French Guiana

French Guiana, officially called Guiana, is an overseas department and region of France, located on the north Atlantic coast of South America in the Guyanas. It borders Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west. Its 83,534 sq km (32,253 sq mi) area has a very low population density of only 3 inhabitants per sq km, with half of its 244,118 inhabitants in 2013 living in the metropolitan area of Cayenne, its capital. By land area, it is the second largest region of France and the largest outermost region within the European Union.

The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans. It was colonised by Frenchmen and other Europeans, who introduced African slaves and later Asian labourers and Hmong refugees from Laos.

The official language is French, while each ethnic community has its own language, of which French Guianese Creole is the most widely spoken.

Part of France since 1946, Guiana joined the European Union, and its official currency is the euro. The region is the most prosperous territory in South America with the highest GDP per capita. A large part of Guiana's economy derives from the presence of the Guiana Space Centre, now the European Space Agency's primary launch site near the equator.

Maps of neighboring countries of French Guiana

Collection of maps of French Guiana. Other maps of French Guiana (French Guiana maps).

Maps of French Guiana

Back to Top