A Trip to French Guiana Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cayenne

Initially colonized around 1604 by the Spanish, it was destroyed by the Portuguese during the 1610s and 1620s. Around 1630, the colony of French Guiana changed hands many times, belonging to the French, Dutch and English. By 1664, France had taken permanent control of the colony. By 1809, the town of Cayenne had grown and was situated on an island at the mouth of the Cayenne and Mahury Rivers. That same year, the Portuguese government that had been situated in Brazil was forced to relocate due to a military conflict called the Peninsula War. Some of the town was destroyed or damaged as a result and control of the town was administered by Brazil between 1809 and 1814.

Cayenne was returned to French control and eventually used as a penal colony between 1854 and 1938. Present day Cayenne is filled with culture and heritage from its past. For example, a marketplace known as the Place au Coq has been shown on maps since 1703 and the Saint-Saveur Cathedral was completed in 1833. The Carnival du Cayenne dates back to the beginning of colonization in French Guiana, but was forbidden to slaves. Held between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, the carnival has been used as a method to regain freedom and mocks colonizing settlers. Other notable sights are found in the commercial district of General de Gaulle Avenue and include the Hotel de Ville, the Post Office and the French Guiana Prefecture Building.

Answer: Guyana

French Guiana is separated from Guyana to the west by the country of Suriname. To the east and south, it is fully bordered by Brazil. To the north, it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. Until the 2010s, French Guiana was inaccessible by road into Brazil, when bridge access was finally accomplished.

The Atlantic Ocean is used as a major shipping route to and from the nation and the capital city of Cayenne is located on the Mahury River (which is accessed by the Atlantic Ocean).

Answer: Leatherback Turtle

The leatherback turtle or leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living turtles and heaviest of any non-crocodilian reptile. They are classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act with populations in some parts of the world having declined by 80 percent since the 1950s.

As one of the largest leatherback turtle nesting sites in the world, the Amana Nature Reserve has been protected. It is located along the Atlantic coastline between the Organabo and Moroni Rivers. Consisting of mangroves, savannahs, forests and white sands and beaches, it is considered one of the most important nesting sites for leatherback, green, olive ridley and hawksbill turtles in the world.

Answer: Convicts

Between 1852 and 1953, "Devil's Island" was one of a variety of penal colonies established by France and was used to house convicted forgers, political and military criminals. The true name for the colony was Bagne de Cayenne, but dubbed the nickname "Devil's Island" by its prisoners.

It had a track record of harsh punishments and was often plagued by tropical diseases giving it a death rate of up to 75%. It is believed that thousands of prisoners died, never having left the island. Following the harsh criticism of the prison in the book "Dry Guillotine" by Rene Belbenoit in 1938, it was decided to close the prison, but this was ultimately delayed due to the outbreak of WWII.

It was officially closed in 1953. Some famous prisoners that were once housed there include anarchist Clement Duval, forger Francois Lagrange and alleged murderer Bernard Carnot. Fifteen female prostitutes were also housed as part of an experiment to encourage male prisoners to lead a dignified life.

They were monitored by Catholic nuns.

The experiment was a total failure contributing to a syphilis epidemic in the prison.

Answer: Kourou

The Guiana Space Center - also known as The Spaceport (or Europe's Spaceport) was established between 1964 and 1968 as a decision to move its operations from French Sahara to South America. It is primarily used to facilitate commercial space shuttles. During its initial operation, the launch of liquid propellants from the French Veronique was completed in 1968.

The Diamoat B and European Europa launches were completed in 1970 and 1971 respectively. 21st Century launches have included the 1999 Ariane 5 service entry, 2011 Soyuz service entry and the 2012 Vega service entry.

Answer: forest, underground resources, blood

The flag of the UTG (Flag of the Union des Travailleurs Guyanais) was used as part of the "French Guiana Liberation Movement" and was flown by the former departmental council of French Guiana. The colours are the exact same as those on the flag of Guyana and are seen to be representative of pro-Guyanese citizenship. As an overseas department of France, the flag was never officially recognized by the superior regional council and officially disbanded as a flag in 2015.

The colours represent the rich forestry economy of French Guiana, the mineral wealth of French Guiana and the historical bloodshed for independence from France.

Answer: Tropical rainforest climate

Much of French Guiana is surrounded by tropical rainforest conditions. Under these classifications, the average rainfall in this region of the world is no less than 60 mm and there is no dry season. In French Guiana, the typical rainfall accumulation between December and July is 330 mm each month. Tropical monsoon climates fall within the other months of the year.

Answer: La Charbonniere

Saint-Laurent-du-Moroni is a border town with the town of Albina, Suriname. The Maroons are of African descent and established settlements in various parts of South America away from slavery. "La Charbonniere" is a distinct neighbourhood within the town and consists of triangular shaped huts that were modeled after Maroon culture.

It was created in 1989 during the Surinamese Interior War to house refugees coming across the border from Suriname. It has become one of the busiest areas of the town and is popular among tourists wanting to purchase traditional items and goods.

Answer: Brazil

Though the bridge was officially completed in 2011, the official opening ceremony did not take place until 2017 due to delays in the construction of the Brazilian checkpoint facilities. The bridge was built following the signing of a treaty agreement between France and Brazil in 2005. It is a two-laned cable-stayed bridge with a distance of 378 meters that links the city of Oiapoque, Brazil and the town of Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock, French Guiana.

** The photo represents Carnival which is a Brazilian festival.

Answer: Le Tour du Littoral

The Tour of Guiana bicycle race is a nine stage race that began in 1960 in French Guiana, but due to popularity became an international event starting in 1978. Athletes spanning the globe from Kazakhstan to French Guiana have participated in the event over the years. The road race mainly connects the three major cities of Cayenne, Kourou and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.