French Guiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Guiana
Guyane
Overseas department of France
Flag Symbol
Country	France
Divisions	2 arrondissements, 22 communes
Préfecture	Cayenne
Highest point	Bellevue de l'Inini
- location	Guiana Shield
- elevation	851 m (2,792 ft)
- coordinates	3°32′N 53°34′W / 3.533°N 53.567°W / 3.533; -53.567
Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Area	83,533.9 km² (32,253 sq mi)
Population	252,338 (2014)
Density	3 /km² (8 /sq mi)
President	Rodolphe Alexandre
Timezone	GFT (UTC-03)
ISO 3166-2	FR-GF
INSEE CODE	973

French Guiana (French: Guyane) is an overseas department and region of France, on the north Atlantic coast of South America. By land area, it is the second largest region of France and the largest overseas department of France and of the European Union.

Its prefecture and largest city is Cayenne.

Name

Guiana comes from an Amerindian language (Arawak) that means "land of many waters". The addition of the word "French" in most languages other than French comes from colonial times when there were five in the region; they were, from west to east:

1. Spanish Guiana (now Guayana Region in Venezuela)
2. British Guiana (now Guyana)
3. Dutch Guiana, (now Suriname)
4. French Guiana (now Guyane)
5. Portuguese Guiana (now Amapá in Brazil).

French Guiana and the two larger countries to the north and west, Guyana and Suriname, are still often collectively referred to as the Guianas and form the Guiana Shield.

Geography

Geographic map of French Guiana

French Guiana borders two countries: Surinam to the west, and Brazil to the east and south. To the north is the Atlantic Ocean. There are two main geographical regions: a coastal strip where the majority of the people live, and a dense rainforest which gradually rises to the modest peaks of the Tumuc-Humac mountains along the Brazilian frontier.

The highest point in the department is Bellevue de l'Inini (3°35′N 53°31′W / 3.583°N 53.517°W / 3.583; -53.517 (Bellevue de l'Inini)) in the Maripasoula commune; it is (851 m (2,792 ft)) high. Other mountains are Mont Machalou (782 m [2,566 ft]), Pic Coudreau (711 m [2,333 ft]) and Mont St Marcel (635 m [2,083 ft]).

Several small islands are found off the coast, the three Îles du Salut which include Devil's Island, and the isolated Îles du Connétable further along the coast towards Brazil.

The Petit-Saut Dam in the north of the department forms an artificial lake and provides hydroelectricity. There are many rivers in French Guiana.

It is the French department with more forests, 98% of the department is covered with an equatorial forest.

As of 2007^[update], the Amazon rainforest in the most southern part of the department, is protected as the Guiana Amazonian Park, one of the ten national parks of France. The territory of the park covers some 33,900 square kilometres (13,100 sq mi) in the communes of Camopi, Maripasoula, Papaïchton, Saint-Élie and Saül.

Climate

The climate in Cayenne, at an altitude of 9 m (30 ft) above sea level, is of the subtype Af (Tropical Rainforest Climate also known as Equatorial Climate) in the Köppen climate classification.

The average temperature for the year in Cayenne is 26.7 °C (80.1 °F). The warmest month, on average, is September with an average temperature of 27.2 °C (81.0 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 26.1 °C (79.0 °F).

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Cayenne is 3,205.5 mm (126.2 in). The month with the most precipitation on average is May with 513.1 mm (20.2 in) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is September with an average of 43.2 mm (1.7 in). There is an average of 201.0 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in May with 27.0 days and the least precipitation occurring in September with 5.0 days.

Administration

The department of French Guiana is managed by the Collectivité territorial de la Guyane in Cayenne.

Administrative divisions

There are 2 arrondissements (districts) and 22 communes (municipalities) in French Guiana. The cantons of the department were eliminated on 31 December 2015 by the Law 2011-884 of 27 July 2011.

The 22 communes in the department are:

Demographics

The inhabitants of French Guiana are known, in French, as Guyanais (women: Guyanaises).

French Guiana has a population, in 2014, of 252,338, for a population density of 3.0 inhabitants/km². The city with more people living in it is the capital, Cayenne (55,817 inhabitants). The subprefecture of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni has 44,169 inhabitants.

Economy

The main traditional industries are fishing, gold mining and timber. In addition, the Guiana Space Centre has played a significant role in the local economy since it was established in Kourou in 1964.

Devils Island Prison

Three Islands off the countires coast were USed by the French Government from 1852 to 1953 as Prison Islands. They were:

• Royale ISland
• Saint-Joseph Island used for solitary confinement in silence and darkness for escape attempts
• Devils Island for political prisoners [Dreyfus was kept here]

Convicts who were sentenced to more than 8 years and survied and served their terms could not return to France but were required to stay on as involunatary settlers for the rest of their lives.
Famous Inmate:

• Alfred Dreyfus

Gallery

• 

  Aerial view of Cayenne.

• 

  View from the île Royale : harbor and St Joseph island.

• 

  The Kourou river.

• 

  The Maripa Falls on the Oyapock river.

Related pages

• Arrondissements of the French Guiana department

Images for kids

• 

  Following the Portuguese conquest of French Guiana in 1809, João Severiano Maciel da Costa served as its only governor until 1817.

• 

  French Guiana, c. 1930

• 

  Ile du Diable seen from Ile Royale

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  Guiana Amazonian Park

• 

  The grey-winged trumpeter, a species of bird commonly found in the region

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  An Ariane 5 rocket being processed at the Guiana Space Centre; the launch site is estimated to account for as much as 16% of French Guiana's GDP

• 

  Carnival of Kourou

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  Fresh market of Hmong Cacao village

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  Cayenne Cathedral. Most inhabitants of French Guiana are Catholic.

• 

  Oyapock River Bridge

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  The railway section of the Tiger Camp. Saint-Laurent to Saint-Jean-du-Maroni Railway (Prison Administration circa 1905).

• 

  Cayenne Airport

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  An Agglo bus, public transport, in the city of Cayenne, French Guiana

• 

  Subprefecture of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni

• 

  Thémire house, Creole style, in Cayenne

• 

  Group parades during the Great Night Parade of Cayenne

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  Horses of air and light at the Big Parade of the Litoral, in Kourou

• 

  Touloulous in Cayenne streets in 2007

• 

  Countess (cake)

• 

  Georges-Chaumet Stadium, French Guiana

See also

In Spanish: Guayana Francesa para niños