andPortuguese Guiana(nowAmapáin 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 theGuiana Shield.
French Guiana was originally inhabited byindigenous people:Kalina,Lokono(part of theArawakgrouping),Galibi,Palikur,Teko,WayampiandWayana. The French attempted to create a colony there in the 16th century in conjunction with its settlement of some Caribbean islands, such asGuadeloupeandSaint-Domingue.
Prior toEuropean colonization, the territory was originally inhabited byNative Americans, most speaking theArawak language, of the Arawakan language family. The people identified asLokono. The first French establishment is recorded in 1503, but France did not establish a durable presence until colonists foundedCayennein 1643. Guiana was developed as aslave society, where planters imported Africans as enslaved labourers on large sugar and other plantations. The system of slavery in French Guiana continued until theFrench Revolution, when theNational Conventionvoted to abolish the French slave trade and slavery inFrance's overseas coloniesin February 1794, months after enslaved Haitians had started aslave rebellionin the colony ofSaint-Domingue. However, the 1794 decree was only implemented in Saint-Domingue,Guadeloupeand French Guiana, while the colonies ofSenegal,Mauritius,Réunion,MartiniqueandFrench Indiaresisted the imposition of these laws.
Bill Marshall, Professor of Comparative Cultural Studies at theUniversity of Stirling,wrote of French Guiana's origins:
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.
In addition, in the late nineteenth century, France began requiring forced residencies by prisoners who survived their hard labour.A Portuguese-British naval squadrontook French Guianafor thePortuguese Empirein 1809. It was returned to France with the signing of theTreaty of Parisin 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.
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 ofCounaniin the disputed territory. There was some fighting among settlers. The dispute was resolved largely in favour of Brazil by thearbitrationof the Swiss government.
The territory ofIniniconsisted of most of the interior of French Guiana when it was created in 1930.In 1936,Félix Ébouéfrom Cayenne became the first black man to serve as governor in a French colony.
DuringWorld War IIand the fall of France to German forces, French Guiana became part ofVichy France. Guiana officially rallied toFree Franceon 16 March 1943.It abandoned its colony status and once again became a Frenchdepartmenton 19 March 1946.
Following the French withdrawal from Vietnam in the 1950s and subsequent war between the Viet Cong and the United States, France helped resettle several hundredHmongrefugees from Laos to French Guiana during the 1970s and 80s, who were fleeing displacement after thecommunist takeover of LaosbyPathet Laoin 1975.
In the late 1980s, more than 10,000Surinameserefugees, mostlyMaroons, arrived in French Guiana, fleeing theSurinamese Civil War.
More recently, French Guiana has received large numbers of Brazilian and Haitianeconomic migrants.Illegal and ecologically destructivegold miningby Braziliangarimpeirosis a chronic issue in the remote interior rain forest of French Guiana.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.
In 1964, French presidentCharles de Gaulledecided to construct a space-travel base in French Guiana. It was intended to replace the Sahara base inAlgeriaand stimulate economic growth in French Guiana. The department was considered suitable for the purpose because it is near theequatorand has extensive access to the ocean as a buffer zone. TheGuiana Space Centre, located a short distance along the coast fromKourou, has grown considerably since the initial launches of theVéroniquerockets. It is now part of the European space industry and has had commercial success with such launches as theAriane 4,Ariane 5andAriane flight VA256which launched theJames Webb Space Telescopeinto space.
The Guianese General Council officially adopted adepartmentalflag in 2010.In areferendumthat same year, French Guiana voted against becoming an autonomousoverseas collectivity.In a secondreferendum, transition to a "single territorial collectivity" under Article 73 of the Constitution was approved.
On 20 March 2017, French Guianese workers begangoing on strike and demonstrating for more resources and infrastructure.28 March 2017 was the day of the largest demonstration ever held in French Guiana.
French Guiana has been affected by theCOVID-19 outbreak, with more than 1% of French Guianese testing positive by the end of June 2020.
French Guiana lies between latitudes2°and6°N, and longitudes51°and55°W. It consists of two main geographical regions: a coastal strip where the majority of the people live, and dense, near-inaccessiblerainforestwhich gradually rises to the modest peaks of theTumuc-Humac mountainsalong the Brazilian frontier. French Guiana's highest peak isBellevue de l'IniniinMaripasoula(851 m, 2,792 ft). Other mountains includeMont Itoupé(826 m, 2,710 ft),Cottica Mountain(744 m, 2,441 ft),Pic Coudreau(711 m, 2,333 ft), andKaw Mountain(337 m, 1,106 ft).
Several small islands are found off the coast: the threeSalvation's Islandswhich includeDevil's Island, and the isolatedÎles du Connétablebird sanctuary further along the coast towards Brazil.
ThePetit-Saut Dam, ahydroelectric damin the north of French Guiana forms anartificial lakeand provideshydroelectricity. There are many rivers in French Guiana, including theWaki River.
As of 2007, theAmazonian forest, located in the most remote part of the department, is protected as theGuiana Amazonian Park, one of the tennational parks of France. The territory of the park covers some 33,900 km(13,090 sq mi) upon thecommunesofCamopi,Maripasoula,Papaïchton,Saint-ÉlieandSaül.
French Guiana has anequatorial climatepredominant.Located within six degrees of theEquatorand 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 theIntertropical Convergence Zoneand 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 warmdry seasonwith 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 atropical monsoon climate(KöppenAm); Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni in the west has atropical rainforest climate(Af).
French Guiana is home to many differentecosystems:tropical rainforests, coastalmangroves,savannahs,inselbergsand many types ofwetlands. It lies within three ecoregions:Guayanan Highlands moist forests,Guianan moist forests, andGuianan mangroves.French Guiana has a high level ofbiodiversityof bothfloraandfauna. This is due to the presence ofold-growth forests(i.e., ancient/primary forests), which arebiodiversity hotspots. Therainforestsof French Guiana provide shelter for many species during dry periods and terrestrial glaciation.These forests are protected by a national park (theGuiana Amazonian Park), seven additionalnature reserves, and 17protectedsites.TheInternational Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) and theEuropean Union(EU) have recommended special efforts to protect these areas.
Following theGrenelle Environment Round Tableof 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.The coastal environment along theRN1has historically experienced the most changes, but development is occurring locally along theRN2, and also in western French Guiana due to gold mining.
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 areendemicand 109 species ofamphibians. French Guiana's high biodiversity is similar to that of other regions with tropical rainforests, such as the Brazilian Amazon,BorneoandSumatra.
Environmental threats includehabitat fragmentationfrom roads, which remains very limited compared to other forests of South America; immediate and deferred impacts ofEDF'sPetit-Saut Dam;gold mining; poor control of hunting andpoaching, facilitated by the creation of many tracks; and the introduction ofall-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 theAmana Nature Reserveare an exceptional marine turtle nesting site. This is one of the largest worldwide for theleatherback turtle.
French Guiana has some of the poorest soils in the world. The soil is low in nutrients (e.g.,nitrogen,potassium) andorganic matter.Soil acidityis another cause of the poor soils, and it requires farmers toadd limeto their fields. The soil characteristics have led to the use ofslash and burnagriculture. The resulting ashes elevate soilpH(i.e., lower soil acidity), and contributemineralsand other nutrients to the soil. Sites ofTerra preta(anthropogenicsoils) 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.
As a part of France, French Guiana is part of theEuropean Unionand theEurozone; its currency is theeuro. The country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for French Guiana is.gf, but.fris generally used instead.
In 2019, the GDP of French Guiana at market exchange rates was US$4.93 billion (€4.41 billion),ranking as the 2nd largest economy in theGuianasafterGuyana(which discovered large oil fields in 2015 and 2018), and the 12th largest in South America.
From the 1960s to the 2000s, French Guiana experienced strong economic growth, fueled by the development of France'sGuiana Space Centre(established in French Guiana in 1964 as the independence ofAlgeriain 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 theGlobal Financial Crisis of 2008: the GDP grew by an average of +3.4% per year inreal termsfrom 2002 to 2012, slightly faster than the rapidly growing population, which allowed French Guiana to catch up marginally with the rest of France in terms of standards of living.The GDP per capita rose from 48.0% ofmetropolitan France's level in 2000 to 48.5% of metropolitan France in 2012.
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% per year in real terms.French Guiana experienced arecessionof −0.8% in 2014, andsocial unrest in 2017led to almost no economic growth that year. Economic growth recovered at +3.0% in 2018, but was again almost null (+0.2%) in 2019.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, theGDP per capitaof French Guiana at market exchange rates, not atPPP, was US$17,375 (€15,521),only 42.3% ofmetropolitan France's average GDP per capita that year, and 50.3% of the metropolitan French regions outside theParis Region.
French Guiana was affected by theCOVID-19 pandemicin 2020, leading to a recession of −2.7% that year according to provisional estimates, moderate compared to theCOVID-19 recessionin metropolitan France (−7.9% in 2020).
French Guiana is heavily dependent on mainland France for subsidies, trade, and goods.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).In addition, theGuiana Space Centrehas played a significant role in the local economy since it was established inKourouin 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).The Guiana Space Centre employed 1,659 people in 2012.
There is very little manufacturing. Agriculture is largely undeveloped and is mainly confined to the area near the coast and along theMaroni River. Sugar and bananas were traditionally two of the maincash cropsgrown for export but have almost completely disappeared. Today they have been replaced by livestock raising (essentially beef cattle and pigs) in the coastal savannas betweenCayenneand the second-largest town,Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, andmarket gardening(fruits and vegetables) developed by theHmongcommunities settled in French Guiana in the 1970s, both destined to the local market. A thriving rice production, developed onpoldersnearManafrom the early 1980s to the late 2000s, has almost completely disappeared since 2011 due to marine erosion and newEU plant health ruleswhich forbid the use of many pesticides and fertilizers. Tourism, especiallyeco-tourism, is growing.
Unemployment has been persistently high in the last few decades, standing between 17% and 24%.In recent years, the unemployment rate has declined from a peak of 23.0% in 2016 to 19.3% in 2019.
French Guiana experienced a long period of demographic stagnation during the days of theCayenneandSaint-Laurent-du-Maronipenal colonies(19th century and first half of the 20th century), when, with the exception of a briefgold rushin the 1900s and 1910s, it suffered from a bad reputation due to its association with penal colonies and bad sanitary conditions (yellow feverandmalariain 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)and the establishment of theGuiana Space Centrein 1964. Population growth has been fueled both by high birth rates and large arrivals of immigrants (frommetropolitan France, to man the public administrations and the space center, as well as from neighboring countries, in particularSurinameandBrazil). Arrivals of Surinamese refugees reached record levels in the 1980s during theSurinamese Interior War,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 fromHaiti, and more recently fromSyriaandAfghanistan) kept population growth above 2% per year until the middle of the 2010s. Since the middle of the 2010s, however, population growth has slowed markedly, due to lower economic growth and social unrest, in particular thesocial unrest in 2017which led to arecessionin 2018, and then the effects of theCOVID-19 recession, which have all pushed many young people to leave toMetropolitan France. In Jan. 2025,INSEEestimate French Guiana's population reached 292,354,more than 10 times the population in 1954, but far short of the population forecasts that were published in the 2010s.
There are threemetropolitan areas(as defined byINSEE) in French Guiana. These areCayenne, which covers 6 communes (Cayenne,Remire-Montjoly,Matoury,Macouria,Montsinéry-Tonnegrande, andRoura),Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, made up of the namesake commune, andKourou, which covers 2 communes (Kourou andSinnamary).
The population of these three metropolitan areas at the 2021 census was the following:
Beyond these three metropolitan areas, the most populatedcommunes(municipalities), which are not populated enough to form a metropolitan area, were the following at the 2021 census:
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 inMetropolitan France, 2.8% were born in the FrenchCaribbeandepartmentsandcollectivities(GuadeloupeandMartiniqueetc.), and 31.5% were born in foreign countries (primarilySuriname, Brazil, andHaiti).
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 largeHaitiancommunity 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 variousCaribbeanislands, mainly Martinique, Guadeloupe, andSaint 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 andPortugueseancestry.
The main Asian communities are theChinese(about 3–4%, primarily fromZhejiangandGuangdonginmainland China) andHmongfromLaos(1–2%). Other groups from Asia includeIndians,LebaneseandVietnamese.
The main groups living in the interior are theMaroons, who are of African andindigenousdescent. The Maroons, descendants of escaped African slaves, live primarily along theMaroni River. The main Maroon groups are the Saramaca, Aucan (both of whom also live inSuriname), and Boni (Aluku).
The main indigenous groups (forming about 3–4% of the population) are theArawak,Carib,Teko(formerly known as theEmerillon),Kaliña(formerly known as theGalibi),Palikur,WayampiandWayana. As of the late 1990s, there was evidence of anuncontacted groupof Wayampi.
In recent years, French Guiana has seen an increase inSyrian refugeestrying to escape theSyrian Civil War. For them and other groups of migrants, the majority arriving from other South American, Caribbean and Middle Eastern countries (especiallyCuba,Yemen, andPalestine), its status as French territory makes it a "gateway" to Europe. Many live in crowdedrefugee campswith poor conditions and little protection from the elements. Neither local authorities nor the French government have made significant efforts to help the situation.
The dominant religion of French Guiana isRoman 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.Guianan Catholicsare part of theDiocese of Cayenne.
Thetotal fertility ratein French Guiana has remained high and is today considerably higher than that ofmetropolitan France, as well as most of the otherFrench overseas departments. It is largely responsible for the rapid population growth of French Guiana.
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 includeFrench Guianese Creole(not to be confused withGuyanese Creole), sixAmerindian languages(Arawak,Palijur,Kali'na,Wayana,Wayampi,Emerillon), fourMarooncreole languages (Saramaka,Paramaccan,Aluku,Ndyuka), as well asHmong Njua.Other languages spoken includePortuguese,Mandarin,Haitian Creoleand Spanish.
French Guiana, as part of France, forms part of theEuropean Union– the largest landmass for an area outside of Europe (sinceGreenlandleft the European Community in 1985), with one of the longest EU external boundaries. It is one of only threeEuropean Union territories outside Europethat is not an island (the others being the Spanish Autonomous Cities in Africa,CeutaandMelilla). As an integral part of France, itshead of stateis thepresident of the French Republic, and its head of government is theprime 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.
The president of France appoints aprefect(resident at theprefecture buildingin Cayenne) as his representative to head the local government of French Guiana. There is one elected, local executive body, the Assemblée de Guyane.
French Guiana sends twodeputiesto theFrench National Assembly, one representing thecommune(municipality) ofCayenneand the commune ofMacouria, 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 theFrench Senate.The first woman to be elected to the Senate wasMarie-Laure Phinéra-Horthin 2020.
TheGuianese Socialist Partydominated politics in French Guiana until 2010.
A chronic issue affecting French Guiana is the influx of illegal immigrants and clandestinegold prospectorsfrom Brazil andSuriname. The border between the department and Suriname, theMaroni River, flows through rain forest and is difficult for theGendarmerieand theFrench Foreign Legionto 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, return.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 againstillegal mining", said Phillipe Duporge, the director of French Guiana's border police, at a press conference the next day.
French Guiana is divided into 3arrondissementsand 22communes:
The transportation system in French Guiana is deficient compared toMetropolitan France, being concentrated in the coastal zone of the territory, while the inland municipalities are poorly connected and often difficult to access.
French Guiana has about 2,200 km ofroads,which are divided into:
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, theOyapock River Bridgeover theOyapock Riverwas 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 theMaroni Rivermarking the border with Suriname, although there is a ferry crossing toAlbina, Suriname). The bridge was officially opened on 18 March 2017, however the border post construction on the Brazilian side caused additional delays.As of 2020, it possible to drive uninterrupted from Cayenne toMacapá(on theAmazon River), the capital of the state ofAmapáin Brazil.
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 apenal colony, there were some railroad lines built by theprisonersthemselves to connect the various baths with each other, the remains of which (now disused and mostly engulfed by thejungle) 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 Tigrelabor 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.
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 theMarine nationaleis housed, and the port of Larivot, located in Matoury, where the Guyanesefishing fleetis 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 themainlandby 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.
French Guiana is served byCayenne – Félix Eboué Airport, located in Matoury. There are also severalairstripsin 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 byAir FranceandAir Caraïbes, as well as other flights toFort-de-France,Pointe-à-Pitre,Port-au-Prince, Miami and Belém. The regional carrierAir Guyane Expressalso 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.
The public bus service consisting of seven lines covers the municipality ofCayenneand is run by the RCT (Régie Communautaire des Transports), formerly known as SMTC (Syndicat Mixte de Transport en Commun).
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).
French military forces in Guiana number around 2,000 personneland include the following:
The local architecture is characterized by itsCreole,Amerindianand 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.
TheCarnivalis one of the major events in French Guiana. Considered the longest in the world, it takes place on afternoon of Sunday, betweenEpiphanyat the beginning of January andAsh Wednesdayin 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 thesidewalksandbleachersarranged for the occasion.
Brazilian groups identical to those in theRio carnivalare also appreciated for their rhythms and their alluring costumes. The Chinese community of Cayenne also participates in theparades, bringing its characteristic touch,dragons.
At the start of the evening, theTouloulous, typical characters of the Guianan carnival, go to thedancingsto participate in the famousparé-masked balls.
Guianan cuisineis rich in the different cultures that mix in French Guiana. Creole restaurants rub shoulders with Chinese restaurants in large cities such asCayenne,KourouandSaint-Laurent-du-Maroni. The local culinary art originally brought togetherGuianan Creole,BushinengueandNative Americancuisines.
All of these cuisines have several ingredients in common:
This southern Caribbean territory has many typical dishes, such asAwara broth,Creole galette,Dizé milé,Countess, Cramanioc pudding, Kalawanng,Couacgratin and salad, Fricasse of iguana or its famous Pimentade (fish or chickencourt-bouillon).
Atipas are local fishes beloved by the French Guianese often prepared with coconut milk.
At Easter, Guianan people eat a traditional dish calledAwara broth.
For weddings, locals traditionally eat Colombo, which is a type of curry that has become a staple of the French Guianese cuisine.
French Guiana literature includes all works written by local authors or persons related to French Guiana. It is expressed both in French and inGuianan Creole.
Local literature is a literature closely related to that of theFrench West Indies: especially theCaribbean islandsofMartiniqueandGuadeloupe. For some, it is anAntillean-Guyaneseliterature 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.
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 Urbainand Fabien Flavien would be considered the first French Guianan poets.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 ofNegritude(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 orslavery. 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 thisgeneration,Christiane Taubiraremains the figurehead. Other writers are interested in other types of themes, such as regional nature, etc.
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 thisAmazonianterritory, but also sports coming from Europe, which favored thecolonizers. 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 thePan American Sports Organization; rather, athletes compete within theFrench National Olympic and Sports Committeeand are governed by theLigue d'Athlétisme de la Guyane, a sub-unit of theFédération française d'athlétisme.
Starting in 1960, theTour of Guiana, an annualmultiple-stagebicycle race, is held.
The territory has its own local team, theFrench Guiana footballteam. A regional football league, theLFG(Ligue de Football de la Guyane), was established in October 1962. It is currently not affiliated toFIFA, but has been affiliated to theFFF(French Football Federation)since 27 April 1963 and has been an associate member ofCONCACAF(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 LFG. It is not recognized by FIFA, but participates in CONCACAF competitions. It played its first match againstDutch Guiana(nowSuriname) in 1936, losing 1 to 3.It had its biggest victory on 26 September 2012 againstSt. 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).
TheTour 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 acyclingstage 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 theCOVID-19pandemic. This is also the case for the Tour in 2021.