French Guiana

Population: 177,562 (July 2001 est.)

Languages: French

Background: First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou.

Currency: euro (EUR, EUR (€0.78 = US$1))

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.