Â鶹APP

By Wikimedia

Top 10 things you didn’t know about French Guiana

French Guiana is an overseas department of France on the northeast coast of South America and is made up of tropical rainforest. Before the French took control of the land, it was mainly occupied by native Americans.

The capital of this French territory is Cayenne that has beautiful Creole houses and street markets. There are shops and restaurants in the main square, Places des Palmistes.

If you are planning to visit French Guiana, first it should not be confused with Guyana. Guiana was made up of a slave society from Africa who worked at the plantations.

The natives of the land were also colonized by different European nations that were interested in the resources of Guiana.

After the abolishment of slavery during the French revolution, Guiana was turned into a French department in 1797. There is a lot to learn about Guiana, I therefore have a list of the top 10 things you did not know about French Guiana.

1. French Guiana is close to the equator

French Guiana is on the northern coast of South America and is tucked between Suriname to the west and Brazil to the east and south.

This territory is therefore close to the equator thereby contributing to the beautiful hot and humid climate. The average temperature is 27 degrees Celsius.

The territory is further divided into three regions, the coastal plain hilly plateau and Tumac-Humac mountains. Guiana is mostly made up of tropical rain forest with more than 20 rivers that drain their water to the Atlantic Ocean.

The flora and fauna in Guiana are beautiful and visiting here is nothing short of magical.

2. The French Guiana coastline was spotted in 1498

Before the Europeans embarked on their expedition to discover a new world, Guiana was occupied by the Arawak Indians. In 1498, Christopher Columbus sighted the coast of Guiana during his expedition. He named it the land of Pariahs.

The Italians also wanted a piece of the land and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany sent his Italian troops to create a colony in 1608. He intended to trade Amazonian products to Renaissance Italy.

This however stopped after the death of Ferdinando I de Medici. A century later, the French moved and settled there naming the land, Guiana meaning the land of waters.

3. The Creole-speaking community are the majority in French Guiana

By Didwin973 – Wikimedia

French Guiana is made up of beautiful and complex culture and language. Although French is the official language here, there are other several native languages that are spoken.

Majority of the population in French Guiana is made up of Creole-speaking population. There are the Arawak Indians too who are found in the central part of Guiana. Another language that you will hear when visiting is the Taki Taki, it is a form of pidgin English.

Other languages spoken here include Spanish, Dutch, English, Portuguese, and Hakka. It is important to note that English is however not widely spoken.

4. Guiana was controlled by several countries

After Christopher Columbus sighting of French Guiana, the Spanish ‘discovered’ the land in 1496. They then displaced the native Indians who were the Amerindian peoples (Arawaks and Caribs).

A century later, French settlers moved in, forming a trading colony in Cayenne and along the coast. Soon after the Dutch showed interest in the land but were forcefully removed under the 1667 Breda treaty.

The French, the British, the Portuguese and Netherlands alternated control of Guiana for more than two centuries. In 1817, the French took over control of French Guiana and made it one of its overseas departments.

Part of the resources that made this territory a ‘hot cake’ among the Europeans was gold. It was discovered in the 1850s and France enjoyed the mine while it lasted.

5. French Guiana officially became a French department in 1946

By Dinkum – Wikimedia

Following the Breda treaty on 31^st July 1667, France was handed the territory by other European countries that occupied Guiana.

The French did not have it easy in occupying the land. In 1624, they were ousted by the Portuguese who believed that they were violating the Tordesillas treaty.

They were, however, the first Europeans to fully settle in Guiana in the early 1600s.

French Guiana was colonized by France until 1946 when it ceased being a colony. It was given the French Overseas department that same year.

Even though it was officially French soil, it was neglected for a long time until the people took to the streets demanding reforms and decentralization of the government.

6. Arawak Indians were the first inhabitants of French Guiana

The Arawak Indians were the first tribe known to occupy French Guiana. It is believed that they originally lived in the Greater Antilles and the northern Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean.

They were joined by other tribes such as the Caribs. These tribes migrated from the Amazon and moved to the islands of West Indies.

The Caribs overpowered the Arawaks and displaced many of them. Both the Caribs and the Arawaks spoke a related language and had similar cultural practices.

7. There is a space centre in French Guiana

By Wikimedia

A fascinating fact and something that you may have not known is that there is a space station in French Guiana. The site for the centre, the jungle near Kourou, was chosen by the French government in 1964.

This was perfect because the population near the space centre is low and it is far from storm paths and earthquake zones.

The space centre is made up of three organizations that operate there namely the European Space Agency; the French Space Agency; and Arianespace, a private commercial enterprise developing the Ariane rocket.

Tours of the centre are available where you can learn about its history at the museum, the Jupiter control centre and Ariane facilities. What’s amazing is that the tour is free.

8. Shrimp, rosewood essence and rice are some of the major commercial exports of French Guiana

While gold was once the main export from French Guiana, its depletion led to the growth of other industries. Shrimp and fish processing plants are some of the leading exports.

Other industries include timber, construction, sugar, rum, rice, cocoa, vegetables, bananas, and rosewood essence.

The bulk of the production from Guiana is consumed by its parent Country France followed by United States, European Union and Japan.

Guiana also imports processed meat, grains, fuel, chemicals and other machinery. The industries in Guiana heavily relies on both local unskilled and skilled labour.

9. French Guiana currency is the Euro

The currency in use in French Guiana is the Euro. This is by default it being a French overseas territory. Travelling to Guiana is easier for citizens from member countries of the European Union to visit. It may seem like an expensive destination compared to its South American neighbours.

French Guiana is part of the European Union and is part of the Schengen Agreement. Therefore, citizens of member countries are not required to have visa on entry.

10. French Guiana cuisine is diverse

By Photo by Victor Monsour- Wikimedia

We end the list with the best part, food. Having mentioned that French Guiana is made up of several different cultures, the food scene is something to look forward to. There are local indigenous recipes as well as French and Asian cuisines.

The ingredients are fresh and local, the dishes which is a combination of sweet and savoury is always accompanied by juicy tropical fruits.