# French Guiana?



## Goldie84 (Jul 23, 2005)

Has anyone ever been there? I happen to have family down there and was thinking it would be a great excuse to visit one day! WHat are your thoughts on French Guiana?


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## ♣628.finst (Jul 29, 2005)

Never heard of that country.


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## Zaqattaq (Nov 17, 2004)

Also known as French Guyana?


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## Goldie84 (Jul 23, 2005)

zaqattaq said:


> Also known as French Guyana?


Yes.


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## Goldie84 (Jul 23, 2005)

Xäntårx said:


> Never heard of that country.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Guiana


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

I haven't been there but a friend of mine was studying monkeys in the forest there.

Otherwise I only know that it was a French prisoner-colony and that it's there where they launch the Ariane rockets. It's probably the smallest country in pop and area on the continent which is not an island and is bordering Brazil in the south and Suriname (I am not sure about that) in the west. Cayenne is the capital and it's kind of a French oversea's department. That's all.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

It's the only part of the European Union, lying in South America.  

Go, EU! :nocrook:


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

You're just nowhere safe on this planet from this burocratic monster (aren't there also some Antarctic parts belonging to EU-members?) :rofl:


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^ Yes, but no part of Antarctica belongs to the EU itself. (How sad!  )


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## Zaqattaq (Nov 17, 2004)

Population is less than 200,000

what about Suriname, it was Dutch I believe? and the capital is Paramaribo


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## schmidt (Dec 5, 2002)

French Guyana is a very intriguing colony. Actually those 2 countries and French Guyana are so exhotic! I mean, when you think of South America you think of Brazil, Argentina, Spanish-Portuguese only speaking continent, but no, you've got some people speaking English, *Dutch* and French! I think it's the only place where people speak Dutch outside Europe, right?

Back to French Guyana, I'd love to visit it. France in South America, different architecture, well, not only architecture, everything is different over there. One day I'll make a tour in the 3 "Guyanas".


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

I knew about French Guiana from the novel *"Papillion"*. It was actually a former French penal colony which includes *Devil's Island*. I really wanna visit it one of these days if I have the time.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

The official name is *French Guiana* while to the west across Suriname is another country called *Guyana*.

French Guiana is a very famous launch pad for space shuttles (ie. carrying satellites).


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

WANCH said:


> I knew about French Guiana from the novel *"Papillion"*. It was actually a former French penal colony which includes *Devil's Island*. I really wanna visit it one of these days if I have the time.


That's also the first time I heard about it - I was reading Papillon in my military service - as well as the books of the Marquis de Sade and Edgar Allen Poe - you see how much I enjoyed the army :lol:


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## Nemo (Jul 5, 2004)

*French Guyana, home of the (ESA) European Space Port Kourou.*



















*WWW.ESA.INT*


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## lffıs (Jan 4, 2005)

zaqattaq said:


> what about Suriname, it was Dutch I believe? and the capital is Paramaribo


It was Dutch indeed. The Netherlands traded Manhattan (New York) for Suriname! The independence of the country was granted in 1975.



schmidt said:


> I think it's the only place where people speak Dutch outside Europe, right?


No, the Netherlands Antilles belongs to, yes, the Netherlands. Although Dutch is the offical language, more and more people are talking Papiament, a mix of Spanish, Portuguese with some French and Dutch influances. French Guyana has never belong to the Netherlands.  In Surinam the offical language is Dutch too, so there are some places outside Europe where people still using Dutch every day.


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

The Dutch were everywhere  They put Recife up and developped it from a wood exporting port to a real city


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## Audiomuse (Dec 20, 2005)

Capital=Cayenne- They are christian and of alot are of either African, Indian, White, or mix descent. That's all I know.


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## Ning (Jul 18, 2004)

Did you know that the France's longest border with a foreign country is Brazil.


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## Bahnsteig4 (Sep 9, 2005)

^^interesting point.


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## Poulpy (Nov 10, 2005)

Détritus said:


> Do those GDP figures include the social wealthare it gets from mainland?


Nope! 
another stats 
Life expectancy at birth : French Guiana : 77,27 years, Infant mortality rate : 11,76 death/1000
Chile : 76.76 years, Infant mortality rate : 8.58 death/1000
Argentina : 76.12 years ; 14.73 death/1000
Brazil : 71.97 yeras ; 28.6 death/1000


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## architoctoc (Feb 24, 2005)




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## architoctoc (Feb 24, 2005)

FRANCE OVER SEE


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## Matthieu (Mar 7, 2004)

This map ignores the antartic base?


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## schmidt (Dec 5, 2002)

Wow. France has territories in almost all regions of the world! I don't understand why a country leaves its territories in such poverty and all. I mean, you cannot compare French Guyana with France! I think France should invest a bit more in these territories. Especially in the Caribbean, tourism is pretty big over there!


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## Minato ku (Aug 9, 2005)

Poulpy said:


> And other stats : (GDP per capita)
> 
> France : 29900$
> French Polynesia : 17500$
> ...


GPD per capitat is more than 13 500$ in Reunion
more than 13 000$ in Martinique


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## Justme (Sep 11, 2002)

Just pop over to France:

Guadeloupe


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## ckm (Apr 7, 2006)

Poulpy said:


> And other stats : (GDP per capita)
> 
> France : 29900$
> French Polynesia : 17500$
> ...


I thought St. Pierre was richer¡ It's poor, and it borders with Canada.

I guess Wallis et Futuna is still poorer. That facts about Mayotte are a shame :runaway:


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