French Colony of Guiana: Map & History
French Guiana, also known by its French name Guyane or Guyane française, is an overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies.
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French Guiana, also known by its French name Guyane or Guyane française, is an overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west and Brazil to the east and south, French Guiana covers a total area of 84,000 km2 (32,000 sq mi) and a land area of 83,534 km2 (32,253 sq mi). As of January 2026, it is home to 298,554 people.
Modern Countries Once Part of French Colony of Guiana
At its mapped extent, French Colony of Guiana covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside French Colony of Guiana's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
French Colony of Guiana in Depth
History
French Guiana was originally (and still is) inhabited by Indigenous people: Kalina or Galibi (speaking languages of the Cariban family), Lokono or Arawak (speaking languages of the Arawakan family), Palikur (Arawakan), Teko or Emerillon (Tupian), Wayampi (Tupian), and Wayana (Cariban). The French attempted to create a colony in the region in the 16th century in conjunction with its settlement of some Caribbean islands, such as Guadeloupe and Saint-Domingue. The first French establishment is recorded in 1503, but France did not establish a durable presence until colonists founded Cayenne in 1643.
French Guiana was developed as a slave society, where planters trafficked Africans as enslaved labourers on large sugar and other plantations.
Government and politics
French Guiana, as part of France, forms part of the European Union – the largest landmass for an area outside of Europe (since Greenland left the European Community in 1985), with one of the longest EU external boundaries. It is one of only three European Union territories outside Europe that is not an island (the others being the Spanish Autonomous Cities in Africa, Ceuta and Melilla). The inhabitants of French Guiana are French citizens with full political and legal rights. As an integral part of France, its head of state is the president of the French Republic, and its head of government is the prime minister of France.
Economy
As a part of France, French Guiana is part of the European Union and the Eurozone; its currency is the euro. The country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for French Guiana is.gf, but.fr is generally used instead.
In 2019, the GDP of French Guiana at market exchange rates was US$4.93 billion (€4.41 billion), ranking as the 2nd largest economy in the Guianas after Guyana (which discovered large oil fields in 2015 and 2018), and the 12th largest in South America.
Culture
The Carnival is one of the major events in French Guiana. Considered the longest in the world, it takes place on afternoon of Sunday, between Epiphany at the beginning of January and Ash Wednesday in February or (month). Groups disguised according to the theme of the year parade around decorated floats to the rhythm of percussion and brass. The preparation of the groups starts months before the carnival. The groups parade in front of thousands of spectators who gather on the sidewalks and bleachers arranged for the occasion.
Brazilian groups identical to those in the Rio carnival are also appreciated for their rhythms and their alluring costumes. The Chinese community of Cayenne also participates in the parades, adding elements such as dragons.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: French Guiana (CC BY-SA 4.0).
French Colony of Guiana: Key Facts
| Capital | Cayenne |
|---|---|
| Official languages | French, Guianan Creole |
| Founded | 21 March 1946 |
Preceded by
- Equinoctial France
Facts from Wikidata Q3769 (CC0).
French Colony of Guiana: Frequently Asked Questions
When did French Colony of Guiana exist?
French Colony of Guiana is dated to 1791 CE – 1791 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of French Colony of Guiana?
The capital of French Colony of Guiana was Cayenne.
How large was French Colony of Guiana at its peak?
At its peak in 1791 French Colony of Guiana covered about 19,565 km².
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