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French Guiana Facts & Worksheets

French Guiana is a French overseas region and a single territorial collectivity in the Guianas on the northern Atlantic coast of South America.

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French Guiana is a French overseas department or region and a single territorial collectivity in the Guianas on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bounded east and south by Brazil and the west by Suriname. French Guiana is France’s second-largest region and the European Union’s largest outlying region.

See the fact file below for more information on the French Guiana, or you can download our 31-page French Guiana worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

  • The indigenous peoples of French Guiana included the Kalina, Arawak, Galibi, Palikur, Teko, Wayampi, and Wayana. In the 16th century, the French attempted to establish a colony with their settlement of some Caribbean islands, including Guadeloupe and Saint-Domingue.
  • Before European colonization, the land was inhabited by Native Americans, most of whom spoke the Arawak language of the Arawakan language family. Lokono was the name given by the people. The first French settlement was documented in 1503, but France didn’t establish a long-term occurrence until colonists premised Cayenne in 1643.
  • Slavery was practiced in French Guiana until the French Revolution, when the National Convention voted in February 1794 to abolish the French slave trade and enslavement in France’s overseas colonies.
  • This was months after enslaved Haitians began a rebellion against the colonial power of Saint-Domingue.
  • The first French attempt to colonize Guyana in 1763 was a complete failure due to high mortality due to numerous tropical diseases and harsh weather: all but 2,000 of the initial 12,000 settlers died.
  • Following France’s ceding of Louisiana to the United States in 1804, Guiana was developed as a penal colony, with camps and correctional facilities along the coast housing prisoners sentenced to forced labor from metropolitan France. Furthermore, the French government transferred roughly 56,000 prisoners to Devil’s Island during its processes as a prison camp beginning in the mid-nineteenth century. 
  • In the late 1800s, France began to require forced residences for prisoners who had to survive their hard labor. In 1809, a Portuguese-British naval squadron captured French Guiana for the Portuguese Empire.
  • Following the establishment of French Guiana as a prison colony, officials occasionally used convicts to capture butterflies. 
  • Convicts’ sentences were frequently lengthy, and their prospects for employment were slim, so they caught butterflies to sell on the international market.
  • In the late nineteenth century, a border dispute with Brazil arose over a large expanse of jungle, likely to result in the short-lived, pro-French, independent state of Counani in the territorial dispute. There was some squabbling among the settlers. The Swiss government arbitrated the dispute, which was mainly in favor of Brazil.
  • On March 20, 2017, French Guianese workers went on strike to demand more infrastructure and resources. The world’s most prominent demonstration ever held in French Guiana occurred on March 28, 2017.
  • The COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on French Guiana, with much more than 1% of French Guianese coming back positive by the end of June 2020.

GEOGRAPHY: CLIMATE, ENVIRONMENT, AGRICULTURE

  • There are also several small islands off the coast, including the three Salvation Islands, Devil’s Island, and the isolated Îles du Connétable bird sanctuary further along the coast towards Brazil.
  • The highest point in French Guiana is Bellevue de l’Inini in Maripasoula. Mont Itoupé, Cottica Mountain, Pic Coudreau, and Kaw Mountain are among the other mountains.
  • French Guiana is located between the latitudes of 2° and 6° N and the longitudes of 51° and 55° W. It is divided into two major geographical areas: a coastal strip where most of the population lives and a closely packed, nearly inaccessible rainforest that progressively rises to the moderate peaks of the Tumuc-Humac mountain ranges along the Brazilian border.
  • The prevailing climate in French Guiana is equatorial. French Guiana is hot and humid all year because it is placed within six degrees of the Equator and only rises to modest elevations. 
  • The existence of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and its vital thunderstorm cells causes heavy rainfall across the country for most of the year.
  • French Guiana is home to various ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, coastal mangrove swamps, savannahs, inselbergs, and wetlands. It is surrounded by three ecoregions: the Guayana Highlands moist forests, the Guianan moist forests, and the Guianan mangroves. French Guiana has a high level of flora and fauna biodiversity. This is because old-growth forests, which are biodiversity hotspots, are present.
  • During dry seasons and terrestrial glaciation, many species seek refuge in French Guiana’s rainforests. A national park, seven new nature reserves, and 17 protected sites protect these forests. Furthermore, 5,500 plant species have been identified, including over a thousand trees, as well as 700 bird species, 177 mammal species, over 500 fish species, 45% of which are endemic, and 109 amphibian species. Microorganisms would be much more abundant, particularly in the north, which competes with the Brazilian Amazon, Borneo, and Sumatra.
  • Subsequently, threats to the ecosystem include habitat fragmentation from roads, which is still very limited in comparison to other South American forests; the immediate and delayed effects of EDF’s Petit-Saut Dam; gold mining; poor control of poaching and hunting made possible by the formation of many tracks; and the emergence of all-terrain vehicles.
  • French Guiana has some of the world’s poorest soils. Nutrient and organic matter levels in the soil are low. Another cause of poor soils is soil acidity, which necessitates farmers adding lime to their fields. Because of the soil characteristics, slash-and-burn agriculture has been used.
  • The resulting ashes raise soil pH (lowering acidity) and add minerals and other nutrients. Terra preta (anthropogenic soils) sites have been found in French Guiana, especially near the Brazilian border. Multiple fields of study are being carried out to discover how these enhanced soils were traditionally created and how they can be done in the modern era.

ECONOMY

  • French Guiana is a member of the European Union and the Eurozone, and its currency is the euro. The French Guiana nation code top-level domain (ccTLD) is.gf, but.fr is more commonly used.
  • At market exchange rates, French Guiana’s GDP in 2019 was US$4.93 billion, making it the second largest economy in the Guianas after Guyana and the 12th largest in South America.
  • Nevertheless, since 2013, French Guiana’s income activity has been uneven and subdued. From 2013 to 2019, the economy expanded by only +1.2% on average in real terms. According to preliminary estimates, the COVID-19 pandemic hit French Guiana in 2020, causing a -2.7% recession, which was mild compared to the COVID-19 recession in metropolitan France.

DEMOGRAPHICS

  • During the days of the Cayenne and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni penal colonies, French Guiana experienced a long period of demographic stagnation and, except for a brief gold rush in the 1900s and 1910s, continued to suffer from a bad reputation due to its association with penal colonies and poor sanitary conditions.
  • The population of French Guiana, the majority of whom live along the coast, is ethnically diverse. According to the 2018 census, 56.6% of French Guiana’s inhabitants were born in French Guiana, 8.9% in Metropolitan France, 2.8% in French Caribbean agencies and collectivities, and 31.5% in overseas nations. Furthermore, Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion in French Guiana; the Maroons and some Amerindian peoples practice their own religions.

LANGUAGES AND POLITICS

  • French is the primary language of French Guiana, the dominant language of the department, with most residents speaking it as a first or second language. There are also many other regional languages. French Guianese Creole, six Amerindian languages, and four Maroon creole languages are among the regional languages. Other languages spoken include Portuguese, Mandarin, Haitian Creole, and Spanish.
  • French Guiana, as part of France, is a member of the European Union, with one of the longest EU external borders and the biggest landmass for a neighborhood outside of Europe (since Greenland left the European Community in 1985). It is one of only three non-island European Union territories outside of Europe (the others being the Spanish Autonomous Cities in Africa, Ceuta, and Melilla).
  • The head of state of the French Republic serves as its head of state, and the prime minister of France serves as its head of government. 
  • The French government and its agencies are in charge of many issues retained again for national executive power, such as defense and foreign relations.

CULTURE

  • Creole, Amerindian, and Bushinenge factors that influence can be found in the local architecture. The main towns are mostly Creole-style, with some Western-style building structures and forts thrown in for good measure.
  • Furthermore, the Carnival is one of the most important events in French Guiana. It is the world’s longest, occurring on a Sunday afternoon between Epiphany at the start of January and Ash Wednesday in February. To the rhythm of drumming and brass, groups disguised following the motif of the season parade around decorated floats.
  • The groups begin planning months before the carnival. The parade is being watched by thousands of people gathered on the sidewalks and bleachers set up for the occasion.
  • Finally, new generations of authors are becoming aware of black slavery since 1970. Whether through their writings or political activities, they remember this painful time that had serious ramifications for the local society and the black world in general.

French Guiana Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about French Guiana across 31 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about French Guiana, a French overseas department/region and a single territorial collectivity in the Guianas on the northern Atlantic coast of South America

French Guiana Worksheets
French Guiana Worksheets
French Guiana Worksheets

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. French Guiana Facts 
  2. ECO-Friendly
  3. Historical Blanks
  4. #5Facts
  5. French Guiana Flags
  6. KNOW THE C.E.A
  7. The Devil’s Island
  8. Locate It!
  9. Guiana Scrabble
  10. Find It, Fill it!
  11. MY BINGO Checklist

Frequently Asked Questions

What is French Guiana?

French Guiana is an overseas department of France located in South America. It is situated on the northern coast of the continent, bordered by Brazil to the east and south and Suriname to the west. The capital city is Cayenne.

What is the population of French Guiana?

As of 2021, the estimated population of French Guiana is around 294,000. The majority of the population is concentrated in and around the capital city, Cayenne.

What languages are spoken in French Guiana?

The official language of French Guiana is French, which is spoken by the majority of the population. However, due to its proximity to Brazil and Suriname, Portuguese and Dutch are also spoken by some residents. In addition, several indigenous languages are still spoken in the region.

What is the economy of French Guiana like?

The economy of French Guiana is heavily dependent on the public sector, including government jobs and social services. It also relies on the European Space Agency’s spaceport, which is located in Kourou and accounts for a significant portion of the region’s economic activity. Agriculture and fishing also play a role in the economy.

What are some popular tourist attractions in French Guiana?

French Guiana is known for its pristine rainforests and diverse wildlife, as well as its unique cultural heritage. Popular attractions include the Guiana Space Centre, the Place des Palmistes in Cayenne, the Hmong and Amerindian villages, and the Îles du Salut, a group of small islands off the coast of Kourou that were once used as a penal colony. The region is also home to several national parks and nature reserves, such as the Guiana Amazonian Park and the Nouragues Nature Reserve.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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