French Guiana is a French overseas department in northeastern South America, east of Suriname and north of Brazil. The main town is Cayenne, from which the Cayenne pepper got its name.
| Capital: | Cayenne |
| Biggest city: | Cayenne |
| State: | French territory |
| Language: | French |
| Religion: | catholicism |
| Surface: | 83,534 km |
| Population: | 235 700 (2010) |
| Population density: | 2 residents per km² |
| Currency: | euro (EUR) 1 euro = 9.76 kr |
| Time difference: | -4 hours |
| Electricity: | 220 V AC, 50Hz |
| National Day: | July 14 |
| Country area code: | 594 |
| 2-Letter country abbreviation: | GF |
| Business: | service sector 61%, industry 21%, agriculture 18% |
| Climate: | tropical with two rainy seasons (December and June) |
French Guiana is a part of France that belongs to the EU and is therefore not a colony. The currency used is thus the euro and residents have the right to vote in all national French elections. French Guiana is not a member of the EU’s VAT Union, or Schengen cooperation, but is free from customs duties. French Guiana has the same status as Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. The border with Suriname is controversial as both countries claim the same areas.
The population of 190,000 is mixed, with blacks, whites and even Asians from, among others, Laos (which formerly belonged to France as part of the colony of French Indochina). Most famous is French Guiana for the penitentiary Colony Devil’s Island. The plot in the book Papillon takes place partly on Devil’s Island.
The countryside of French Guiana is somewhat reminiscent of the French and many of the specialties of French cuisine can also be found here. Otherwise, French Guiana is best known for its fish dishes. Grilled chicken and meat are also common and are often served with stir-fried vegetables as an accompaniment.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Weather in Cayenne
| Climate | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Christmas | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average temperature °C | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Day °C | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 |
| Night °C | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Rain (mm) | 367 | 306 | 374 | 439 | 544 | 412 | 200 | 96 | 40 | 46 | 124 | 294 |
| Rainy days | 21 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 27 | 24 | 19 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 18 |
| Soltim / day | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 |
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