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.

NOTE: The information regarding French Guiana on this page is re-published from the 2006 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of French Guiana Introduction 2006 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about French Guiana Introduction 2006 should be addressed to the CIA.