French Guiana was discovered by the Spanish in 1496, who established a few settlements in 1503 and 1504. The French first moved in a century later. Numerous changes in control followed over the next 200 years, alternating between France, Britain, the Netherlands and Portugal, until the territory was finally confirmed as French in 1817. The colony enjoyed a brief period of prosperity in the 1850s when gold was discovered, but afterwards went into a decline from which it has never fully recovered.
French Guiana was finally given French Overseas Department status in 1946, under which the territory
effectively became an integral part of the French nation. However, the territory was largely neglected by Paris and continued to deteriorate until civil unrest broke out in the 1970s. After a security crackdown, the central government promised various improvements. These failed to materialize until the Mitterrand presidency, under which a series of reforms was introduced in 1982-83. Some decentralization also took place: local affairs are now dealt with by the Regional Council.
French Guiana has the benefit of an ideal geographical situation, set between the Caribbean and the Amazon. Little wonder, then, that its environment is so rich. Visitors may have the privilege of observing a great many protected species in carefully preserved areas.
French Guiana is also home to a colorful blend of different cultural backgrounds. A native land, a land of exploration and a land of enslavement, the extraordinary history of French Guiana has left its traces in every sector of today's society and can still be sensed in a number of almost mythical places: Iles du Salut, which include the infamous Devil’s Island where political prisoners were held, Mount Favard, the Saint-Laurent du Maroni transportation camp and the Iracoubo Church.
French Guiana is also a land of social progress and a symbol of modernity as is demonstrated in Kourou, the main French Space Center.
From encounters with authentic cultures, to watching the birth of the leatherback turtles, from life as a convict in a penal colony to traveling by canoe down majestic rivers, from panning for gold to watching toucans fly or following the vapor trail of Ariane, French Guiana has a lot to offer.
GeographyFrench Guiana is situated on the northeast coast of South America and is bordered by Brazil to the south and the east and by Surinam to the west. The southern Serra Tumucumaque Mountains are part of the eastern frontier, whilst the rest is formed by the River Oyapock. Surinam is to the west along the rivers Maroni-Itani and to the north is the Atlantic coastline. Along the coast runs a belt of flat marshy land behind which the land rises to higher slopes and plains or savannah. The interior is comprised of equatorial jungle. Off the rugged coast lie the Iles du Salut and Devil’s Island. Cayenne, the capital and chief port, is on the island of the same name at the mouth of the Cayenne River.
Next Page »
