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Pink flowers in French Guiana
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French Guiana Travel Guide
Key Facts
Geography
Area:
83,534 sq km (32,253 sq miles).
Population:
187,200 (2006).
Population density:
2.2 per sq km.
Capital:
Cayenne.
Government:
French Guiana is an Overseas Department of France and, as such, is an integral part of the French Republic.
Head of state:
President Francois Hollande since 2012.
Electricity:
220/127 volts AC, 50Hz.
Nestled between the Caribbean and the Amazon, French Guiana is a rich natural haven boasting a great many protected animal species and carefully preserved areas.
French Guiana is also home to a colourful blend of different cultural backgrounds. A native land, a land of exploration and a land of enslavement, French Guiana's extraordinary history has left its traces in every sector of today's society, and can still be sensed in a number of almost mythical places: Iles du Salut, which include the infamous Devil's Island where political prisoners were held, Mount Favard, the Saint-Laurent du Maroni transportation camp and the Iracoubo Church.
From encounters with authentic cultures, to watching the birth of the leatherback turtles, from life as a convict in a penal colony to travelling by canoe down majestic rivers, from panning for gold to watching toucans fly or following the vapour trail of Ariane, French Guiana has a lot to offer.
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