French Guyana. Cayenne is the interesting and beautiful capital of French Guiana. Government structure and political system of Guiana

G.V. Plekhanov French dramatic literature and French painting of the 18th century from the point of view of sociology The study of the life of primitive peoples best confirms the basic position of historical materialism, which states that the consciousness of people

French food

In the eastern part of South America there is an overseas department (administrative unit) of France - Guiana. In our article we will discuss exactly this place. Previously, this territory, which now covers an area of ​​90 thousand km², was called “French Guiana”.

The reason for this clarification was that there once were five colonies under the general name "Guiana": Spanish, British, Dutch, Portuguese and French. After a certain time, the Spanish colony became the east of Venezuela. Since 1966, British Guiana has become the independent state of Guyana.

The Netherlands is now officially called the Republic of Suriname. And Portuguese nowadays is the north of Brazil.

Geographical location of the country

French Guiana is located in such a way that it is washed from the north by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. And its mainland is located between Brazil and Suriname.

Story

The first Europeans to land on the territory of the future overseas department of the French Republic were Spanish sailors in 1499. After 105 years, French settlers began to populate it. In 1635, a fortification was founded, around which the administrative center was formed - the city of Cayenne.

Since the 17th century and for the next hundred years, Guiana was under the rule of Great Britain and the Netherlands. At the beginning of the 19th century (1817), France officially secured this territory.

As a result of the unfavorable tropical climate, there were few people willing to move to South America. Therefore, France began importing black slaves from the African continent en masse.

During the years of the French Revolution and subsequent years, a struggle began in Guiana for the abolition of the working and living conditions of slaves as for the main part of the population. According to documents, such labor was officially abolished in the department in 1848. From the end of the 18th century until the end of hostilities in World War II, the French government used Guiana as a place of forced hard labor for state political criminals. Since 1946, Guiana has become an overseas department of France.

Capital - Cayenne

What is the name of the capital of French Guiana? Why is she interesting? More on this later in the article. The city of Cayenne, which is more than 350 years old, is considered the capital of French Guiana. About 50 thousand indigenous people live there (mostly blacks and mulattoes).

The settlement is located on a small peninsula between the Cayenne River (a 50 km long river) and the main body of water - Mahuri, more than 170 km long.

The main attractions are located on the territory of the main city of the French department. Place de Grenoble, which is located in the western part of the capital, is very popular among tourists in Guiana. The peculiarity of this area of ​​the city is that it contains the main attractions of the city.

Lusso channel

In the central part of the city of Cayenne, not far from the fish market, is the Lusso Canal - the city's main waterway.

Construction began in 1777. For four years it was dug by hand by Guiana prisoners.

Now the canal, built according to the design of the architect Sirdey, is a favorite vacation spot for residents and guests of the city.

On the banks of the Lusso Canal, tourists pay attention to the house in which the family of the philanthropist (a person involved in charity) Alexandre Franconi lived.

The building now houses the Departmental Franconi Museum. It was founded in 1901. Tourists can view exhibitions related to the history of the department, household items of past centuries and other diverse museum exhibitions.

Place de Palmistes

The main square of the capital and the pride of the indigenous people is De Palmistes. It got its name due to the large number of palm trees planted throughout its territory. Previously, this place was a pasture for livestock.

In the middle of the 19th century, by decision of the city leadership, palm trees were planted along the entire perimeter of the future city square. At the same time, the construction of urban infrastructure buildings began. In 1957, a majestic arch was erected. It was built in honor of the first governor of Cayenne, Felix Eboue.

Now tourists can visit a variety of cafes and restaurants, located surrounded by 25-meter palm trees and taste dishes national cuisine.

Museum of Guiana Culture

On Madame Payet Street, a museum of Guianan culture was opened in 1998, where guests of the city can view exhibitions related to the culture of different ethnic groups that once inhabited the territory of Guiana. Visitors are given the opportunity to examine household items of those times, national costumes and various exhibits related to religious rites. There is a garden on the museum grounds. You can see all kinds there medicinal plants, which grow in South America.

Beach areas of Cayenne

In addition to visiting the main attractions, tourists can pay attention to a beach holiday on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the village of Remy-Montjoly (10 km from Cayenne) there is, according to city guests, the most beautiful area. Here, except active rest Among the palm trees, you can see the ruins of a small 18th-century fort and an old cane sugar factory.

Hates Beach is located on the Marconi River (Avala-Yalimapo commune). Tourists from many countries around the world seek to visit this area. Hates became popular thanks to the leatherback turtles living in this area, which are more than two meters long and weigh 400 kg. They are considered the largest of all living sea turtles. Vacationers can swim in the clear river water. They also have the opportunity to swim with these peace-loving turtles, which appeared on the planet 200 million years ago.

At a distance of 50 km from Cayenne between the cities of Sinnamary and Kourou there is a landmark of the late 20th century. It is officially called the Guiana Space Center.

In 1964, the government was provided with fourteen designs for the location of the cosmodrome. Then it was decided to begin construction near the city of Kourou (French Guiana).

This is explained by the fact that this area is located at a distance of 500 km from the conventional section line earth's surface plane passing through the center of the Earth (equator).

Therefore, this territory is favorable for launching satellites into orbit and launch vehicles. At the same time, they develop additional speed, making it easier for them to push off from the Earth.

Thus, in French Guiana, the spaceport, built in 1968, has become one of the most versatile centers. It attracts all space centers of other countries of the world to cooperate.

In 1975, the International Space Agency (ESA) was formed. The government then proposed using the launch pads of the Guiana Spaceport in Kourou in French Guiana. Currently, the main sites used to launch spacecraft are owned by ESA.

Since 2007, in collaboration with Russian specialists, construction of a launch pad for Soyuz-2 rockets began on the territory of the cosmodrome, which occupies an area of ​​20x60 km. The first launch of the Russian device took place in October 2011. In 2017, Russia launched the Soyuz ST-A launch vehicle from the Guiana Cosmodrome with spacecraft SES-15.

The sparsely populated territory of Guiana (more than 90% of the territory is covered with forests), the absence of hurricanes and earthquakes are an important safety factor during launch.

Flag of Guiana

The overseas department of Guiana belongs to the French Republic. Therefore, it is officially used as the state symbol of the country.

In some cases, another one is used. This flag of French Guiana is approved legislative body. It is a rectangular panel with a five-pointed yellow star in blue and green areas located on two wavy lines.

Each color has its own specific symbolism. Blue symbolizes emergence modern technologies on the territory of the department. The green color symbolizes the vegetation and richness of the region's forests, while the yellow symbolizes valuable minerals and natural gold reserves. Two are symbolic of a large number of rivers.

Now let's look at some facts about this overseas department:

1. The territory of French Guiana has many mineral resources. But only gold, tantalum and bauxite are mined here.
2. French Guiana is the only non-European territory that is part of the European Union.
3. The main agricultural crop is rice, from which rum and rice essence are made.
4. French Guiana is officially considered a department of France. But despite this, a Schengen visa is not a valid document here. A tourist from Russia needs to get a separate one. To obtain a visa to French Guiana, you should contact the consulate.
5. When entering Guiana, you must present a yellow fever vaccination certificate at customs.

Conclusion

Tourists traveling through French Guiana note that this territory is amazing in its beauty and originality. And the goodwill and sincerity of the people make you want to come back here again.

Like other regions of America, the history of French Guiana is quite complex, rich and impressive. The country, or rather the overseas department of France, has gone through a lot in its lifetime. Various diseases, slavery, and internecine disputes endangered the territory, but it survived and showed its power.

How the history of French Guiana developed

The Spaniards were the first to discover this territory in 1499. After 105 years, the first colonists of France appeared here. In the 17th-18th centuries, the land was attacked by the Dutch and British. But she herself history of French Guiana began in 1817, when the territory came under national rule. Slavery was introduced here to work on the plantations, but was later abolished. Due to labor shortages, Chinese and Indians were recruited. Local residents at this time were seized by the “gold rush”. Story mentions that many of them died from diseases, snake and rodent bites, but still did not leave their occupation.

Only in 1946 officially French Guiana became a department of France. In addition, due to its close location to the equator, in 1964 the construction of a space launch complex, in other words, the Kourou cosmodrome, began here.

As such capital of French Guiana absent. All administrative buildings, main attractions and power of the department are concentrated in the city of Cayenne.

The interior of the earth is practically deserted, and the main population of French Guiana concentrated on the coastal strip. In total, 237,549 people live here. These are mostly blacks, mulattoes, there is a small part of Europeans and Brazilians. Since the population is quite diverse, then French Guiana culture will be mixed.

All State of French Guiana is divided into 2 large districts (the small Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and the slightly larger Cayenne), which in turn are divided into 22 communes.

Actually politics of French Guiana depends on France. The President of a European state elects a prefect, who actually governs the territory. The Prefect is also assisted by the Regional Council and the General. The residents themselves elect a senator, as well as the French parliament, in local elections.

Language of French Guiana

Officially recognized is, of course, French. But local residents speak different dialects (Maroon, Hmong Njua, Amerindian), as well as other languages ​​(English, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Creole).

The capital is Cayenne.

The word “French” dates back to the time when France had as many as 5 colonies under the single name Guiana, and these are the Dutch now Suriname, British Guyana, Spanish, now eastern Venezuela), Portuguese in the north of Brazil and French.

Geography of French Guiana

Almost the entire territory of Guiana is forest, with the exception of the coast with marshy areas along the Atlantic Ocean.

Climate and weather of French Guiana

Guiana has a subequatorial climate with year-round temperatures ranging from 25 to 35 degrees Celsius. The rainy season runs from July to December, the dry period the rest of the year, however, even at this time humidity is unbearable for Europeans. The best time to travel to Guiana is from July to December; the climate on the coast is more favorable in any case.

Best time to travel to French Guiana

Best time for traveling to French Guiana it is from December to July, from July to December the country experiences the rainy and hurricane season, it can rain at this time almost every day, but almost 100% humidity is observed in Guiana all year round, for example, drying laundry is a big problem. In general, the country’s climate is not very suitable for Europeans or North Americans, who will take a very long time to acclimatize and get used to such weather surprises. Naturally, prices in the dry season may be slightly higher than in the rainy season, but the rainy season can be generally unbearable, especially for older travelers. Don't turn an expensive trip into a pain.

History of French Guiana

Guiana was discovered by the Spaniards back in 1499, but they did not find the area attractive, the first settlers appeared on the country’s territory only in 1604, these were French settlers, and later the Dutch and British encroached on the territory of Guiana. In 1817, the French finally took over the country. Since the 17th century, the French began to build in Guiana Agriculture, for these purposes, slaves were imported from Africa, since the local Indians were very intractable. Slavery in Guiana was abolished in 1848, people began to be sent to hard labor in Guiana in 1852, and in 1855 gold deposits were discovered. After the abolition of slavery, there was no one to work on the plantations of Guiana, for this reason the French government had to create favorable conditions for migration here; as a result, the Chinese, Indians and the local population of the Antilles fell for these conditions.

A huge advantage in attracting migrants was the discovery of a gold deposit; the Guiana gold rush attracted tens of thousands of miners from many countries around the world, although most of them in a short time died from unfavorable living conditions, which became the basis for the exile of unwanted political opponents of the French government, during these years about 70 thousand political dissidents were exiled here, only after the Second World War the practice of exiling people here stopped. Guiana became an overseas department of France in 1946. In 1964, a huge French cosmodrome was built in Guiana; today it is specially guarded by a regiment of a foreign legion.

Political structure French Guiana, such that the local prefect is appointed by the President of France, the residents of Guiana themselves can elect two deputies of the National Assembly - the French Parliament and one senator, and the local population elects the Regional Council and the General Council.

Population of French Guiana

In the last 20 years, Guiana has seen a large increase in population, which has doubled, so in 1990 the population was 114,678 people, then in 2014 there were more than 250,000 people, which can be explained by immigration from Haiti and Brazil, the birth rate is 21.7 people per 1000 population, mortality rate 4.8. Average life expectancy is 76.5 years, women 80, men 73 years, literacy among adults is about 85%.

According to the census, 56.5% of the inhabitants were born in French Guiana, 9.3% were born in the metropolis, 3.4% were born in the French Caribbean department of Guadeloupe and Martinique, 30.5% were born in foreign countries Suriname, Haiti and Brazil.

The majority of Guiana's population are mulattoes, people of mixed African and French descent. 14% of French Guiana's population is white or of European descent, the majority of them are French, but there are also Dutch, British, Spanish and Portuguese. The main Asian community is Chinese, 4% of the total population, including Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces in mainland China and the Hmong from Laos. Along the Maroni River live the "Bush Negroes" Maroons, descendants of runaway African slaves. The Indian population of French Guiana is 4%, these are Arawak, Carib, Emerillon, Viburnum and others.

The birth rate in French Guiana exceeds the world average, significantly higher than in France itself and higher than the average in other French overseas departments, this is the main reason for the population growth.

Religion in French Guiana

Languages ​​of French Guiana

The official language is French, regional languages ​​are Guianese Creole, 6 Amerindian languages ​​(Arawak, Wayampi, Wayana, Caribbean, Palikur, Emerillon), 4 Maroon dialects (Aluku, Ndyuka, Paramaccan, Saramaka), as well as Hmong-Njua. Many residents speak English, Haitian, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish.

Telephone, cellular, mobile communications and Internet in French Guiana

Mobile communications are available along the entire coast, resort towns and in the capital of the country. GSM 900/1800 standard from the operator DIGICEL Antilles Française Guyane, in turn, our operators enable roaming from this company.

Payphones in French Guiana work with telecarte cards, you need to buy them at the post office or shops, payphones can be either modern or prehistoric in wooden booths, where Europeans would find it scary to enter, however, today the majority of the local population have mobile phones, the use of payphones is becoming a thing of the past, As in developed countries peace.

International code French Guiana - 594, s mobile phone from abroad you need to dial 694, access to an international line is 00. To call within the country to a specific number you need to dial 0 and 594, then the number of the called subscriber, as you guessed, in French Guiana there are no separate area codes, and if the call is within one is proud, then you don’t need to dial the above four-digit code at all, just the subscriber’s phone number.

If you are a tourist staying in French Guiana for a long time, you might consider buying a SIM card from DIGICEL Antilles Française Guyane. By the way, the country also has a 3G connection, which also connects Martinique and Guadeloupe, and cellular coverage in French Guiana is much worse than in Martinique and Guadeloupe, the connection operates exclusively within settlements on the seashore, along the highway you will already be left without connection , not to mention cities within the country.

You can use the Internet at the reception of your hotel, in the city of Cayenne, Kourou and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, there are also Internet cafes, Internet access among local residents is very limited, there is nothing to count on high speed, the subscription fee is quite high .

Education

The level of education is very low, but slightly higher than the level of South America as a whole, note the University of the Antilles and Guianas.

Economy in French Guiana

French Guiana is part of the European Union, it is the largest landmass outside of Europe after Greenland, French Guiana is one of the three territories of the European Union that is located outside of Europe, we note that Spain has autonomous cities in Africa, Ceuta and Melilla. The head of French Guiana is the French President

Currency in French Guiana

French Guiana is part of the eurozone, and accordingly the currency is the euro.

Shops, souvenirs, shopping, shopping in French Guiana

Shops in French Guinea are open from 8am to 6pm, with many closing for lunch or a long siesta from noon to 4pm. Note that most private shops and shops belong to immigrants from China, who are more enterprising than the local population. Shops may be closed during the traditional carnival in winter, especially on weekends and religious holidays.

Restaurants and cafes in French Guiana

Most of the restaurants and cafes in French Guiana are owned by the Vietnamese, Chinese, and Laotians, so the cuisine will be Asian; many products will seem strange and unsuitable to the taste of Europeans. French cuisine will be offered in hotel restaurants that are designed for Europeans and North Americans; prices there will be higher. It is difficult to say about the possibility of poisoning in a cafe or restaurant; most likely, this possibility will decrease in proportion to the rank of the given catering establishment.

Prices in French Guiana

Prices in French Guiana are quite high for South America. Let us remember that Guiana is an overseas department of France, a member of the European Union and the Eurozone with the euro currency, and accordingly the prices here are high; foreign tourists will not have a chance to save much. True, the level of local hotels is low, so maximum hotel prices are unlikely to exceed 200 euros per day, for example in Chile hotel prices are much higher on average.

Food in stores and goods are sold at the same prices as in France, while wages in French Guiana do not exceed 1,000 euros per month.

French Guiana has its own unique season of sales and discounts; it does not take place at the end of summer and winter like ours, but from late October to early November; in any case, according to local legislation, the sales season can last at least six weeks. From French Guiana, tourists bring rum, souvenir butterflies, and few folk crafts.

Medicine and treatment in French Guiana

More or less normal hospitals and clinics are available in major cities, and this is in Cayenne, Kourou and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, in the villages it is better not to get sick, local residents with acute illnesses are transported to the capital medical institutions. In general, we can say that the level of medicine in the country is very low, this applies to both the equipment of hospitals and the level of training of doctors, while as you know, French Guiana is part of France. Foreign tourists come to French Guiana with an insurance policy, this also applies to tourists from Ukraine or Russia; without such a policy they simply will not give a visa. First aid is provided free of charge, further treatment is subject to the terms of the insurance. Tips for tourists.

Security and crime in French Guiana

The security situation in French Guiana is ambiguous, on the one hand it is France with a large police army, on the other hand it is still primarily South America, as is known here most high level crime and the potential for harm to human health, including natural hazards or accidents.

At first glance, absolutely all the cities of French Guiana are a dysfunctional village with widespread poverty and slums, the same can be said about the majority of the local population, in Cayenne there are homeless people lying right on the streets, antisocial individuals walking around, you can’t even imagine what’s going on there at night hard. It is recommended not to go beyond the tourist program and its well-trodden routes.

The main forces of the local gendarmerie are aimed at combating drug trafficking that passes through French Guiana, we note the brutal control at customs, also around Irakubo, on any road and on the streets of cities tourists and local residents can be left by the police and searched for drugs.

Vieux Bourg and the port area are considered dangerous areas in the capital. In general, the attitude towards foreign tourists is good, but it is not recommended, for example, to try to photograph local residents, most of them are black, such an attempt may result in financial claims, photographing people for free is a bad idea, but it is worth noting that in French Guiana foreign tourists are not so strongly perceived as source to improve your well-being as in other neighboring countries.

It is not recommended to succumb to various provocations, offers to buy something, a request to show the way can again result in an invoice, however, the situation is not clear-cut everywhere, many people are very friendly, especially in provincial areas, where everyone knows each other, and the doors of houses don't close. To visit Indian villages, a special permit is required from the police station in the capital.

Electricity

Mains voltage 220/127 V, 50 Hz. European type C sockets; E and D are also available.

GDP in French Guiana

GDP per capita is 19,828 US dollars, this is the highest figure in South Africa, so it can be said that French Guiana is the richest and most prosperous country in the region, well, who would doubt it with the current prefix French. However, the GDP and welfare of local residents is equal to only 57% of the welfare of residents of the Paris region.

French Guiana's GDP ranks 11th among all South American countries. The country's economy is heavily dependent on French subsidies. The main industry of the French Guiana economy is gold mining 32% of total exports, fishing 5% of exports, timber 1% of exports. The construction of the Guiana Space Center played a big positive role in the country's economy; about 1,700 people found work here. Due to the geography of the area, agriculture in French Guiana is not at all developed, because 95% of the country's territory is forest, agriculture is only in small areas along the coastline and along the Maroni River. Bananas and sugar cane are grown, but today these plantations have almost completely disappeared, they have been replaced by livestock farming, meat is much more important for local residents. In the coastal regions between the savannas of Cayenne and Saint-Laurent-du-Maronia, horticulture is developed. The rice fields disappeared in 2011 due to soil erosion. Sugar cane is used entirely for the production of rum, but not for export. Forestry - valuable tree species including red, rose, teak, nutmeg, mora. There are reserves of gold, bauxite, oil, niobium, tantalum, but only bauxite is mined, and shrimp fishing occurs off the coast. Timber products, gold, shrimp, and rum are exported.

Unemployment in French Guiana is very high by EU standards and amounts to 25%, among young people up to 40%.

Sights of French Guiana

The capital city of Cayenne is located on the Atlantic Ocean on a peninsula, with architectural landmarks around the Place de Grenoble including the town hall and botanical garden. Nearby are the most remarkable museums of Guiana, for example, you can visit the interesting ethnographic museum, which tells about the culture of the people of Guiana, the Felix Ebault Museum and the Departmental-Fransoni Museum. You can climb the hill where the ruins of the 17th century Seperu fortress with an observation deck are preserved. For souvenirs you can head to Avenue du General de Gaulle; restaurants and cafes are located on Place de Palmistes. To the south of the city is the Remy-Montjoly beach and the Fort Diamant fortress. Tourists often go on excursions to the Kurów cosmodrome, 65 kilometers from the capital, and to the devil's island, Ile du Diable, with a colonial prison and sharks swimming around.

Recreation and entertainment

The most popular entertainment for local residents in French Guiana is fishing, which can be done both in the ocean and in the river, you can buy an excursion with a boat out to sea, a good place for fishing near the island of Ile du Diable. Theoretically, you can go surfing or windsurfing in French Guiana, natural conditions available, but with very few technical capabilities. Activities on the rivers include canoeing and rafting. Eco-tourism is also popular, with a wonderful hiking trail through the mountains from Remy-Montjoly to the top of Montagne du Mahuri.

Hotels in French Guiana

Hotels and inns in Cayenne

Hotels in the capital of the country can usually offer nice interiors and satisfactory service. Here are the following hotels as an example: Hotel des Palmistes, Royal Amazonia, BEST WESTERN Hotel Amazonia, Grand Hotel Montabo, Hotel Ker Alberte, Hotel Central Cayenne. The cost of a standard room for two is from 150 to 200 euros per night.

Do you know what continent Guiana is on? What language do they speak there? What currency is there? What can a tourist do in Guiana? What do locals know about Russians?

You will find answers to these questions, as well as some other facts, in this issue.

(Total 30 photos)

1. Guiana and Suriname are not in Africa (in Africa - Guinea and Cameroon, easy to confuse). Guiana is the name of a vast region on the northeastern coast of South (non-Latin!) America. In the photo: Ile de Salus - islands north of the coast of Guiana.

2. During the colonial era, Guiana was divided by the metropolises into three parts: English Guiana (now Guyana), Dutch Guiana (Suriname) and French Guiana. You can also highlight “Spanish Guiana” - where the city of Ciudad Guayana and the Orinoco River are, as well as “Portuguese Guiana” in northern Brazil. In the photo: Monument to Felix Ebu - some kind of first black colonial administrator - on central square Cayenne. He ruled mostly in French Africa, but was originally from these places.

3. Formally, French Guiana is an overseas department of France. At the same time, a Schengen visa does not work there; citizens of the Russian Federation must obtain a separate “Guiana” visa from the French consulate. Residents of EU countries have visa-free entry. In the photo: Cayenne airport.

4. The official name of the country is “Guiana” without “French”. Local residents (residents) say, “Here in France...” (For example, “In Suriname, everything is much cheaper than here in France”). In the photo: border checkpoint at Sant Laurent du Maroni (border with Suriname).

5. To obtain a visa and enter, you must present a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever. However, upon arrival in Cayenne of a flight from Paris, no one checks the arrivals, no one asks for certificates (or even passports). In the photo: You can fly to Cayenne from Paris on a daily (I think) AirFrance flight. Flight is about 8 hours. The inconvenient thing is that the flight is carried out from Orly, and not from SDG.

6. On the territory of the country, the currency is the euro, license plates on cars are French, the police and the entire administration are too. But all people are blacks. OK, not all... most. Pictured: local majority

7. There is nothing interesting in French Guiana except the pristine wild jungle and the Kourou spaceport.

8. There is no sea in French Guiana either. Those. there is a sea... But there are no traces of beaches, sunbathing loafers and bronze bodies in the waves of the tropical Atlantic. In the photo: a fisherman on the “quay” in Cayenne.

9. Apparently the whole point is that the water along the entire coast is opaque brown due to the prevailing bauxite-clayey soil. Plus, rivers also carry clay and silt. In the photo: a bridge over a river somewhere in the middle of the country. The color of the water is clearly visible. She's like this everywhere here.

10. As a local captain told me, “the closest blue water and beaches are in Trinidad and Tobago.” I confirm: on Trini the water is clear and blue! In the photo: the crew of a catamaran carrying tourists to the islands.

11. But in Guiana the temperature is always from 25 to 30... True, the humidity is 100%. The rain-soaked T-shirt took 2 days to dry... and it didn’t dry!

12. Yes. It's rainy season there now. But “rainy season” does not mean that it rains all the time! More often than not, there will be a tropical downpour and then again the sun will come. On some days, the showers suddenly begin to become frequent - well, every half hour it rains for 5 minutes. But sometimes it lingers for a long time... for half a day. In the photo: this is what Cayenne looks like at night, from the hotel balcony. This is the very center of the city!!

13. Guiana is the most expensive country on the continent. Prices for everything are the same as in France, or even more expensive. At the same time, the quality (of services, at least) is significantly lower. In the photo: vacationers on the streets of the capital.

14. Booking.com does not find any hotels in Guiana. Expedia finds 2 in the capital (Cayenne) and three (I think) in Kourou. In fact, there are slightly more hotels in the country. In the photo: the central street of Cayenne from the same balcony, but during the day.

15. As they write on American websites, if you don’t know French, you have nothing to do in Guiana. It's true: almost no one speaks English. In the photo: I still don’t understand what it is.

16. The coast of the country speaks strictly French. English speakers are extremely rare. The further you go south and west, the more the population switches to the Taki-Taki language. You can meet people who speak Spanish and Portuguese (both Venezuela and Brazil are nearby). According to official information, Taki-Taki is such Negro English. Those. a dialect of black slaves based on English with an admixture of Dutch. I was unable to hear either English or Dutch in Taki-Taki. Sounds like Swahili. In the photo: a mini-carnival in the small village of Esperance.

17. Once a year, the main event takes place in Guiana - . I was lucky to get there (I even posted a few photos as a starter). But a detailed story and photo report will come later. In the photo: Carnival on the streets of Cayenne, the carnival costumes are quite colorful.

18. The population is, in principle, friendly and safe. Sometimes typical French shitiness creeps in - where would we be without it! But it is strictly not recommended to leave your car in the city unattended. In the photo: a “ferryman” ferrying border violators to Suriname. In the background, the cars of the getaways are clearly visible, parked in front of the local police station. It is not safe to leave them anywhere else.

19. The roads in Guiana are excellent. Almost everywhere. You understand this especially well when you enter Suriname. In the photo: Pay attention to the color of the curb! The land here is like this almost everywhere. Tierre Rouge is pure bauxite, I think so.

20. There are policemen with radars on the roads. But customs is especially rampant (they are probably looking for drugs from Colombia). I drove less than 1000 km, but I was stopped 2 times and my luggage was checked. The second time I was just taking a taxi to the airport - the taxi was stopped on the road 3 km from the airport by customs officers, who thoroughly tossed my newly neatly packed bags and even asked me to pee in a cup to test for cocaine. In general, the police here are serious... Almost European.

21. But the lifestyle is not European at all. From 12.00 to 4 pm - siesta, nothing works. When it “works,” it’s also slow and stupid. Expecting agility, efficiency and a desire to do something from a Guianan is utopian. In the photo: Cayenne siesta.

22. Tourism is not developed. There are few restaurants, hotels and attractions. Travel agencies offer excursions to the cosmodrome, a trip to the Ile de Salut islands (there used to be a prison there), a boat ride along the channels... Well, a couple more nature reserves. All! In the photo: Tourists inspect a tree with weaver nests from a boat in the channels of the Kaw Nature Reserve.

23. Only brave extreme sportsmen go into the jungle. You usually have to sleep there in the open air in hammocks. In the photo: hammocks at the “tour base” in the reserve.

24. I slept like that one night, it was uncomfortable. The next morning, the laughing owner said that in a hammock you should sleep not lengthwise, but diagonally - almost across the hammock, with your arms and legs spread out. Hmm... probably. In the photo: a memorial hammock in which the Russian traveler Novikov spent the night in February 2011.

25. If anyone should go to Guiana, it’s entomologists, ornithologists, zoologists and other botanists. There are more than enough living creatures here! In the photo: the home collection of my friend entomologist Tibu.

26. If a Guianian finds out that you are from Russia, he immediately begins to nod his head in understanding and say the word “Soyuz”: the Russians have been building a launch pad for Soyuz in Kourou for many years, but they will not launch anything - the first launch was originally scheduled for 2007 (I think), then to 2009, then to April 2011, now to July. In the photo: Kourou Cosmodrome from the sea. You can see some white stuff on the starting table. Most likely, this is the Arianne rocket, which was supposed to be launched the next day... but was not launched.

27. From Guiana you can easily get to Brazil or Suriname. A visa is not required for Brazil. In Suriname it will be done for you in Cayenne in 3 days. In the photo: Consulate of Suriname in Guiana. Everything is very simple and homely.

28. I don’t understand why a Suriname visa is needed. Any black man with a boat will take you in 10 minutes and 4 euros (or 15 SRD) to the other side of the Maroni River (which is the border with Suriname) and drop you off anywhere. The police look at this indifferently. In the photo: a typical crossing of the Guiano-Suriname border.

29. The capital of Guiana, Cayenne, is a real village. There is absolutely nothing to do there. Even in souvenir shops there is nothing to buy except framed butterflies and refrigerator magnets. In the photo: Cayenne from the dominant hill of Fort Seperu.

30. Guiana is proud to be one of 14 countries on the planet that Lebedev has not yet visited.