French Guiana
| Region | Guyane |
| Official language | French |
| Political status
| Non-sovereign, overseas department of France |
| Department Number | 971 |
| Préfecture | Cayenne |
| Sous-préfecture | Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni |
| Head of Regional Council | |
| Head of General Council | |
| Area - Total - % water | 86,504 km² |
| Population
- Total (1999) - Density |
157,213 2/km² |
| Currency | Euro |
| Time zone | UTC -3 |
| Calling Code | 590 |
| Internet TLD | .GF |
| Table of contents |
|
2 Politics 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Demographics 6 Miscellaneous 7 References |
First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements (see Devil's Island) until 1951.
As an integral part of France, French Guiana is part of the European Union, the largest part in area outside Europe and the only part outside Europe that is not an island (other than the small towns of Ceuta and Melilla).
French Guiana is located on the Caribbean coast of South America.
See also: Communes of the Guyane département
The European Space Agency launches its satellites from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou.
History
Main article: History of French GuianaPolitics
Main article: Politics of French GuianaGeography
Main article: Geography of French GuianaEconomy
Main article: Economy of French Guiana
| Countries in South America | ||
| Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | Guyana | Paraguay | Peru | Suriname | Uruguay | Venezuela | ||
| Dependencies: Falkland Islands | French Guiana | ||
| Regions of France | |
|---|---|
| Alsace | Aquitaine | Auvergne | Lower Normandy | Burgundy | Brittany | Centre | Champagne-Ardenne | Corsica | Franche-Comté | Upper Normandy | ÃÂle-de-France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Limousin | Lorraine | Midi-Pyrénées | Nord-Pas-de-Calais | Loire Region | Picardy | Poitou-Charentes | Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur | Rhône-Alpes | |
| Overseas Departments | |
| Guadeloupe | Martinique | French Guiana | Réunion | |