French Guiana lies on South America’s north coast and shares borders with Suriname ad Brazil. It is an overseas department and like its motherland, France, it uses the euro. The prefix ‘French’ was added in the colonial period when British Guiana (Guyana), French Guiana and Dutch Guiana (Suriname) were all foreign-controlled.

The country is home to the infamous Devil’s Island, the location of prisons from 1852 until 1951. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is a growing industry and today’s travellers are among the first to experience the natural coastal, riverine and mountain landscapes. However, the country is prone to various tropical diseases, most of which can be easily prevented with care.

Its tropical weather provides the perfect backdrop for nature tripping, swimming, sailing, shopping, and sightseeing. Its low-lying coastal plains rise to hills and small mountains which are sparsely inhabited. Major cities are Cayenne, the capital; Kourou, host of the space centre and Arianespace launches; Saint-Laurent on the Maroni River that divides French Guyana from between Surinam; and Saint-Georges, situated on the banks for the Oyapock River, which separates the city from Brazil.

The population of French Guiana is 221,500, with nationals mainly living along the coast. The people here are ethnically diverse with Creoles of mixed French and African descent being the largest indigenous group, while a large percent descended from European ancestry. Those with Asian roots include the Hmong (from Laos), Chinese, East Indian, and Vietnamese. Living in the interior are the Maroons, previously called ‘Bush Negroes’, and Amerindians.

Good hotels are easy to find in the capital but can be pricey, with international names like Novotel and Best Western maintaining a presence. Accommodation outside the main cities is much more basic and affordable but amenities are lacking.

Entry for the visitor is easy: EU citizens are allowed unhindered access while many other Western nationals can stay for 90 days without a visa. Cayenne-Rochambeau Airport has connections to France and many South American countries, while buses and ferries link the country to Brazil and Suriname. Inland travel is usually by minibus or along the 3,300kms of waterway by native boat.