First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou.
French Guiana is the oldest of the overseas possessions of France and the only remaining French territory on the American mainland. If you plan to travel French Guiana take a moment to brush up on the travel tips that will help you be more prepared for travel anywhere in French Guiana.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Area: 83,534 sq km (32,253 sq miles).
Population: 156,790 (1999).
Population Density: 1.9 per sq km.
Capital: Cayenne. Population: 50,594 (1999).
Government: French Guiana is an Overseas Department of France and, as such, is an integral part of the French Republic. Head of State: President Jacques Chirac since 1995, represented locally by Prefect Ange Mancini since 2002. |
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Language: The official language is French, though most of the population speak a Creole patois. English is also widely spoken.
Electricity: 220/127 volts AC, 50Hz.
GEOGRAPHY: French Guiana is situated on the northeast coast of South America and is bordered by Brazil to the south and the east and by Surinam to the west. The southern Serra Tumucumaque Mountains are part of the eastern frontier, whilst the rest is formed by the River Oyapock. Surinam is to the west along the rivers Maroni-Itani and to the north is the Atlantic coastline. Along the coast runs a belt of flat marshy land behind which the land rises to higher slopes and plains or savannah. The interior is comprised of equatorial jungle. Off the rugged coast lie the Iles du Salut and Devil’s Island. Cayenne, the capital and chief port, is on the island of the same name at the mouth of the Cayenne River.
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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Passports are required of U.S. citizens entering both the French West Indies and French Guiana. Visitors who arrive on a regular air carrier may enter for up to 90 days with their passports. A visa is not required for a stay up to three months. For further information on French West Indies and French Guiana entry requirements, travelers can contact the Embassy of France at 4101 Reservoir Road, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007, tel. (202) 944-6000 or the nearest French consulate in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Orleans or San Francisco. Click here for Visa Informations
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GETTING AROUND FRENCH GUIANA
Air Guyane has scheduled flights to St Georges, Saül and Maripasoula from Cayenne. There's a daily bus service from Cayenne to St Laurent du Maroni via Kourou, Sinnamary and Iracoubo. Taxis colectifs (minibuses), which are faster, much more comfortable and only slightly more expensive, run along the same route. Cars and motorcycles can be rented in Cayenne, Kourou and St Laurent. River transport into the interior is possible, but unless you take an expensive tour it requires patience and good timing.
Because private cars are numerous and roads are fairly good, hitching is a realistic - though never entirely safe - alternative. Competition is fierce in certain areas, such as the highway to Kourou on the outskirts of Cayenne.
In Cayenne, local buses service the beach areas of Rémire-Montjoly, but general public transport is limited, so you may need a taxi. Buses don't run on Sundays.
Cayenne-Rochambeau international airport is 16km (10mi) southwest of Cayenne. Taxis to/from the airport are available. If you're leaving French Guiana and have light luggage, a far-cheaper option is to take a taxi colectif to Matoury and walk the remaining 5km (3mi).
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COMMUNICATIONS
Telephone: IDD available. Country code: 594. Outgoing international code: 00.
Mobile telephone: GSM 900 network is operated by France Caraïbe Mobiles, and covers coastal areas and some of the interior. Handsets can be hired locally.
Fax: Facilities are widely available, including in hotels.
Internet: Local ISPs include Wanadoo (website: www.wanadoo.fr). There are Internet cafes in Cayenne.
Telegram: Telegrams can be sent locally. A Telex service links Cayenne and Europe.
Post: Postal services are reliable in Cayenne (where the central post office is located on route Baduel); post takes around seven days to reach western Europe. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0730-1330.
Press: The daily newspapers include France-Guyane and La Presse de Guyane. There are no English-language newspapers.
Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
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BUSINESS PROFILE
Economy: French Guiana’s economy is heavily dependent on that of France. Most of the workforce is engaged in agriculture, principally forestry and fisheries. Vegetables and rice are the principal crops, most of which are consumed domestically. Exploitation of French Guiana’s mineral resources, which, in addition to timber from the country’s extensive forests, include gold, bauxite and kaolin, is steadily growing. Gold production continues to flourish, with actual production levels and sales suspected to be far higher than official estimates. Exploration activity expanded in the mid-1990s, following the construction of a major new road allowing access to the interior. Development of the service sector, particularly tourism (and the promising field of ecotourism), had previously been hampered by poor infrastructure. The country’s other notable economic asset, acquired by virtue of its position close to the equator, is the European Space Agency’s satellite launch facility at Kourou. French Guiana runs a huge trade deficit, with exports less than 10 per cent of imports. In common with most French Overseas Territories, French Guiana has a high unemployment level of about 22 per cent. Other than France, Guadeloupe and Martinique, the USA, Trinidad & Tobago and Italy are the country’s major trading partners.
Business: Lightweight suits are required. English will be understood by practically everyone, although a working knowledge of French may be of assistance. The best time to visit is August to November. Office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1300, 1500-1800.
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SOCIAL PROFILE
Food & Drink: There is a fairly good selection of restaurants and hotel dining rooms offering a number of different cuisines. The majority of them are in Cayenne, although French, Continental, Vietnamese, Chinese, Creole and Indonesian restaurants can be found elsewhere. A local speciality is the bouillon d’aoura, a dish of smoked fish, crab, prawns, vegetables and chicken, served with aoura, the fruit of savana trees.
Nightlife: There are nightclubs in Cayenne, Kourou and St Laurent du Maroni. Cayenne also has one cinema featuring French-language films. Cinemas can also be found in Kourou and St Laurent.
Special Events: For a full list of special events in 2005, contact the Comité du Tourisme de la Guyane (see Contact Addresses section). The main event, which takes place every year from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday, is the Carnival. The dates for 2005 are Jan 6-Feb 9. The following is a selection of other special events celebrated annually in French Guiana:
Jun Montsinéry-Tonnégrande. Aug Maripasoula; Saül. Sep Sinnamary. Oct 15 Cayenne. Nov Kourou; Kaw. Dec Régina.
Social Conventions: Conservative casual wear is suitable almost everywhere. On beaches, modest beachwear is preferred. Normal social courtesies should be adhered
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MEDICAL FACILITIES
Medical care within French Guiana is limited, and hospital facilities are available only in major urban areas. Patients' rooms in hospitals are primarily open-air facilities; instead of glass panes, hospital windows are fitted with wooden slats.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.
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CURRENCY/MONEY
Currency: Since 1 January 1999, the Euro, which was introduced in January 2002, has been the official currency for the French Overseas Departments (Départements d’Outre-Mer) French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion. For further details, exchange rates and currency restrictions, see France section.
Currency exchange: There is a bureau de change at Rochambeau airport and three bureaux de change in Cayenne (Change Caraïbes, Change Minas and Guyane Change). They will exchange money every day except Saturday.
Credit & debit cards: American Express, Carte Bleue, Eurocard, MasterCard and Visa are accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.
Travellers cheques: These are accepted in a few places in Cayenne and Kourou. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Euros, US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.
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SHOPPING
Within the past few years, a great many new boutiques have opened offering a wide range of merchandise. Good buys are basketry, hammocks, pottery, wood sculpture and gold jewellery. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1230, 1600-1830.
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TIPPING
In hotels and restaurants, a 10 per cent tip is usual. Taxi drivers are not tipped.
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SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
Sea-fishing: This is popular, and can be undertaken from rocks, as well as from boats. Fishing for sharks and other big fish can be done in the open sea. Fresh-water fishing and fly-fishing are also popular.
Other: French Guiana is an expensive destination for adventure travellers. There are river trips and treks into the interior, and jungle shelters are available for overnight stops. A special permit is necessary from the Préfecture in Cayenne. There are tennis courts in Cayenne and some hotels also have courts. Canoeing, horse riding, and sailing can also be arranged. Swimming is safe around Ile de Cayenne and some hotels have pools. Facilities for water-skiing are available in Kourou and Montjoly.
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TIME ZONE
French Guiana is in Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname. French Guiana Standard Time is GMT-3
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