French Guiana

Home > ... > Places > Latin America and the Caribbean > South American Political Geography > ...

French Guiana

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

French Guiana , Fr. La Guyane française, officially Department of Guiana, French overseas department (2005 est. pop. 195,000), 35,135 sq mi (91,000 sq km), NE South America, on the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Guiana region, it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the north, Suriname on the west, and Brazil on the south and east. Cayenne is the capital and largest city. The Oyapock (Oiapoque) River on the east and the Tumuc-Humac Mts. on the south separate it from Brazil. The Maroni River on the west forms the border with Suriname .

French Guiana has two districts ( arrondissements ): Cayenne, the coastal region, where more than 90% of the population is concentrated; and the larger interior district of Saint Laurent-du-Maroni. The population is largely of mixed African and European descent, but there are also minorities of blacks, whites, indigenous peoples, Chinese, and South Asians. French is the official language, but Creole and other languages and dialects are spoken as well. The population is predominantly Roman Catholic.

French Guiana is largely dependent on subsidies and imports from the mother country. Fishing and forestry are the prime industries, and timber, shrimp, and rum made from local sugarcane are the chief exports. Rice, corn, bananas and other fruits, vegetables, and manioc are grown for subsistence. There are gold (discovered in 1855), petroleum, and other mineral deposits; exploitation, however, has been hindered by inadequate transportation and scarcity of labor. The Plan Vert (Green Plan), adopted in the late 1970s to increase production in agriculture and forestry, met with only partial success.

The department (also one of 26 official regions of France) is represented in the French National Assembly and Senate. It is governed by a prefect and an elected council.

History

French settlement dates from 1604. In the Dutch wars of Louis XIV, Cayenne was captured (1676) by the Dutch but was later retaken. The Portuguese and British occupied it during the Napoleonic Wars, but the Congress of Vienna (1815) restored French authority. French Guiana was used as a penal colony and place of exile during the French Revolution, and under Napoleon III permanent penal camps were established. Devils Island , one of the Îles du Salut, off the coast, became notorious. The penal colonies were evacuated after World War II.

In 1947, French Guiana became an overseas department of France, and in 1974 it also became an administrative region. A rocket-launching base at Kourou, established in 1968, is used by the European Space Agency for communication satellites. Economic problems and divisions between the white European elite and the Creole majority persisted into the 1990s, accompanied by increasing local demands for autonomy.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-FrenchG-na" title="Facts and information about French Guiana">French Guiana</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"French Guiana." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"French Guiana." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (November 12, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-FrenchG-na.html

"French Guiana." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved November 12, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-FrenchG-na.html

Learn more about citation styles

French Guiana

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | © World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

French Guiana

area:

90,000sq km (37,749 sq mi)

population:

156,790

capital (population):

Cayenne (50,395)

government:

Overseas department of France

ethnic groups:

Creole 42%, Chinese 14%, French 10%, Haitian 7%

languages:

French (official)

religions:

Catholic 80%, Protestant 4%)

currency:

Euro = 100 cents

French overseas department in South America.

Land and Climate

The coastal plain includes cultivated areas, particularly near the capital, Cayenne. The River Maroni forms the border with Surinam, and the River Oyapock its e border with Brazil. The climate is hot and equatorial, with high annual temperatures. Rainfall is heavy, although August to October is dry. Rainforest covers c.90% of the land and contains valuable hardwood species. Mangrove swamps line parts of the coast; other areas are covered by tropical savanna.

History and Politics

The original inhabitants of the area were Native Americans, but today only a few remain in the interior. Europeans first explored the coast in 1500, and they were followed by adventurers seeking El Dorado. The French were the first settlers (1604), and French merchants founded Cayenne in 1637. It became a French colony in the late 17th century, with a plantation economy dependent on African slaves. It remained French except for a brief period in the early 19th century. Slavery was abolished in 1848, and Asian labourers were introduced to work the land. From the time of the French Revolution, France used the colony as a penal settlement, and between 1852 and 1945 the country was notorious for the harsh treatment of prisoners. Alfred Dreyfus was imprisoned on Île du Diable. In 1946, French Guiana became an overseas department of France and, in 1974, also an administrative region. An independence movement developed in the 1980s, but most people wanted to retain links with France and receive development aid.

Economy

Despite rich forest and mineral resources, it is a developing country with high unemployment. It depends on France to finance services, and the government is the main employer. Since 1968, Kourou has been the European Space Agency's rocket-launching site. Industries: fishing, forestry, gold mining and agriculture. Crops include bananas, cassava, rice and sugar cane. Exports include shrimps, timber, rum, and rosewood essence.

Political map

Physical map

Websites

http://www.tourisme-guyane.gf

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O142-FrenchGuiana" title="Facts and information about French Guiana">French Guiana</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"French Guiana." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"French Guiana." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (November 12, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-FrenchGuiana.html

"French Guiana." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved November 12, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-FrenchGuiana.html

Learn more about citation styles

French Guiana

World Press Encyclopedia | 2003 | | Copyright 2003, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

French Guiana

Basic Data

Official Country Name: Department of Guiana
Region (Map name): South America
Population: 172,605
Language(s): French
Literacy rate: 83%

French Guiana, which sits between Brazil and Suri-name on the northeastern coast of South America, has a colorful history. It boasts the speech and press freedoms of France and supports two major newspapers, France-Guyane (appears daily) and La Presse de Guyane (publishes four times per week). Both titles are French-language and are printed in the capital city of Cayenne. Neither maintains a presence on the Internet.

There are 16 radio stations operating in French Guiana (two AM and 14 FM) and three television stations, serving 104,000 radios and 30,000 televisions. There are two Internet service providers.

Originally inhabited by Carib and Arawak Indians, control of the country has shifted between France, Britain, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Portugal until it was finally confirmed as French in 1817.

Soon after, France established a notoriously brutal penal colony on Devil's Island, which lies in shark-infested waters about nine miles from shore. The prison operated until the 1950s. In 1946, French Guiana was officially declared an oversees department of France.

Accordingly, the chief of state is the French president, who operates through a prefect appointed by officials in Paris. Local administration is handled through a 19-member general council and a 31-member regional council. The population of French Guiana is approximately 175,000, and the literacy rate is 83 percent. The official language is French but Creole is widely spoken.

The economy is closely linked with France through subsidies and imports and most of the country is an undeveloped, tropical rain forest. In 1964, France established the Kourou Space Center that contributes significantly to the gross domestic product. Fishing and forestry also play important roles in the economy.

Benn's Media. Vol. 3, 147th Edition, p. 297.1999.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). World Factbook 2001. 2001. Available from www.cia.gov.

Worldinformation.com. 2002. Available from www.worldinformation.com.

Jenny B. Davis

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1G2-3409900080" title="Facts and information about French Guiana">French Guiana</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

Davis, Jenny B.. "French Guiana." World Press Encyclopedia. The Gale Group Inc. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Davis, Jenny B.. "French Guiana." World Press Encyclopedia. The Gale Group Inc. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (November 12, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3409900080.html

Davis, Jenny B.. "French Guiana." World Press Encyclopedia. The Gale Group Inc. 2003. Retrieved November 12, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3409900080.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Free Article Severe acquired toxoplasmosis caused by wild cycle of Toxoplasma gondii, French Guiana.(THE AMAZON REGION: DISPATCHES)(Report)
Magazine article from: Emerging Infectious Diseases; 4/1/2009
Free Article Malaria outbreak in troops returning from French Guiana.(LETTERS)
Magazine article from: Emerging Infectious Diseases; 11/1/2006
Free Article Leishmaniasis among gold miners, French Guiana.(Letter to the editor)
Magazine article from: Emerging Infectious Diseases; 7/1/2006

Facts and information from other sites

Related topics

  Edit this list

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

Outbreak of Malaria among Policemen in French Guiana
Magazine article from: Military Medicine; 9/1/2007; ; 700+ words ; ...against illegal gold panning in French Guiana. A retrospective cohort study...individuals on long-term assignment in French Guiana. Compliance with mosquito protection...remains a public health problem in French Guiana. Introduction Malaria represents...
Job lack fuels French Guiana unrest: Space center employs few local citizens.(World)(Briefing/The Americas)
Newspaper article from: The Washington Times; 8/19/1997; ; 700+ words ; CAYENNE, French Guiana - The scene is all too familiar: a...in question isn't Puerto Rico but French Guiana, an overseas department of France...refugees from Laos. More than a third of French Guiana's residents come from somewhere else...
FRENCH GUIANA: Visitors discover jungles and culture in former penal colony
News Wire article from: AP Worldstream; 7/21/2005; ; 700+ words ; ...Dateline: ST. JOSEPH ISLAND, French Guiana Thick tropical vines wrap around...off South America _ a relic of French Guiana's dark past as a penal colony...many like it on the mainland in French Guiana, closed more than 50 years ago...
Tourism growing in French Guiana
Newspaper article from: Deseret News (Salt Lake City); 7/24/2005; ; 700+ words ; ST. JOSEPH ISLAND, French Guiana -- Thick tropical vines wrap...off South America -- a relic of French Guiana's dark past as a penal colony...many like it on the mainland in French Guiana, closed more than 50 years ago...
In French Guiana, identity clashes with colonial history, multitude of cultures
News Wire article from: AP Worldstream; 1/2/2003; ; 700+ words ; ...Dateline: ST. LAURENT DU MARONI, French Guiana The funeral begins with slow...department of France since 1946, French Guiana is officially just as much a part...With its close ties to Europe, French Guiana has drawn jobs and a higher standard...
French Guiana: Soyuz Launcher at the Guiana Space Center: Russian Equipment En Route for French Guiana.
News Wire article from: TendersInfo; 7/10/2008; 508 words ; ...the port of Saint Petersburg for French Guiana, carrying Russian-built equipment...Saint Petersburg to Cayenne, French Guiana will take about 16 days. Equipment...specialists will be flying to French Guiana this month to meet the Flinterland...
Peppery. (French Guiana) (International)
Magazine article from: The Economist (US); 10/13/1990; 700+ words ; ...islands, still ruled from Europe. French Guiana, once the place to which convicts...exSergeant Ronny Brunswijk, into French Guiana in June for secret peace negotiations...ordered his release. The Creoles of French Guiana do not want visitors to trouble...
ESA providing Kyoto estimates of French Guiana's tropical forests.
Newspaper article from: Life Science Weekly; 6/30/2003; 700+ words ; ...monitor the tropical forests in French Guiana and help the French government...forests, most of which are in French Guiana. Tropical forests represent a...emissions. Ninety percent of French Guiana, or approximately 80,000 square...
Value of syndromic surveillance within the Armed Forces for early warning during a dengue fever outbreak in French Guiana in 2006.(Research article)
Magazine article from: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making; 7/2/2008; ; 700+ words ; ...including the Armed Forces based in French Guiana, have incorporated warning systems...surveillance systems [1, 2]. French Guiana is a French overseas department...surveillance of dengue fever in French Guiana was based on the weekly surveillance...
Joint Venture With Rio Tinto for Diamond Exploration And Development in French Guiana.
PR Newswire; 6/9/1999; 700+ words ; DENVER, and CAYENNE, French Guiana, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden...exploration and development in French Guiana. The area covered by the agreement...Dachine property but the whole of French Guiana (the Area of Interest). Under...

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

For students and teachers!

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Current French Guiana News:

The Best Prison Breaks

(3/31/2009 9:43:00 PM)