French Guiana borders the Atlantic coast in the northeast of South America, with Brazil on the east as well as in the south and Suriname in the west. Along with Suriname and Guyana, it is one of the three Guianas. The smallest of the three, French Guiana is made up of three landforms — the coastal region in the north, the inaccessible rainforest in the interior and the Tumuc Humac Mountains in the south.
Since the region is located close to the equator, the weather is quite hot and humid all through the year. The country also receives heavy rainfall between December and June-July.
The harsh landforms in French Guiana make travel a challenge. But it is certainly worth visiting the city of Kourou and taking a tour of the Space Centre and Space Museum. Most region’s country’s population lives in the narrow coastal region along the Atlantic Ocean. Being a wetland, the region is home to mangroves and marshes made of salt.
The dense rainforests in the interior of the country is a part of the Amazon rainforest. These forests are inaccessible and thinly populated. Towards the south, the land gradually rises to give way to the Tumuc Humac Mountains. Jungles form a majority of the landscape, spreading from the mountains in the south to the Atlantic Ocean in the north. The two main rivers — Maroni and Oyapock — originate from the Tumuc Humac Mountains. They flow through the dense forests, reach the northern part and drain their waters into the Atlantic Ocean.
Delectable cuisine
As French Guiana is technically a part of France, breads and pastries have made their way into the cuisine. The proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea brings in seafood. Bouillon d’aoura, a popular dish, is a blend of crab, chicken, prawns, smoked fish, vegetables, and the aurora fruit that grows in savannah trees. Interestingly, East Indian traders brought roti into this region. This flat round bread is eaten with a variety of curries. Indonesian, Vietnamese, Creole as well as Chinese influences have also crept into the cuisine of French Guiana. The famous cayenne pepper is a spice that originated in Cayenne — the capital of French Guiana. Sugarcane is one of the major crops grown in this region.
Cultural melting pot
In 1503, Spaniards settled in French Guiana and booted out the indigenous people. In the early 1600s, the Dutch occupied the region, but were soon superseded by the French when they gained ownership of the land. It was only in 1946 that French Guiana became a department of France. Hence, French is spoken by a majority of the population along with Creole. People communicate in English as well.
In the field of literature, René Maran is known for his novel Batouala . The capital city of Cayenne houses French colonial architecture as well as museums.
French Guiana has a national football team. The people of this country also indulge in water sports such as boating, swimming and fishing. How about grooving to some ‘bigi pokoe’, a popular style of music?
