Difference between revisions of "French Guiana" - New World Encyclopedia
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| − | [[ | + | {{Claimed}} |
| − | [[ | + | {{Infobox French region |
| − | '''French Guiana''' (French: ''Guyane française'', officially ''Guyane'') is an overseas department of [[France]], located on the | + | | native_name = Région Guyane |
| + | | common_name = Guyane | ||
| + | | image_flag = GuyaneFlag.jpg | ||
| + | | image_flag_size = 130px | ||
| + | | image_logo = GuyaneLogo1.png | ||
| + | | image_logo_size = 100px | ||
| + | | flag = Region flag | ||
| + | | capital = [[Cayenne]] | ||
| + | | area = 83,534 | ||
| + | | area_scale = 10 | ||
| + | | Regional president = [[Antoine Karam]]<br>([[Guianese Socialist Party|PSG]]) (since 1992) | ||
| + | | population_rank = 26th | ||
| + | | population_census = 157,213 | ||
| + | | population_census_year = 1999 | ||
| + | | population_estimate = 202,000 | ||
| + | | population_estimate_year = 2006 | ||
| + | | population_density = 2.4 | ||
| + | | population_density_year = 2006 | ||
| + | | arrondissements = 2 | ||
| + | | cantons = 19 | ||
| + | | communes = 22 | ||
| + | | departments = Guyane | ||
| + | | image_map = Location-Guyane-France.png | ||
| + | | image_map_size = 280px | ||
| + | | footnotes = | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | '''French Guiana''' ([[French language|French]]: ''Guyane française'', officially ''Guyane'') is an [[overseas department]] (French: ''[[département d'outre-mer]], or DOM'') of [[France]], located on the northern coast of [[South America]]. Like the other DOMs, French Guiana is also an [[overseas region]] of France, one of the 26 [[regions of France]]. As a part of France, French Guiana is part of the [[European Union]]'s territory, and its currency is the [[euro]].<ref>French Guiana is pictured on all [[euro banknotes]], on the reverse at the bottom of each note, right of the Greek ΕΥΡΩ (EURO) next to the denomination.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==History== | ||
| + | {{main|History of French Guiana}} | ||
| + | French Guiana was originally inhabited by a number of indigenous American peoples. Settled by the French during the [[17th century]], it was the site of [[Penal colony|penal]] settlements from 1852 until 1951; a border dispute with Brazil arose in the late nineteenth century over a vast area of jungle, leading to the short-lived pro-French independent state of [[Counani]] in the disputed territory and some fighting between settlers, before the dispute was resolved largely in favour of Brazil by the arbitration of the Swiss government. The 1970s saw the settlement of [[Hmong people|Hmong]] refugees from [[Laos]]. A movement for increased autonomy from France gained momentum in the 1970'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. Its position in South America made it a suitable place for France to launch troops from should the need ever arise. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Politics== | ||
| + | {{main|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 EU external boundaries. Along with the Spanish enclaves in Africa of [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]], it is one of only three EU territories outside Europe that is not an island. Its [[head of state]] is the [[President of the French Republic]], who appoints a [[Prefect (France)|Prefect]] (resident at the [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture building]] in Cayenne) as his 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 (France)|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 prospecting|gold prospectors]] from [[Brazil]] and [[Suriname]]. The border between the department and Suriname is formed by the [[Maroni River]], which flows through rain forest and is difficult for the [[Gendarmerie Nationale (France)|Gendarmerie]] and the [[French Foreign Legion]] to patrol. The border line with Suriname is disputed. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Administrative divisions == | ||
| + | French Guiana is divided into 2 [[Arrondissements of France|departmental arrondissements]], 19 [[cantons of France|cantons]] (not shown here), and 22 [[communes of France|communes]]: | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Image:guyane_administrative.PNG|350px|left | ||
| + | ]] | ||
| + | <table> | ||
| + | <tr> | ||
| + | <th width="50%">[[Arrondissement of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni|Arrondissement of<br>Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni]]</th> | ||
| + | <th width="50%">[[Arrondissement of Cayenne|Arrondissement of<br>Cayenne]]</th> | ||
| + | </tr> | ||
| + | <td valign="top"> | ||
| + | #[[Awala-Yalimapo]] | ||
| + | #[[Mana, French Guiana|Mana]] | ||
| + | #[[Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni]] | ||
| + | #[[Apatou]] | ||
| + | #[[Grand-Santi]] | ||
| + | #[[Papaïchton]] | ||
| + | #[[Saül]] | ||
| + | #[[Maripasoula]] | ||
| + | </td> | ||
| + | <td valign="top"> | ||
| + | <ol start=9> | ||
| + | <li>[[Camopi]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Saint-Georges, French Guiana|Saint-Georges]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Ouanary]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Régina]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Roura]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Saint-Élie]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Iracoubo]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Sinnamary]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Kourou]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Macouria]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Montsinéry-Tonnegrande]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Matoury]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Cayenne]] | ||
| + | <li>[[Remire-Montjoly]] | ||
| + | </td> | ||
| + | </tr> | ||
| + | </table> | ||
| + | |||
| + | See also: | ||
| + | * [[Arrondissements of the Guyane department|Arrondissements of Guyane (French Guiana)]] | ||
| + | * [[Cantons of the Guyane department|Cantons of Guyane (French Guiana)]] | ||
| + | * [[Communes of the Guyane department|Communes of Guyane (Cities of French Guiana)]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Geography == | ||
| + | [[Image:French Guiana CIA.gif|right|Map Of French Guiana]] | ||
| + | {{main article|Geography of French Guiana}} | ||
| + | Though sharing cultural affinities with the [[French language|French]]-speaking territories of the [[Caribbean]], French Guiana cannot be considered to be part of that geographic region, with the Caribbean Sea actually being several hundred kilometres 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). Other mountains include [[Mont Machalou]] (782 m), [[Pic Coudreau]] (711 m) and [[Mont St Marcel]] (635 m), [[Mont Favard]] (200 m) and [[Montagne du Mahury]] (156 m). 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 sanctuary 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|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 [[Guiana Space Center]] 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%. In 2004 the [[GDP per capita]] of French Guiana at real exchange rates, not at [[Purchasing power parity|PPP]], was 12,887 [[euro]]s (US$16,030), which was 59.9% of the [[European Union]]'s average GDP per capita that year.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PGP_PRD_CAT_PREREL/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007_MONTH_02/1-19022007-EN-AP.PDF| title=Regional GDP per inhabitant in the EU27|author=[[Eurostat]]|format=PDF | accessdate=2007-06-09}}</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Transportation== | ||
| + | French Guiana's main international airport is [[Cayenne-Rochambeau Airport]], located in the [[communes of France|commune]] of [[Matoury]], a southern suburb of [[Cayenne]]. There is one flight a day to [[Paris]] ([[Orly Airport]]), and one flight a day arriving from Paris. The flight time from Cayenne to Paris is 8 hours and 25 minutes, and from Paris to Cayenne it is 9 hours and 10 minutes. There are also flights to [[Fort-de-France]], [[Pointe-à-Pitre]], [[Port-au-Prince]], [[Miami]], [[Macapá]], [[Belém]], and [[Fortaleza]]. | ||
| − | + | French Guiana's main seaport is the port of [[Dégrad des Cannes]], located on the [[estuary]] of the [[Mahury River]], in the commune of [[Remire-Montjoly]], a south-eastern suburb of Cayenne. Almost all of French Guiana's imports and exports pass through the port of Dégrad des Cannes. Built in [[1969]], it replaced the old harbor of Cayenne which was congested and couldn't cope with modern traffic. | |
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| + | An [[Pavement (material)#Asphalt paving|asphalted]] road from [[Régina]] to [[Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock]] (a town by the [[Brazil]]ian border) was opened in [[2004]], completing the road from Cayenne to the Brazilian border. It is now possible to drive on a fully paved road from [[Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni]] on the [[Suriname]]se border to Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock on the Brazilian border. Following an international treaty between France and Brazil signed in July [[2005]], a bridge over the [[Oyapock River]] (marking the border with Brazil) is currently being built and is due to open in the end of [[2008]]. This bridge will be the first land crossing ever opened between France and Brazil, and indeed between French Guiana and the rest of the world (there exists no other bridge crossing the Oyapock River, and no bridge crossing the [[Maroni River]] marking the border with Suriname). When the bridge is opened, it will be possible to drive uninterrupted from Cayenne to [[Macapá]], the capital of the state of [[Amapá]] in Brazil. | ||
| − | == | + | == Demographics == |
| + | {{main|Demographics of French Guiana}} | ||
| − | French Guiana | + | French Guiana's population of 202,000 ([[January 2006]] est.),<ref>{{fr icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/recensement/nouv_recens/resultats/resultats-regionaux.htm| title="Estimations de population régionale au 1er janvier 2006"| first=Government of France| last=INSEE| accessdate=2007-05-04}}</ref> most of whom live along the coast, is very ethnically diverse. At the 1999 census, 54.4% of the inhabitants of French Guiana were born in French Guiana, 11.8% were born in [[Metropolitan France]], 5.2% were born in the French [[Caribbean]] ''[[departments of France|départements]]'' ([[Guadeloupe]] and [[Martinique]]), and 28.6% were born in foreign countries (most notably [[Brazil]], [[Suriname]], and [[Haiti]]).<ref>{{fr icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.recensement.insee.fr/FR/ST_ANA/D9C/MIGTABMIG1DOMMIG1DOMAD9CFR.html| title="Migrations (caractéristiques démographiques selon le lieu de naissance)"| first=Government of France| last=INSEE| accessdate=2007-05-04}}</ref> |
| − | French Guiana | + | French censuses do not record ethnicity, so 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). |
| − | + | '''Guianese Creoles''' (People of primarily African heritage mixed with some French 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 people|French]]. | |
| − | There are | + | The main Asian communities are the [[Hmong people|Hmong]] from [[Laos]] (1.5%) and [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]] (3.2%, primarily from [[Hong Kong]] and [[Zhejiang|Zhejiang province]]). There are also smaller groups from various [[Caribbean]] islands, mainly [[Saint Lucia]]. The main groups living in the interior are the [[Maroon (people)|Maroons]] (also called Bush Negroes) and [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Amerindians]]. |
| − | + | The [[Maroon (people)|Maroons]], descendants 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 this region 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.<ref>{{cite book|title=South America |author= Danny Palmerlee|year= 2007|publisher=[[Lonely Planet]]|id=ISBN 174104443X|url= http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN174104443X&id=zeUwp50DR9EC&pg=PA746&lpg=PA746&dq=%22French+Guiana%22+date:2000-2007&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=Gmy65FICYCisCQwh8XgOF9h0rmo}}</ref> | |
| − | == | + | {| align="center" rules="all" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" style="border: 1px solid #999; border-right: 2px solid #999; border-bottom:2px solid #999; background: #f3fff3" |
| + | |+ style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 0.5em"| Historical population | ||
| + | ! [[1790]]<br>estimate !! [[1839]]<br>estimate !! [[1857]]<br>estimate !! [[1891]]<br>estimate !! [[1946]]<br>census !! [[1954]]<br>census !! [[1961]]<br>census !! [[1967]]<br>census !! [[1974]]<br>census !! [[1982]]<br>census !! [[1990]]<br>census !! [[1999]]<br>census !! [[2006]]<br>estimate | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | align=center| 14,520 || align=center| 20,940 || align=center| 25,561 || align=center| 33,500 || align=center| 25,499 || align=center| 27,863|| align=center| 33,505 || align=center| 44,392 || align=center| 55,125 || align=center| 73,022 || align=center| 114,678 || align=center| 157,213 || align=center| 202,000 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | colspan=13 align=center| <small>Official figures from past censuses and [[INSEE]] estimates. | ||
| + | |} | ||
| − | + | == Notable People == | |
| + | * [[Florent Malouda]], French international [[Football (soccer)|football]] player. | ||
| + | * [[Henri Charrière]], 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 (soccer)|football]] player. | ||
| + | * [[Cyrille Regis]], former West Bromwich Albion and England player. | ||
| + | * [[Léon Damas]], Francophone poet widely notated for his influence on the literary movement known as la [[négritude]] | ||
| + | * [[Henri Salvador]], famous singer, one of the inspiration sources for the [[Bossa Nova]] movement. | ||
| + | * [[Jean-Claude Darcheville]], [[football (soccer)|football]] [[striker]] who joined [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] from [[FC Girondins de Bordeaux]] in the summer of 2007. | ||
| + | == Bibliography == | ||
| + | * ''France's Overseas Frontier : Départements et territoires d'outre-mer'' Robert Aldrich and John Connell. Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-521-03036-6 | ||
| + | * ''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. ISBN 0-520-21985-6 | ||
| − | == | + | == See also == |
| + | *[[Flag of French Guiana]] | ||
| − | + | ==References== | |
| + | {{reflist}} | ||
| − | [[ | + | == External links == |
| + | {{commons|Category:French Guiana|French Guiana}} | ||
| + | ;General information | ||
| + | *[http://www.cr-guyane.fr/ Conseil régional de Guyane] Official website | ||
| + | *[http://www.geocities.com/kouroufrenchguiana/index.html Gabe's French Guiana] with information and many photos | ||
| + | *{{dmoz|Regional/South_America/French_Guiana/}} | ||
| + | *[http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1117.html US Consular Information Sheet] | ||
| − | == | + | ;Other |
| + | * [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=French+Guiana Ethnologue French Guiana page] | ||
| + | * [http://kourou.cirad.fr/ Silvolab Guyanae - scientific interest group in French Guiana] | ||
| + | * [http://www.luxner.com/cgi-bin/view_article.cgi?articleID=661 Article on separatism in French Guiana] | ||
| + | * [http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/frenchguiana/ About.com French Guiana travel site] | ||
| + | * [http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20frenchg.htm Status of Forests in French Guiana] | ||
| + | * [http://r.douzal.free.fr/FM-Guyana-01.htm French Guiana photo gallery] | ||
| + | * [http://www.horizo.com/guyane/guyane_photos.htm French Guiana image gallery] | ||
| + | * [http://www.galenfrysinger.com/cayenne.htm Photo gallery] | ||
| + | * [http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/travel/dg/maps/7a/750x750_frenchguiana_m.gif Map of French Guiana] | ||
| + | * [http://www.infos-guyane.com/documents/english/ Officials reports, thesis, scientific papers about French Guiana (en|fr)] | ||
| + | * [http://www.cayenne.ird.fr/aublet2/aublet2_uk.php3 The IRD's database AUBLET2 stores information about botanical specimens collected in the Guianas, mainly in French Guiana] | ||
| − | + | <!—Templates—> | |
| + | {{French overseas departments and territories}} | ||
| + | {{Regions of France}} | ||
| + | {{La Francophonie}} | ||
| + | {{Countries of South America}} | ||
| + | {{Outlying territories of European countries}} | ||
| + | {{French overseas empire}} | ||
| − | + | [[Category:Nations and places]] | |
| + | [[Category:South America]] | ||
| − | {{credit| | + | {{credit|142505490}} |
Revision as of 19:57, 6 July 2007
| Région Guyane | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Logo of Guyane | |
| (Region flag) | (Region logo) | |
| Location | ||
| ||
| Administration | ||
| Capital | Cayenne | |
| Regional President | Antoine Karam (PSG) (since 1992) | |
| Departments | Guyane | |
| Arrondissements | 2 | |
| Cantons | 19 | |
| Communes | 22 | |
| Statistics | ||
| Land area1 | 83,534 km² | |
| Population | (Ranked 26th) | |
| - January 1, 2006 est. | 202,000 | |
| - March 8, 1999 census | 157,213 | |
| - Density (2006) | 2.4/km² | |
| 1 French Land Register data, which exclude lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers | ||
| ||
French Guiana (French: Guyane française, officially Guyane) is an overseas department (French: département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France, located on the northern coast of South America. Like the other DOMs, French Guiana is also an overseas region of France, one of the 26 regions of France. As a part of France, French Guiana is part of the European Union's territory, and its currency is the euro.[1]
History
French Guiana was originally inhabited by a number of indigenous American peoples. Settled by the French during the 17th century, it was the site of penal settlements from 1852 until 1951; a border dispute with Brazil arose in the late nineteenth century over a vast area of jungle, leading to the short-lived pro-French independent state of Counani in the disputed territory and some fighting between settlers, before the dispute was resolved largely in favour of Brazil by the arbitration of the Swiss government. The 1970s saw the settlement of Hmong refugees from Laos. A movement for increased autonomy from France gained momentum in the 1970'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. Its position in South America made it a suitable place for France to launch troops from should the need ever arise.
Politics
French Guiana, as part of France, is part of the European Union, the largest part in area outside Europe, with one of the longest EU external boundaries. Along with the Spanish enclaves in Africa of Ceuta and Melilla, it is one of only three EU territories outside Europe that is not an island. Its head of state is the President of the French Republic, who appoints a Prefect (resident at the Prefecture building in Cayenne) as his 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 department and Suriname is formed by the Maroni River, which flows through rain forest and is difficult for the Gendarmerie and the French Foreign Legion to patrol. The border line with Suriname is disputed.
Administrative divisions
French Guiana is divided into 2 departmental arrondissements, 19 cantons (not shown here), and 22 communes:
| Arrondissement of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni |
Arrondissement of Cayenne |
|---|---|
|
|
See also:
- Arrondissements of Guyane (French Guiana)
- Cantons of Guyane (French Guiana)
- Communes of Guyane (Cities of French Guiana)
Geography
Though sharing cultural affinities with the French-speaking territories of the Caribbean, French Guiana cannot be considered to be part of that geographic region, with the Caribbean Sea actually being several hundred kilometres 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). Other mountains include Mont Machalou (782 m), Pic Coudreau (711 m) and Mont St Marcel (635 m), Mont Favard (200 m) and Montagne du Mahury (156 m). 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 sanctuary 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 three-quarters of foreign exports), gold mining and timber. In addition, the Guiana Space Center 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%. In 2004 the GDP per capita of French Guiana at real exchange rates, not at PPP, was 12,887 euros (US$16,030), which was 59.9% of the European Union's average GDP per capita that year.[2]
Transportation
French Guiana's main international airport is Cayenne-Rochambeau Airport, located in the commune of Matoury, a southern suburb of Cayenne. There is one flight a day to Paris (Orly Airport), and one flight a day arriving from Paris. The flight time from Cayenne to Paris is 8 hours and 25 minutes, and from Paris to Cayenne it is 9 hours and 10 minutes. There are also flights to Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre, Port-au-Prince, Miami, Macapá, Belém, and Fortaleza.
French Guiana's main seaport is the port of Dégrad des Cannes, located on the estuary of the Mahury River, in the commune of Remire-Montjoly, a south-eastern suburb of Cayenne. Almost all of French Guiana's imports and exports pass through the port of Dégrad des Cannes. Built in 1969, it replaced the old harbor of Cayenne which was congested and couldn't cope with modern traffic.
An asphalted road from Régina to Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock (a town by the Brazilian border) was opened in 2004, completing the road from Cayenne to the Brazilian border. It is now possible to drive on a fully paved road from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni on the Surinamese border to Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock on the Brazilian border. Following an international treaty between France and Brazil signed in July 2005, a bridge over the Oyapock River (marking the border with Brazil) is currently being built and is due to open in the end of 2008. This bridge will be the first land crossing ever opened between France and Brazil, and indeed between French Guiana and the rest of the world (there exists no other bridge crossing the Oyapock River, and no bridge crossing the Maroni River marking the border with Suriname). When the bridge is opened, it will be possible to drive uninterrupted from Cayenne to Macapá, the capital of the state of Amapá in Brazil.
Demographics
French Guiana's population of 202,000 (January 2006 est.),[3] most of whom live along the coast, is very ethnically diverse. At the 1999 census, 54.4% of the inhabitants of French Guiana were born in French Guiana, 11.8% were born in Metropolitan France, 5.2% were born in the French Caribbean départements (Guadeloupe and Martinique), and 28.6% were born in foreign countries (most notably Brazil, Suriname, and Haiti).[4]
French censuses do not record ethnicity, so 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).
Guianese Creoles (People of primarily African heritage mixed with some French 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, descendants 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 this region 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.[5]
| 1790 estimate |
1839 estimate |
1857 estimate |
1891 estimate |
1946 census |
1954 census |
1961 census |
1967 census |
1974 census |
1982 census |
1990 census |
1999 census |
2006 estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,520 | 20,940 | 25,561 | 33,500 | 25,499 | 27,863 | 33,505 | 44,392 | 55,125 | 73,022 | 114,678 | 157,213 | 202,000 |
| Official figures from past censuses and INSEE estimates. | ||||||||||||
Notable People
- Florent Malouda, French international football player.
- Henri Charrière, 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.
- Léon Damas, Francophone poet widely notated for his influence on the literary movement known as la négritude
- Henri Salvador, famous singer, one of the inspiration sources for the Bossa Nova movement.
- Jean-Claude Darcheville, football striker who joined Rangers from FC Girondins de Bordeaux in the summer of 2007.
Bibliography
- France's Overseas Frontier : Départements et territoires d'outre-mer Robert Aldrich and John Connell. Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-521-03036-6
- 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. ISBN 0-520-21985-6
See also
- Flag of French Guiana
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ French Guiana is pictured on all euro banknotes, on the reverse at the bottom of each note, right of the Greek ΕΥΡΩ (EURO) next to the denomination.
- ↑ Eurostat. Regional GDP per inhabitant in the EU27 (PDF). Retrieved 2007-06-09.
- ↑ (French) INSEE, Government of France. "Estimations de population régionale au 1er janvier 2006". Retrieved 2007-05-04.
- ↑ (French) INSEE, Government of France. "Migrations (caractéristiques démographiques selon le lieu de naissance)". Retrieved 2007-05-04.
- ↑ Danny Palmerlee (2007). South America. Lonely Planet. ISBN 174104443X.
External links
- General information
- Conseil régional de Guyane Official website
- Gabe's French Guiana with information and many photos
- {{{2}}} at the Open Directory Project
- US Consular Information Sheet
- 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 (en|fr)
- The IRD's database AUBLET2 stores information about botanical specimens collected in the Guianas, mainly in French Guiana
| Overseas departments and territories of France | |
|---|---|
| Overseas departments1 | French Guiana · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Réunion |
| Overseas collectivities | French Polynesia · Mayotte2 · Saint Barthelemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna |
| Special status | New Caledonia |
| Uninhabited lands | Clipperton Island French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Amsterdam Island • Saint-Paul Island • Crozet Islands • Kerguelen Islands • Adélie Land |
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 regions: French Guiana • Guadeloupe • Martinique • Réunion
| Member states and observers of La Francophonie | |
|---|---|
| Members | Albania · Andorra · Belgium (French Community) · Benin · Bulgaria · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada (New Brunswick • Quebec) · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Cyprus1 · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Dominica · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia · France (including French Guiana • Guadeloupe • Martinique • St. Pierre and Miquelon) · Gabon · Ghana1 · Greece · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Laos · Luxembourg · Lebanon · Madagascar · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Moldova · Monaco · Morocco · Niger · Romania · Rwanda · St. Lucia · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Switzerland · Togo · Tunisia · Vanuatu · Vietnam |
| Observers | |
| Outlying territories of European countries | |
|---|---|
| Denmark | Greenland |
| France | Clipperton Island · French Guiana · French Polynesia · French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Amsterdam • Saint-Paul • Crozet • Kerguelen • Adélie Land1 • Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean: Bassas da India • Europa Island • Glorioso Islands • Juan de Nova Island • Tromelin Island) · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Mayotte · New Caledonia · Réunion · Saint-Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna |
| Italy | Pantelleria · Pelagie Islands (Lampedusa • Lampione • Linosa) |
| Netherlands | Aruba · Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire • Curaçao • Saba • Sint Maarten • Sint Eustatius) |
| Norway | Bouvet Island · Peter I Island1 · Queen Maud Land1 |
| Portugal | Azores · Madeira |
| Russia | Khabomai · Ratmanov Island · Shikotan |
| Spain | Canary Islands · Plazas de soberanía (Ceuta • Melilla) |
| United Kingdom | Anguilla · Ascension Island · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Montserrat · Saint Helena · Tristan da Cunha · Turks and Caicos Islands · British Antarctic Territory1 · British Indian Ocean Territory · Pitcairn Islands · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands |
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