French Guiana: is it a Country? Quiz

Answer: It is an area under the sovereignty of a European country

In north-eastern South America, there was a region called "The Guianas", which in a strict sense consisted of three units under the domain of European countries: British Guiana (since 1966, Guyana), Dutch Guiana (since 1975, Suriname), which became sovereign countries and a third area, French Guiana, which in 1946 ceased to be a colony of France and became an overseas Department and Region of France. French Guiana is the only territory on the continental mainland of the Americas still under the sovereignty of a European country.

Answer: Cayenne

Cayenne, the capital and largest city of French Guiana, is located on the estuary of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by the French in 1643, invaded by other countries several times, and finally recaptured by the French in 1814.

The city's population has grown a lot in recent years, especially due to immigration as well as high birth rates. In 2020, the population of Cayenne (commune) was around 66,000 inhabitants and the metropolitan area was around 152,000 inhabitants. In that same year, the total population of French Guyana was around 295,000 inhabitants. Cayenne is the largest francophone city on the South American continent.

Answer: Suriname and Brazil

French Guiana lies between latitude 2° and 6° N and longitude 51° and 55°W. The countries that form a land border with French Guiana are Suriname and Brazil. The border with Suriname is 510 km (317 mi) mostly marked by rivers, especially the Maroni, Lawa, and Taponohoni.

The border with Brazil is 730.4 km (454 mi), of which 427.2 km (265 mi) are by rivers. The Oiapoque or Oyapock river, which is 403 km (250 mi) long, forms most of the border between French Guiana and the Brazilian state of Amapá. The Franco-Brazilian Binational Bridge, which is 378 m (1,240 ft), spans the Oyapock river and was built to connect the Brazilian town of Oiapoque and the French town of Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock. It is the first international land border connection between French Guiana and Brazil. This border is the only land link between Mercosul and the European Union.

Answer: Devil's Island

Perhaps the most famous, or infamous penal, colony, among those mentioned, is Devil's Island, officially named Bagne de Cayenne, located in French Guiana. Devil's Island is the name given to a penal complex with four prison units, one near the capital, and three offshore destined for the most dangerous prisoners: Isle Royale, Isle St. Joseph, and Devil's Island. The establishment of this colony was determined by Napoleon III in 1854. It is estimated that around 80,000 people, including criminals, spies, and political prisoners, passed through these prisons.

The publication of René Belbenoit's book "Dry Guillotine: Fifteen Years Among the Living Dead", 1938, exposed this inhuman prison system worldwide. Soon after its publication, the French government started procedures to close this complex. The beginning of World War II delayed the measures, but between 1946 and 1953 the units were gradually closed.

Robinson Crusoe, Saint-Marguerite, and Robben Islands were famous prisons located in Chile, France, and South Africa, respectively.

Answer: More than 95%

French Guiana (France) shares the Amazon rainforest with 7 other countries. More than 95% of its territory is covered with forest. Even with a large percentage of this area protected by law and even though the deforestation rate is not high, there is great concern on the part of environmentalists and native peoples due to the advance of legal and illegal mining.

The Security Forces warn that there has been a significant increase in this activity in the territory in recent years, with prospectors coming especially from Brazil.

Answer: Euro

Until January 1, 2002, the French Franc (F) was the national currency of French Guiana, together with notes issued specifically for it, from 1888 and 1961, and notes of French Antilles (a note issued for French Guiana, Martinique, and Guadalupe) between 1961 and 1975.

On January 1, 2002, the Euro became the official currency of French Guiana. As part of France, French Guiana is also part of the European Union and the Eurozone.

Answer: Charles de Gaulle

The independence of Algeria in 1962, and clauses of the "Évian Accords" led France to close France's Space Center in Algerian Sahara, a site used by France to carry out several launches from 1947 to 1967. Fourteen sites were studied to replace this base and Kourou, French Guiana, was chosen, considering historical, political, and technical aspects. Its strategic geographic position was fundamental: the area is largely covered by forest and is close to the ocean, which minimizes risks in case of accidents; the area is not subject to cyclones and hurricanes; the proximity to the Equator offers numerous advantages for launching and other activities.

In 1964 French President Charles de Gaulle decided that Kourou would be the seat of the new spaceport of France. In 1975, France offered to share Kourou with the European Space Agency (ESA). In 2023, the ESA, the European Union Agency for Space Program (EUSPA), the French Space Agency CNES, the Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the commercial company Arianespace conduct launches from Kourou. Many commercial launches are bought by non-European companies.

It was from this base that on December 25, 2021, the James Webb, the then largest telescope in history, took off aboard the Ariane 5 rocket.

Answer: False

False. French Guiana has a population of 294,071 (January 2021), the majority living alongside the coast. According to 2019 data, only 56.5% of the inhabitants were born in Guyana itself, 11.7% are natives of Metropolitan France and the French Caribbean department and collectivities (Martinique and Guadeloupe) and the remaining 31% were born in other countries, especially Brazil and Haiti.

Answer: True

True. The Red Brocket Deer (Manama American) is the French Guiana symbol, that lives in the forest and has a crucial role in dispersing seeds around the Amazon river's ecosystem. It is curious that the name of the genus "Mazama", is not derived from Latin or Greek, it is a word from the Nahuatl for deer.

The word "brocket" is an English word for a young male deer, still without the antlers.

Answer: Papillon

Henri Charrière (1906-1976), whose nickname was "Papillon" due to the butterfly tattoo on his chest, was the author of the novel "Papillon" first published in France in 1968.

In 1931, Charrière was sentenced to life imprisonment, accused of the murder of Roland Le Petit, a fact he denied until his death. To serve the sentence he was sent to the terrible prison Devil's Island, in French Guiana, from where no prisoner had escaped until.... Papillon. Once trapped he had only one goal: escape. And this is the subject of the book "Papillon", the memoirs of his imprisonment and escape. He was pardoned in 1970. This adventure can be seen in the film of the same name, starring Steve McQueen as Papillon and Dustin Hoffmann as Papillon's friend, Louis Degas.