French Guiana
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French Guiana
Guyane ( Guianese Creole French) | |
---|---|
Overseas department, region and single territorial collectivity of France and outermost region of the European Union | |
Territorial Collectivity of French Guiana Collectivité territoriale de Guyane (French) | |
UTC-3:00 (GFT) | |
ISO 3166 code | |
Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
Website | Territorial Collectivity Prefecture |
French Guiana (
French Guiana is the second-largest
Since December 2015, both the region and department have been ruled by a single assembly within the framework of a
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 the Americas that is still under the sovereignty of 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
According to the
History
French Guiana was originally inhabited by
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, Martinique and French India resisted the imposition of these laws.[11]
Bill Marshall, Professor of Comparative Cultural Studies at the University of Stirling[12] 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
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.[13]
In addition, in the late nineteenth century, France began requiring forced residencies by prisoners who survived their hard labour.
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.[15]
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
The territory of Inini consisted of most of the interior of French Guiana when it was created in 1930.[17] In 1936, Félix Éboué from Cayenne became the first black man to serve as governor in a French colony.[18][19]
During
Following the French withdrawal from Vietnam in the 1950s and subsequent war between the Viet Cong and the United States, France helped resettle several hundred
In the late 1980s, more than 10,000 Surinamese refugees, mostly Maroons, arrived in French Guiana, fleeing the Surinamese Civil War.[22]
More recently, French Guiana has received large numbers of Brazilian and Haitian economic migrants.[22] Illegal and ecologically destructive gold mining by Brazilian garimpeiros is a chronic issue in the remote interior rain forest of French Guiana.[24][25] 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.[26]
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.[27] In a referendum that same year, French Guiana voted against autonomy.[28]
On 20 March 2017, French Guianese workers began going on strike and demonstrating for more resources and infrastructure.[29] 28 March 2017 was the day of the largest demonstration ever held in French Guiana.[30]
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.[31]
Geography
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 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
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
Climate
French Guiana has an
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) |
Mean daily maximum °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) |
Mean daily minimum °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: |
Environment
French Guiana is home to many different
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.[38] 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.
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
The beaches of the
Agriculture
French Guiana has some of the poorest soils in the world. The soil is low in nutrients (e.g.,
Economy
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.[41]
In 2019, the GDP of French Guiana at market exchange rates was US$4.93 billion (€4.41 billion),[42] 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.[43]
From the 1960s to the 2000s, French Guiana experienced strong economic growth, fueled by the development of France's
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.[42] 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.[42] 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),[42] 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.[42]
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).[42]
2000 | 2006 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominal GDP (€ bn) | 1.95 | 2.91 | 3.91 | 4.00 | 3.96 | 4.00 | 4.12 | 3.98 | 3.92 | 3.93 | 3.84 | 3.97 |
GDP per capita (euros) | 11,814 | 13,874 | 15,638 | 15,534 | 15,480 | 15,091 | 15,356 | 15,151 | 15,607 | 15,633 | 15,367 | 15,611 |
GDP per capita as a % of Metropolitan France's |
48.0% | 47.1% | 48.5% | 47.8% | 47.8% | 45.7% | 45.9% | 44.1% | 44.4% | 43.2% | 45.0% | 42.3% |
Sources: INSEE.[42]
|
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).[44] 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).[45] The Guiana Space Centre employed 1,659 people in 2012.[46]
There is very little manufacturing. Agriculture is largely undeveloped and is mainly confined to the area near the coast and along the
Unemployment has been persistently high in the last few decades, standing between 17% and 24%.[47] In recent years, the unemployment rate has declined from a peak of 23.0% in 2016 to 19.3% in 2019.[48]
Demographics
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)[49] 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,[22] 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 295,385 in 2024 (Jan. estimate),[5] more than 10 times the population it had in 1954.
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Local population estimates and censuses up to 1946.[50][51][52] INSEE censuses between 1954 and 2021.[53][5] Last INSEE 2024 estimate.[5] |
Major metropolitan areas and settlements
There are three
The population of these three metropolitan areas at the 2020 census was the following:[55]
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:[56]
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
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).[57]
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 Indians, Lebanese and Vietnamese.
The main groups living in the interior are the
The main indigenous groups (forming about 3–4% of the population) are the
of Wayampi.Immigration
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[58][57] |
In recent years, French Guiana has seen an increase in
Religion
The dominant religion of French Guiana is
Fertility
The
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[63] 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
Politics
French Guiana, as part of France, forms part of the
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.[65]
French Guiana sends two
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
Administrative divisions
French Guiana is divided into 3
Number | Name | Area (km2) | Population (2019)[70] | 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
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
- 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 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
Railway system
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
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
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
The public bus service consisting of seven lines coverers the municipality of Cayenne and 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).
Military, police and security forces
French Armed Forces
French military forces in Guiana number around 2,000 personnel[74] and include the following:
- 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[75][76]
- A platoon of the French Navy, based at the naval base of Dégrad des Cannes and operating two Confiance-class patrol vessels: La Confiance and La Résolue, as well as one Net Retrieval Boat (ERF - La Caouanne).[77][78] One Engins de Débarquement 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.[79]
- A detachment of the Paris Fire Brigade in Kourou, ensuring the protection of the Guiana Space Centre.
Gendarmerie and National Police
- Elements of the Papaïchton, Maripasoula and Matoury. The National Gendarmerie include five mobile gendarmerie squadrons.[80]
- 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.[81][82]
Culture
Architecture
The local architecture is characterized by its
Festivities
The
Brazilian groups identical to those in the
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
All of these cuisines have several ingredients in common:
- Manioc;
- Smoked meats and fish
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.[83]
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[84] and Fabien Flavien would be considered the first French Guianan poets.[85] 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
This section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2021) |
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
Starting in 1960, the
Football
The territory has its own local team, the French Guiana football team. A regional football league, the LFG (Ligue de Football de la Guyane), was established in October 1962. It is currently not affiliated to FIFA, but has been affiliated to the FFF (French Football Federation) 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 LFG. It is not recognized by FIFA, but participates in CONCACAF competitions. It played its first match against
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).
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.[88]
See also
- Index of French Guiana-related articles
- List of colonial and departmental heads of French Guiana
- Republic of Independent Guiana
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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.
- 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