Guiana language. French Guiana

The capital is Cayenne.

The word “French” dates back to the time when France had as many as 5 colonies under the single name Guiana, and these are the Dutch now Suriname, British Guyana, Spanish, now eastern Venezuela), Portuguese in the north of Brazil and French.

Geography of French Guiana

Almost the entire territory of Guiana is forest, with the exception of the coast with marshy areas along Atlantic Ocean.

Climate and weather of French Guiana

Guiana has a subequatorial climate with year-round temperatures ranging from 25 to 35 degrees Celsius. The rainy season runs from July to December, the dry period the rest of the year, however, even at this time humidity is unbearable for Europeans. The best time to travel to Guiana is from July to December; the climate on the coast is more favorable in any case.

Best time to travel to French Guiana

Best time for traveling to French Guiana it is from December to July, from July to December the country experiences the rainy and hurricane season, it can rain at this time almost every day, but almost 100% humidity in Guiana is observed all year round, for example a big problem dry the laundry. In general, the country’s climate is not very suitable for Europeans or North Americans, who will take a very long time to acclimatize and get used to such weather surprises. Naturally, prices in the dry season may be slightly higher than in the rainy season, but the rainy season can be generally unbearable, especially for older travelers. Don't turn an expensive trip into a pain.

History of French Guiana

Guiana was discovered by the Spaniards back in 1499, but they did not find the area attractive, the first settlers appeared on the country’s territory only in 1604, these were French settlers, and later the Dutch and British encroached on the territory of Guiana. In 1817, the French finally took over the country. Since the 17th century, the French began to build in Guiana Agriculture, for these purposes, slaves were imported from Africa, since the local Indians were very intractable. Slavery in Guiana was abolished in 1848, people began to be sent to hard labor in Guiana in 1852, and in 1855 gold deposits were discovered. After the abolition of slavery, there was no one to work on the plantations of Guiana, for this reason the French government had to create favorable conditions for migration here; as a result, the Chinese, Indians and the local population of the Antilles fell for these conditions.

A huge advantage in attracting migrants was the discovery of a gold deposit, Guiana Golden fever attracted tens of thousands of miners from many countries of the world, although most of them died in a short time from unfavorable living conditions, which became the basis for the exile of unwanted political opponents of the French government; during these years, about 70 thousand political dissidents were exiled here, only after the Second World War the practice of exiling people here has ceased. Guiana became an overseas department of France in 1946. In 1964, a huge French cosmodrome was built in Guiana; today it is specially guarded by a regiment of a foreign legion.

The political structure of French Guiana is such that the local prefect is appointed by the President of France, the residents of Guiana themselves can elect two deputies of the National Assembly - the French Parliament and one senator, and the local population elects the Regional Council and the General Council.

Population of French Guiana

In the last 20 years, Guiana has seen a large increase in population, which has doubled, so in 1990 the population was 114,678 people, then in 2014 there were more than 250,000 people, which can be explained by immigration from Haiti and Brazil, the birth rate is 21.7 people per 1000 population, mortality rate 4.8. Average duration life is 76.5 years, women 80, men 73 years, literacy among the adult population is about 85%.

According to the census, 56.5% of the inhabitants were born in French Guiana, 9.3% were born in the metropolis, 3.4% were born in the French Caribbean department of Guadeloupe and Martinique, 30.5% were born in foreign countries Suriname, Haiti and Brazil.

The majority of Guiana's population are mulattoes, people of mixed African and French descent. 14% of French Guiana's population is white or of European descent, the majority of them are French, but there are also Dutch, British, Spanish and Portuguese. The main Asian community is Chinese, 4% of the total population, including Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces in mainland China and the Hmong from Laos. Along the Maroni River live the "Bush Negroes" Maroons, descendants of runaway African slaves. The Indian population of French Guiana is 4%, these are Arawak, Carib, Emerillon, Viburnum and others.

The birth rate in French Guiana exceeds the world average, significantly higher than in France itself and higher than the average in other French overseas departments, this is the main reason for the population growth.

Religion in French Guiana

Languages ​​of French Guiana

Official language is French, the regional languages ​​are Guianese Creole language, 6 Amerindian languages ​​(Arawak, Wayampi, Wayana, Caribbean, Palikur, Emerillon), 4 Maroon dialects (Aluku, Ndyuka, Paramaccan, Saramaka), as well as Hmong-Njua. Many residents speak English, Haitian, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish.

Telephone, cellular, mobile communications and Internet in French Guiana

mobile connection available along the entire coast, resort towns and in the capital of the country. GSM 900/1800 standard from the operator DIGICEL Antilles Française Guyane, in turn, our operators enable roaming from this company.

Payphones in French Guiana work with telecarte cards, you need to buy them at the post office or shops, payphones can be either modern or prehistoric in wooden booths, where Europeans would find it scary to enter, however, today the majority of the local population have mobile phones, the use of payphones is becoming a thing of the past, as in developed countries of the world.

The international code of French Guiana is 594, s mobile phone from abroad you need to dial 694, access to an international line is 00. To call within the country to a specific number you need to dial 0 and 594, then the number of the called subscriber, as you guessed, in French Guiana there are no separate area codes, and if the call is within one is proud, then you don’t need to dial the above four-digit code at all, just the subscriber’s phone number.

If you are a tourist staying in French Guiana for a long time, you might consider buying a SIM card from DIGICEL Antilles Française Guyane. By the way, the country also has a 3G connection, which also connects Martinique and Guadeloupe, and the coverage cellular communication in French Guiana it is much worse than in Martinique and Guadeloupe, communication operates exclusively within settlements on the seashore, along the highway you will already be left without communication, not to mention the cities within the country.

You can use the Internet at the reception of your hotel, in the city of Cayenne, Kourou and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, there are also Internet cafes, Internet access among local residents is very limited, there is nothing to count on high speed, the subscription fee is quite high .

Education

The level of education is very low, but slightly higher than the level South America in general, we note the University of the Antilles and Guianas.

Economy in French Guiana

French Guiana is part of the European Union, it is the largest landmass outside of Europe after Greenland, French Guiana is one of the three territories of the European Union that is located outside of Europe, note that Spain has autonomous cities in Africa Ceuta and Melilla. The head of French Guiana is the French President

Currency in French Guiana

French Guiana is part of the eurozone, and accordingly the currency is the euro.

Shops, souvenirs, shopping, shopping in French Guiana

Shops in French Guinea are open from 8am to 6pm, with many closing for lunch or a long siesta from noon to 4pm. Note that most private shops and shops belong to immigrants from China, who are more enterprising than the local population. Shops may be closed during the traditional carnival in winter, especially on weekends and religious holidays.

Restaurants and cafes in French Guiana

Most of the restaurants and cafes in French Guiana are owned by the Vietnamese, Chinese, and Laotians, so the cuisine will be Asian; many products will seem strange and unsuitable to the taste of Europeans. French cuisine will be offered in hotel restaurants that are designed for Europeans and North Americans; prices there will be higher. It is difficult to say about the possibility of poisoning in a cafe or restaurant; most likely, this possibility will decrease in proportion to the rank of the given catering establishment.

Prices in French Guiana

Prices in French Guiana are quite high for South America. Let us remember that Guiana is an overseas department of France, a member of the European Union and the Eurozone with the euro currency, and accordingly the prices here are high; foreign tourists will not have a chance to save much. True, the level of local hotels is low, so maximum hotel prices are unlikely to exceed 200 euros per day, for example in Chile hotel prices are much higher on average.

Food in stores and goods are sold at the same prices as in France, while wages in French Guiana do not exceed 1,000 euros per month.

French Guiana has its own unique season of sales and discounts; it does not take place at the end of summer and winter like ours, but from late October to early November; in any case, according to local legislation, the sales season can last at least six weeks. From French Guiana, tourists bring rum, souvenir butterflies, and few folk crafts.

Medicine and treatment in French Guiana

More or less normal hospitals and clinics are available in large cities, and this is in Cayenne, Kourou and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni; in villages it is better not to get sick, local residents with acute illnesses are transported to metropolitan medical institutions. In general, we can say that the level of medicine in the country is very low, this applies to both the equipment of hospitals and the level of training of doctors, while as you know, French Guiana is part of France. Foreign tourists come to French Guiana with an insurance policy, this also applies to tourists from Ukraine or Russia; without such a policy they simply will not give a visa. First aid is provided free of charge, further treatment is subject to the terms of the insurance. Tips for tourists.

Security and crime in French Guiana

The security situation in French Guiana is ambiguous, on the one hand it is France with a large police army, on the other hand it is still primarily South America, as is known here most high level crime and the potential for harm to human health, including natural hazards or accidents.

At first glance, absolutely all the cities of French Guiana are a dysfunctional village with widespread poverty and slums, the same can be said about the majority of the local population, in Cayenne there are homeless people lying right on the streets, antisocial individuals walking around, you can’t even imagine what’s going on there at night hard. It is recommended not to go beyond the tourist program and its well-trodden routes.

The main forces of the local gendarmerie are aimed at combating drug trafficking that passes through French Guiana, we note the brutal control at customs, also around Irakubo, on any road and on the streets of cities tourists and local residents can be left by the police and searched for drugs.

Vieux Bourg and the port area are considered dangerous areas in the capital. In general, the attitude towards foreign tourists is good, but it is not recommended, for example, to try to photograph local residents, most of them are black, such an attempt may result in financial claims, photographing people for free is a bad idea, but it is worth noting that in French Guiana foreign tourists are not so strongly perceived as source to improve your well-being as in other neighboring countries.

It is not recommended to succumb to various provocations, offers to buy something, a request to show the way can again result in an invoice, however, the situation is not clear-cut everywhere, many people are very friendly, especially in provincial areas, where everyone knows each other, and the doors of houses don't close. To visit Indian villages, a special permit is required from the police station in the capital.

Electricity

Mains voltage 220/127 V, 50 Hz. European type C sockets; E and D are also available.

GDP in French Guiana

GDP per capita is 19,828 US dollars, this is the highest figure in South Africa, so it can be said that French Guiana is the richest and most prosperous country in the region, well, who would doubt it with the current prefix French. However, the GDP and welfare of local residents is equal to only 57% of the welfare of residents of the Paris region.

French Guiana's GDP ranks 11th among all South American countries. The country's economy is heavily dependent on French subsidies. The main industry of the French Guiana economy is gold mining 32% of total exports, fishing 5% of exports, timber 1% of exports. The construction of the Guiana Space Center played a big positive role in the country's economy; about 1,700 people found work here. Due to the geography of the area, agriculture in French Guiana is not at all developed, because 95% of the country's territory is forest, agriculture is only in small areas along the coastline and along the Maroni River. Bananas and sugar cane are grown, but today these plantations have almost completely disappeared, they have been replaced by livestock farming, meat is much more important for local residents. In the coastal regions between the savannas of Cayenne and Saint-Laurent-du-Maronia, horticulture is developed. The rice fields disappeared in 2011 due to soil erosion. Sugar cane is used entirely for the production of rum, but not for export. Forestry - valuable tree species including red, rose, teak, nutmeg, mora. There are reserves of gold, bauxite, oil, niobium, tantalum, but only bauxite is mined, and shrimp fishing occurs off the coast. Timber products, gold, shrimp, and rum are exported.

Unemployment in French Guiana is very high by EU standards and amounts to 25%, among young people up to 40%.

Sights of French Guiana

The capital city of Cayenne is located on the Atlantic Ocean on a peninsula, with architectural landmarks around the Place de Grenoble including the town hall and botanical garden. Nearby are the most remarkable museums of Guiana, for example, you can visit the interesting ethnographic museum, which tells about the culture of the people of Guiana, the Felix Ebault Museum and the Departmental-Fransoni Museum. You can climb the hill where the ruins of the 17th century Seperu fortress with an observation deck are preserved. For souvenirs you can head to Avenue du General de Gaulle; restaurants and cafes are located on Place de Palmistes. To the south of the city is the Remy-Montjoly beach and the Fort Diamant fortress. Tourists often go on excursions to the Kurów cosmodrome, 65 kilometers from the capital, and to the devil's island, Ile du Diable, with a colonial prison and sharks swimming around.

Recreation and entertainment

The most popular entertainment for local residents in French Guiana is fishing, which can be done both in the ocean and in the river, you can buy an excursion with a boat out to sea, a good place for fishing near the island of Ile du Diable. Theoretically, you can go surfing or windsurfing in French Guiana, natural conditions available, but with very few technical capabilities. Activities on the rivers include canoeing and rafting. Eco-tourism is also popular, with a wonderful hiking trail through the mountains from Remy-Montjoly to the top of Montagne du Mahuri.

Hotels in French Guiana

Hotels and inns in Cayenne

Hotels in the capital of the country can usually offer good interiors and satisfactory service. Here are the following hotels as an example: Hotel des Palmistes, Royal Amazonia, BEST WESTERN Hotel Amazonia, Grand Hotel Montabo, Hotel Ker Alberte, Hotel Central Cayenne. The cost of a standard room for two is from 150 to 200 euros per night.

General information

Official name - Guiana, often also called French Guiana. The state is located in the northeast of South America. The area is 91 thousand km 2. Population - 230 thousand people. (as of 2010). Official language- French. The capital is Cayenne. The monetary unit is the euro.

Guiana is the largest overseas region and at the same time an overseas department. It borders on the west with Suriname, on the south and east with Brazil, and on the north and northeast by the Atlantic Ocean.

The climate is hot and humid. Average monthly temperatures range between +25+28°C, while in summer values ​​within +34+37°C are not uncommon. Precipitation falls mainly from January to May-June. Air humidity is extremely high all year round, even during the dry period from July-August to December. The average annual precipitation exceeds 2,500 mm.


Story

Archaeological research has proven that people settled in the area between the Oipomak and Maroni rivers back in the 5th millennium BC. But when Guiana was discovered by the Spaniards, during the third expedition of Christopher Columbus in 1498, the tribes of the Arawaks, Palikurs and Caribs lived here. In their languages, this area was called "Land of Waters", the French transformed this name, difficult to pronounce for them, into Guyanne. There are indeed many rivers in Guiana, more than twenty of them carry their waters to the Atlantic Ocean, and there are countless small rivers.

This part of Guiana began to be called French only later; Along with it, there also existed British Guiana (now) and Dutch Guiana (now). The first Europeans to settle on the shores of Guiana in 1503 were the French and Spaniards, but the French gradually began to predominate. In 1604, their settlement already existed in Cayenne. The Indians burned and destroyed it, but the French rebuilt it in 1634 in the same place and never surrendered it to the enemy. After the Treaty of Paris of 1763, which ended the Seven Years' War, between Great Britain and Portugal, on the one hand, and France and Spain, on the other, the colonial possessions of all these countries were redistributed. Guiana remained among the other possessions of France behind it, and soon, almost simultaneously, almost 12 thousand new colonists arrived in the Cayenne port. Not without the intention of finding the mythical country of Eldorado: many colonists from Europe were then obsessed with this dream. But in the local humid and hot climate, also saturated with the fumes of the swamps, the Europeans, pampered by civilization, for the most part could not resist malaria and tropical fever. Of the thousands of aliens, only a few hundred survived. Indians also died, having become infected with diseases hitherto unknown in South America from Europeans and the African slaves they brought. The French rushed to a small archipelago visible from the shore, calling it lies du Salut (Islands of Salvation). But, by a cruel irony of fate, soon the smallest of these islands - lie du Diable (Devil's Island) - was destined to become an island not of salvation, but of imprisonment. In 1848, slavery was abolished, and a labor shortage became noticeable. Then the French government conceived a multi-step combination. From 1852 until the end of World War II, French Guiana became a place of exile for “undesirable political elements.” In addition, in 1885, the French Parliament passed a law according to which any person, male or female, convicted of theft three times, was sent to Guiana to spend six months in prison and then become a colonist without the right to return to his homeland.

It didn't work. People with criminal inclinations could not leave their craft, continued to steal rather than work, and returned to Devil’s Island for life imprisonment. Most of those who avoided this fate still died from hunger and disease. But there were also those who came to their senses and began to get involved in business; they became planters. By that time, sugar cane had become Guiana's main crop. More and more hands were needed to work on the plantations, and these hands were brought from Africa. Formally, Africans were free, but in fact they found themselves in the position of powerless slaves. Gradually Guiana became more and more “black”.

On March 19, 1946, Guiana ceased to be a colony of France and became its overseas department of French Guiana. A decision was also made to close the prison on Devil's Island, but the prisoners remained there until 1951, according to some reports, a small part of them in one of the blocks until 1954, quietly going crazy.


Sights of Guiana

Cayenne- not only the largest city, but also the main port of the country. Cayenne is a highly developed political and transport center, and it is rightfully considered the most colorful and expressive city in the country.

The oldest district of the city is the square Place de Grenoble, located in the western part of Cayenne. The square is surrounded on all sides by public buildings: the city hall, the post office, the prefecture, the Lusso Canal and the magnificent botanical gardens. Closer to the center of the capital there are various museums, such as the Museum of Guiana Culture, the Departmental Fransoni, and the Felix Ebo Museum.

The main market of the city is considered market, located on Place-Victor-Schoelscher. Village Chino is an equally successful shopping destination. A wide variety of Asian food products and local spices are sold here, and fish auctions are often held.

The best beach in Cayenne is the beach located in the area Remy-Montjoly. In such an area you can also appreciate the sights of the country: the old colonial sugar factory, and the famous turtle beach, and the ruins of Fort Diamant.

Area Kau took its location southeast of Cayenne. It is here that you can admire all the delights of the exotic nature of the country. This area has a significant number of diverse forest trails and paths. In Kau you can find many unique species of birds that can sing incredibly beautifully. The abundance of fish in these parts can be so interesting that you can suddenly meet the caimans - the owners of the area.

The most visited tourist destination in the country is considered Kuru. Thanks to the diligence of the European Space Agency, Kourou has been able to become one of the most important spaceports in the world. The Guiana Space Center is located in west side from Kourou and occupies a strip of about 20 by 60 kilometers. It is separated from the equator by only 500 km. With annual rocket launches (up to ten times a year), the spaceport is capable of supporting about 15 percent of French Guiana's entire economic activity. In Kourou there is the Space Museum, where you can learn the history of the formation of the cosmodrome.

On the way to Kourou from Saint Laurent you can visit transit camp, where criminals from France had been exiled since the 1830s. The prisoners lived in these same barracks, and every day they went out from here to work in the city, or on plantations, including in private houses, for a nominal pay. Given that slavery was abolished in 1837, French Guiana was the first place on earth where whites served as servants in the homes of black Guianans.

The smallest and northernmost of the three islands of Île du Salut is Devil's Island. Today, the main attraction of this island is the ruins of prison buildings. However, this is not the only attraction of the island. There is unique wildlife here, rich in a variety of palm species, as well as a large population of agoutis, macaws and sea turtles.


Guiana cuisine

The cuisine of French Guiana is defined by a mixture of French, Spanish, Portuguese and Caribbean traditions.

Rice is the staple of local cuisine. The reason for this is both the wide distribution of this cereal in the local economy and big influence culinary traditions of the countries of Southeast Asia, primarily and, people from which have been making an important contribution to local gastronomy for more than a century and a half. Moreover, rice is served both as a side dish and as an independent simple dish with all kinds of spices (primarily curry), and as a basis for various sweets and pastries. Traditionally, local shellfish, fish and other seafood and river products are served with rice, replacing beef, which is quite expensive by local standards. The most traditional dish of this type here is broth." d"avara", prepared from smoked fish, seafood (primarily crabs and shrimp), poultry, "awar" or "auora" fruits, and vegetables.

Pork and poultry are more common, as are game (mainly poultry, peccary, tapir and paca), which form the basis for both haute cuisine and everyday snacks such as fricassee (finely chopped meat in sauce). Meat is traditionally used in stewed and fried forms - mainly simple (“grilled”) or complex dishes prepared from several varieties of vegetables, root vegetables and meat products. A wide variety of vegetables are used for these purposes, from cassava, colocasia, legumes, bananas, traditional for the countries of the region, to potatoes, coconuts, mangoes, papaya, pineapples and rambutan, combined in all sorts of ways. And the most common dish with meat here is considered to be the traditional South Asian "roti" made from meat or vegetables, richly seasoned with curry and wrapped in a flat cake.

Local fruit drinks are always served at the table and deserve special attention. Freshly squeezed guava, anona, passion fruit, tangerine and sugar cane juices are renowned for their excellent quality. Coffee and herbal tea "mate" are also popular.

The national drink of Guiana is rum, it is brewed here in almost every locality. However, almost no one drinks it pure, but in huge quantities a traditional “tee-punch” of rum, sugar cane juice and lemon is consumed (interestingly, smoked or fresh cod rolls and blood sausage are considered a common appetizer).

In the capital and Kourou you can find imported wines (primarily French and Chilean) and spirits in abundance, but local beer is very mediocre, and imported varieties are usually preferred.

Guiana (France) on the map

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Travel notes, day 13

Made it to French Guiana. To get here, you need to either have a French visa (a simple Schengen visa won’t work), or get a separate visa to visit French overseas territories, it costs 10,000 rubles.

What do we know about French Guiana besides the fact that cayenne pepper used to be shipped from here? Firstly, this is an outdated name; officially it is simply called Guiana.

Secondly, there used to be several Guianas on the northern coast of South America. I’ve already been to three: (west of Venezuela), (Guyana) and (Suriname). Now I am already in the fourth Guiana, which still belongs to France. Previously, there was Portuguese Guiana, now it is the Brazilian state of Amapa.

So, French Guiana differs from other Guianas primarily in that independent state never arose in this territory, although in late XIX- At the beginning of the 20th century, active attempts were made to create it.

In 1946, Guiana received the status of an overseas department of France, and it remained so. At the same time, this territory is considered an overseas region of France. This is the largest French overseas department by territory, but at the same time it is very sparsely populated: even on the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique there are more people living.

While Guyana and Suriname gained independence in 1966 and 1975, respectively, Guiana remained under the wing of Paris. As it later turned out, local residents only benefited from this.

Back in 1964, it became clear that Guiana would not escape anywhere, since Charles de Gaulle chose this very territory for the construction of the most important strategic facility - the Guiana Space Center, or Kourou Cosmodrome. Now it is the main spaceport of the European Space Agency, and it is guarded by soldiers of the French Foreign Legion.

In 1996, 1997 and 2000, mass protests took place in Guiana to grant the territory greater autonomy, but the authorities dispersed them. But in general, the idea of ​​gaining independence from France is not particularly popular among the people.

So Guiana did very well. Although it is located in South America, it is part of the EU and uses the euro as its currency. The head of state is, accordingly, considered to be the President of France, and in general the metropolis is represented by the prefect, who sits in Cayenne.

Guiana is the richest territory in South America, if you count in terms of GDP per capita; only Uruguay has reached similar indicators (more than $16,000), but so far it is somewhat behind.

Here is the GDP per capita of the overseas departments of France (2013, data from the INSEE Institute):

Martinique - 22,687 euros
Guadeloupe - 20,247 euros
Reunion - 20,198 euros
Guiana - 16,210 euros
Mayotte - 8,047 euros

France's GDP at that time was 32,126 euros

After visiting other Guianas, I can say with confidence - Glory to the colonies!

01. The title photo was taken yesterday, October 28... Then there was a Russian An at the Cayenne airport... And the day before that there was a Ukrainian An at the same place. Cargo planes fly here every day to serve the Kourou spaceport.

02. As I understand it, this is some kind of government French aircraft? Who knows, write what kind of animal it is.

03. Guiana has a modern, excellent airport... Border guards, unlike neighboring countries, do not ask questions or force you to fill out stupid forms. Everything is fast, professional, just like in the best houses in Paris.

04. Civilization is everywhere. For the first time in 2 weeks of travel I saw legal taxis and a normal queue.

05. For the first time, a taxi had a meter! Aaaaah, how I miss a simple taxi meter! It is worth noting that taxi drivers in Guiana are the same assholes as in France. If you order a taxi by phone, it will arrive with the meter already turned on, where it will be 5 or 10 euros. They also like to add additional services on top of the bill, for no apparent reason. There is nothing worse than a French taxi driver.

06. There are French signs everywhere, there are bike paths.

07. Good roads, there is circular motion everywhere.

08. Everything is clean and well maintained. It feels like you are somewhere in the south of France.

09. At home

10. New hospital

11. This is some kind of local central bank...

12. And this is the local university!

13. Nothing like this can be imagined in any neighboring country.

14. Modern architecture

15.

16. France is pouring a lot of money here, of course.

17. Hospitals, schools, universities, and new housing are being built.

18. Improvement

19. Everything is still completely new.

20. Housing

21.

22.

23. There is still construction going on here.

24. And this is a shopping center.

25.

26. Social housing

27.

28.

29.

30. The capital of Guiana, Cayenne, also has its own slums...

31. Bamboo

32. Old Fort

33. But the beaches are not very good... The sea is dirty and choppy. Compared to the paradisiacal Caribbean islands, it’s quite sad.

34. The inhabitants of Guiana mainly settle along the coast. All big cities located by the ocean. About 30% of the total population are immigrants from neighboring disadvantaged countries.

35. The authorities of Guiana do not like immigrants because many of them are engaged in illegal gold mining. Every few years the police raid them.

36. The monument turned out to be plastic (Hoax!

37. Who do you see here... I saw a crocodile, and the locals see a man lying on his back here!

38. Now everyone is fighting breast cancer. In honor of this important event palm trees in the central park were wrapped in pink rags.

39. Center of the capital

40. Guiana's economy is heavily dependent on French subsidies and trade. Residents of Guiana are engaged in fishing, gold mining and logging - these are the main sources of income for the colony.

41. There are a lot of unemployed people in Guiana - about 20-25% of the population. There are a lot of thieves and robbers on the streets at night, so tourists are advised not to walk around late. They also say that motorcycles are stolen here all the time.

42. But they still live in Cayenne good people, thanks to them for their help!

43. One of the best restaurants in the country.

44. Overall there is nothing to see here.

45.

46. ​​There are a number of old colonial buildings, but they are completely uninteresting.

47.

48.

49. Garbage

50. One problem - it's hot here!

51. You won’t be able to go out much during the day.

52.

53. Contemporary art

54. Modern parking

Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, which is an overseas department of France. About fifty thousand residents live here.

The year of foundation is considered to be 1664. Cayenne is famous place export of cayenne pepper.

From the 18th to the 20th centuries it served as a place of political exile.

It was believed that here the exile had the least chance of survival due to the tropical climate and various diseases.

But today this place is very popular among a large number of tourists from almost all over the world.

Geography

The city is located on the banks of the Cayenne River, as well as directly on the Atlantic coast. The distance from Paris to Cayenne is 7,100 km.

The city is the main port of the country of Guiana, playing an important role in international trade with South and North America, as well as Europe. The area of ​​the capital Collery is industrial.

It houses all the most important processing and manufacturing enterprises in key sectors of the country's economy.
For example, here is produced:

  • leather and wood are processed,
  • shrimp production and fishing are developed, etc.

IN central regions the capital has a large number of service enterprises, a couple of markets, cafes, shops, hotels, restaurants.

Also located here are the offices of large banking institutions and international companies, for example, Air France, BNP Paribas bank.

Other important objects are concentrated in Cayenne, including the Regional Assembly of French Guiana, the Prefecture of French Guiana, and the Regional Council of French Guiana.

The President also lives and works in the capital.

Six cantons include Cayenne. The agglomeration is divided into several districts, including the City Center, Northern Suburbs, Southern Suburbs, Northern Periphery, Southwestern Quarters, and Southern Periphery.

The municipal council and the mayor govern the capital, and the councilor general is the first person in the cantons.

Cayenne has a tropical monsoon climate. It is characterized by very insignificant temperature changes throughout the year.

The average temperature is plus 26 degrees.

In the city, the dry season lasts very short - only a couple of months (September and October), and The rainy season is very long.

Located in Cayenne international Airport them. Felix Eboue, which serves the capital. It is located 13 km southwest of it.

There are regular flights to:

  • the French capital,
  • Belen,
  • Pointe-à-Pitre,
  • Fort-de-France,
  • Santo Domingo,

as well as some other cities.

Attractions

Cayenne has quite a lot of attractions.

Hates Beach

For example, Hates Beach is a very beautiful place located on the Marconi River.

This area is home to giant leatherback turtles, which are on the endangered species list.

Their population has been rapidly declining recently.

Tourists from almost all over the world come to Hates Beach to see the incredible turtles in person, take pictures with them and simply enjoy the beauty of the area, swim in clean river water, and relax on clean beaches.

If you're lucky, you'll even be able to swim with turtles.

Gabriel Bay

Gabriel Bay is located near the city of Cayenne, about half an hour's walk.

The bay is located in a very picturesque place. It represents part of the Gabriel River.

There are many tropical plants growing there, which formed a green labyrinth displayed on the mirror surface of the water.

It is unlikely that you will find a more suitable place for family walks than this bay.

There you can find the remains of old plantations, look at a large variety of bright butterflies, fluttering literally over the heads of tourists and thus putting on a real show.

Regional air monitoring center in Cayenne

The regional air monitoring center in Cayenne is something special.

There are various stations for monitoring air quality, Many presentations and seminars are organized that are devoted to environmental issues.

This place attracts many tourists because here you can find out a lot of useful and interesting information.

Forgasier Falls are incredibly beautiful cascading waterfalls located near the capital.


They represent mountain streams rushing over rocks.

This place is ideal for relaxation and picnics. You can get there by boat on the Orape River.

Tourists have the opportunity to spend the night in the jungle, for example, in a tent or hut.

Very beautiful scenery attracts many tourists.

Guiana Amazon National Park

The Guiana Amazon National Park is the largest national park in French Guiana.

You can get there by water or air transport.

The park territory is located in the zone tropical forests. There are about 5,800 different plant species there.

The park's fauna is also diverse.

It includes about 180 species of mammals, 480 species of freshwater fish, 300 species of amphibians and reptiles, and about 720 species of birds.

Tourists definitely have something to see in this place.

Departmental Franconi Museum

The Departmental Franconi Museum is a local history museum. There are a large number of interesting exhibits collected there.

He is in historical center city ​​of Cayenne, in the Franconi building. The house is of great value. The museum was opened in 1901.

It has several halls that are dedicated to ethnology, local history, natural history, fine arts, and archaeology.

Each room recreates the unique atmosphere of one or another historical era in Guiana.

The museum is definitely worth a visit if you happen to visit Cayenne.

Place de Grenoble

Place de Grenoble is located in the central part of Cayenne, where the city's main attractions are located.

It is from this square that an excellent view of the city hall opens, and Not far from this place there is a museum of Guiana culture and a botanical garden.

Also from here you can easily get to Plaza de Palmistes, located next door, with many cozy cafes and restaurants.

The beautiful landscapes of the city are unlikely to leave anyone indifferent.

Fort Seperu

Fort Seperu is the ancient ruins of an old defensive complex that operated in the city back in the 17th century.

The fortress was named after the Indian leader. It was designed by the famous architect Vauban.

Seperu Fort is located in the northern part of the capital.

He is one of the most scenic spots in the city because from there you can enjoy an unforgettable view of the vast expanses of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the entire city.

Thanks to its large number of interesting attractions, the city of Cayenne is of particular value to tourists.

It is for this reason that many people come here on vacation, which, by the way, can be quite varied.

You can simply relax on the local beaches, or you can enjoy the beautiful nature and visit historical places and nature reserves.


On the shores of the Atlantic Ocean there are several sandy beaches, for example Montjoly and Montabeau.

You can sunbathe on them, splash in the ocean and have a great time.

In general, tourism here is not yet very well developed, but nevertheless it’s worth coming here.

And it is better to do this during the dry season, when there is no rain.

There are not many hotels here, but finding a place to stay overnight is quite possible.
Entertainment:

    • On the ocean shores you can go surfing, windsurfing, as well as swimming.
    • The local rivers offer good conditions for rafting and canoeing.
    • There are several excellent hiking trails.
    • River and sea fishing are another interesting view recreation. You can hunt predators, such as sharks.
  • Sport fishing for tarpon is also well developed.

Thus, we can say that Cayenne is more suitable for outdoor activities.

Video tour of French Guiana

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