French Guiana

Not to be confused with Guyana.

Not to be confused with French Guinea.

Template:Infobox French Région French Guiana (French: Guyane française, officially Guyane) is an overseas département (département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France, located on the northern coast of South America. Like the other DOMs, French Guiana is also a région (région d'outre-mer) of France. As a part of France, French Guiana is in the European Union, and its currency is the euro.

History

Main article: History of French Guiana

French Guiana was originally inhabited by a number of Native American peoples. Settled by the French during the 17th-century, it was the site of penal settlements from 1852 until 1951; the 1970s saw the settlement of Hmong refugees from Laos. A movement for increased autonomy from France gained momentum in the 70's and 80's. Protests by those calling for more autonomy have become increasingly vocal; demonstrations in 1996, 1997 and 2000 all ended in violence.

Politics

Main article: Politics of French Guiana

French Guiana, as part of France, is part of the European Union, the largest part in area outside Europe, with one of the longest E.U. external boundaries and a part of the Union outside Europe that is not an island along with the Spanish enclaves in Africa, Ceuta and Melilla. The Head of State is the President of France, who appoints a Préfet (resident at the Prefecture building in Cayenne) as his/her representative. There are two legislative bodies: the 19-member General Council and the 34-member Regional Council, both elected. French Guiana has two seats at the National Assembly in Paris. French Guiana has traditionally been conservative, though the socialist party has been increasingly successful in recent years. Though many would like to see more autonomy for the region, support for complete independence is very low.

A chronic issue affecting French Guiana is the influx of illegal immigrants and clandestine gold prospectors from Brazil and Suriname. The border between the département and Suriname is formed by the Maroni River, which flows through rain forest and is difficult for the Gendarmerie to patrol. The border line with Suriname is disputed.

Administrative divisions

Administratively, French Guiana is divided into arrondissements, cantons, and communes:

• Arrondissements of Guyane (French Guiana)
• Cantons of Guyane (French Guiana)
• Communes of Guyane (Cities of French Guiana)

See also: French overseas departments and territories and Administrative divisions of France

Geography

Map Of French Guiana

Main article: Geography of French Guiana

Though sharing cultural affinities with the French-speaking territories of the Caribbean, French Guiana cannot be considered to be part of that region, since the Caribbean Sea actually lies several hundred miles to the west, beyond the arc of the Lesser Antilles.

French Guiana 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 Tumac-Humac mountains along the Brazilian frontier. French Guiana's highest peak is Bellevue de l'Inini (851 m / 2,792 ft). Other mountains include Mont Machalou (782 m / 2,566 ft), Pic Coudreau (711 m / 2,333 ft) and Mont St Marcel (635 m / 2,083 ft), Mont Favard (200 m / 656 ft) and Montagne du Mahury (156 m / 512 ft). Several small islands are found off the coast, the three Iles du Salut Salvation Islands which includes Devil's Island and the isolated Ile de Connetable bird sanctury further along the coast towards Brazil.

The Barrage de Petit-Saut hydroelectric dam in the north of French Guiana forms an artificial lake and provides hydroelectricity. There are many rivers in French Guiana.

Economy

Main article: Economy of French Guiana

French Guiana is heavily dependent on France for subsidies and goods. The main industries are fishing (accounting for three-quarters of foreign exports), gold mining and timber. In addition, the Centre Spatial Guyanais at Kourou accounts for 25% of the GDP and employs about 1700 people. There is very little manufacturing and agriculture is largely undeveloped. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is growing. Unemployment is a major problem, running at about 20% to 30%. Its per-capita GDP is $8,500.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of French Guiana

French Guiana's population of 200 000 (2006 est.), most of whom live along the coast, is very ethnically diverse. Estimates of the percentages of French Guiana ethnic composition vary, a problem compounded by the large numbers of legal and illegal immigrants (about 20,000).

Mulattos (People of mixed black and white ancestry) 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 at about 60% to 70% of the total population with Haitians (comprising roughly one-third of Creoles) and 30% to 50% without. Roughly 14% are Europeans, the vast majority of whom are French.

The main Asian communities are the Hmong from Laos (1.5%) and Chinese (3.2%, primarily from Hong Kong and Zhejiang province). There are also smaller groups from various Caribbean islands, mainly Saint Lucia. The main groups living in the interior are the Maroons (also called Bush Negroes) and Amerindians.

The Maroons, descendents of escaped African slaves, live primarily along the Maroni River. The main Maroon groups are the Paramacca, Aucan (both of whom also live in Suriname) and the Boni (Aluku).

The main Amerindian groups (forming about 3%-4% of the population) are the Arawak, Emerillon, Galibi (now called the Kaliña), Palikour, Wayampi (also known as Oyampi) and Wayana.

The predominant religion in the country is Roman Catholicism, though the Maroons and some Amerindian peoples still practice their own religions. The Hmong people are also mainly Catholic owing to the influence of Catholic missionaries who helped bring them to French Guiana.

Notable People

• Aimé Césaire, key founder in the movement of "Négritude", fought for an Antillaise identity within world literature.
• Florent Malouda, French international football player.
• Henri Charriere, an escaped French convict, imprisoned in and around French Guiana from 1933 to 1945.
• Malia Metella, French swimmer, SC European Championships 2004: 1st 100m free.
• Bernard Lama, former French international football player.
• Cyrille Regis, former West Bromwich Albion and England player.

Bibliography

• France's Overseas Frontier : Les Départements et territoires d'outre-mer Robert Aldrich and John Connell
• Dry guillotine: Fifteen years among the living dead René Belbenoit, 1938, Reprint: Berkley (1975). ISBN 0-425-02950-6
• Hell on Trial René Belbenoit, 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
• Papillon Henri Charrière Reprints: Hart-Davis Macgibbon Ltd. 1970. ISBN 0-246-63987-3 (hbk); Perennial, 2001. ISBN 0-06-093479-4 (sbk)
• Space in the Tropics: From Convicts to Rockets in French Guiana Peter Redfield

External links

General information

• Gabe's French Guiana with information and many photos
• Template:Dmoz
• US Consular Information Sheet
• "French Guiana". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.

Other

• Ethnologue French Guiana page
• Silvolab Guyanae - scientific interest group in French Guiana
• Article on separatism in French Guiana
• About.com French Guiana travel site
• Status of Forests in French Guiana
• French Guiana photo gallery
• French Guiana image gallery
• Photo gallery
• Map of French Guiana
• Officials reports, thesis, scientific papers about French Guiana (fr-en)
• The IRD's database AUBLET2 stores information about botanical specimens collected in the Guianas, mainly in French Guiana