Simple directory > Regional > French Guyana

Country : French Guyana Official name: Guyane Française (French Guiana) Head of State: President of France (Jacques Chirac) Head of government: Préfet (Commissioner) Ange Mancini (from 31 Jul 2002) Ruling party: Parti Socialiste Guyanais (PSG) Area: 91,000 square km Population: 196,800 (2004) Capital: Cayenne Official language: French Currency: Euro (€) = 100 cents (from 1 Jan 2002; previous currency French franc, locked at Ff6.56 per euro) Exchange rate: €0.77 per US$ (Nov 2004) GDP per capita: US$6,000 (2003) Labour force: 58,800 (2003) Unemployment: 22.00% (2003) Inflation: 1.50% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$470.00 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$1.20 billion (2003)

Historical profile

Carib and Arawak Indians were the original inhabitants of French Guiana.

1496 First reported European sighting.

1604 The French established their first settlement on French Guiana.

1654–1915 There were numerous changes in control between the French, British, Dutch, Brazilian and Portuguese, as well as border disputes. During this period the economy of the region came close to collapse, particularly after the abolition of slavery in 1848. Black African slaves had previously worked on French Guiana's sugar plantations.

1946 French Guiana became a French Département d'Outre-Mer (DOM) (Overseas Department).

1953 Closure of penal colony on Devil's Island.

1964 The Kourou Space Centre was established.

1974 French Guiana was further incorporated into the French political system and granted the status of region of France.

1983 French Guiana was granted devolution. A Regional Council was established under the French decentralisation policy.

1998 The Parti Socialiste Guyanais (PSG), remained the single largest party in the Regional Council after the elections.

2000 There were pro-independence demonstrations and French Guiana sought to alter its relationship as a DOM.

2002 French Guiana adopted the euro as its official currency. Arianespace launched Intelsat 904 into orbit from Kourou. The satellite will provide Internet, telecommunications and television services for Europe, Africa, Central Asia and Australia.

2003 In June, under a deal with the European Space Agency (ESA), Russia said that it hoped to start using, from 2006, the upgraded Kourou launch pad for its rockets.

2004 Seven ESA member states are involved in the Vega Programme to build a small single-body launcher with three solid propulsion stages and an upper stage powered by liquid propulsion. Vega is to be launched in 2006.

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