French Guiana

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Not to be confused with French Guinea.

French Guiana is the smallest political entity on the South American mainland (Suriname is the smallest independent South American country). It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west (part of the border with Suriname is disputed).

History

Since European settlement by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements (see Devil's Island) until 1951. French Guiana was originally inhabited by a number of Native American peoples, among them the Carib, Arawak, Emerillon, Galibi, Palikour, Wayampi (also known as Oyampi) and Wayana.In 1498 French Guiana was first visited by Europeans when Christopher Columbus sailed to the region and reportedly named it the "Land of pariahs". The early 1600's saw attempts by the French and Dutch to settle in the area, though they faced difficulties in the face of Amerindian hostility and widespread tropical diseases. In 1643 the French managed to establish a settlement at Cayenne along with some small-scale plantations, however this was attacked by Amerindians. The French later re-established it in the 1660's, along with another settlement at Sinnamary (this was attacked by the Dutch in 1665).

In 1667 the British seized the area. Following the Treaty of Breda on 31st July 1667 the area was given back to France. The Dutch briefly occupied it for a period in 1676.

Politics

French Guiana, as part of France, is part of the European Union, the largest part in area outside Europe and the only significant part outside Europe that is not an island (other than the Spanish enclaves in Morocco, Ceuta and Melilla). The Head of State is the French President 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 rainforest and is difficult for the French Gendarmerie to patrol. (The border line with Suriname is disputed.)

Geography

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 arch 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

French Guiana is heavily dependent on France for subsidies and goods. The main industries are fishing (accounting for 3/4 of foreign exports), gold mining and timber. In addition the European Space Centre 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%-30%.

Demographics

French Guiana's population of 195,506 (July 2005 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).

Creoles (blacks and 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%-70% of the total population with Haitians (comprising roughly one-third of Creoles) and 30%-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.

Famous People

See also

• Communications in French Guiana
• Inini
• Foreign relations of French Guiana
• Military of French Guiana
• Transportation in French Guiana
• French overseas departments and territories
• Administrative divisions of France
• Arrondissements of Guyane (French Guiana)
• Cantons of Guyane (French Guiana)
• Communes of Guyane (Cities of French Guiana)
• Région Guyane (Scouting)

Further reading

• 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 0425029506
• 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, 1941. Reprint: Bantam Books, 1971
• Papillon Henri Charrière Reprints: Hart-Davis Macgibbon Ltd. 1970. ISBN 0246639873 (hbk); Perennial, 2001. ISBN 0060934794 (sbk)
• Space in the Tropics: From Convicts to Rockets in French Guiana Peter Redfield

Notes

External links

• [Gabe's French Guiana] with information and many photos
• [Open Directory Project - French Guiana] directory category
• [US Consular Information Sheet]
• CIA World Factbook entry on [French Guiana]

• [Ethnologue French Guiana page]
• [Kwata - French Guiana conservation group]
• [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]
• [French Guiana map]

Overseas French departments and territories

Régions of France
Alsace | Aquitaine | Auvergne | Bourgogne | Bretagne | Centre | Champagne-Ardenne | Corsica | Franche-Comté | Île-de-France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Limousin | Lorraine | Midi-Pyrénées | Nord-Pas de Calais | Basse-Normandie | Haute-Normandie | Pays-de-la-Loire | Picardie | Poitou-Charentes | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | Rhône-Alpes
Overseas Régions: French Guiana | Guadeloupe | Martinique | Réunion

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