Hype for the Future 75G: The Guianas

Overview

Located at the northern edge of the South American continent, each of the regions associated with the Guiana region is associated with a Caribbean and seafaring identity, as opposed to the more mainstream culture often associated with the regions elsewhere on the South American continent. Located to the north and northeast of the Amazon Rainforest, the regions including Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, eastern Venezuela, and the Brazilian State of Amapá are each included within the greater region known as the Guianas. From west to east, the colonial powers associated with each Guiana are the Spanish, the English, the Dutch, the French, and the Portuguese.

Hype for the Future 49J: French Guiana 🇬🇫

French Guiana is a French Overseas Territory located on the South American continent. Like the remainder of the Guianas, whether Spanish 🇻🇪, English 🇬🇾, Dutch 🇸🇷, or Portuguese 🇧🇷, French Guiana identifies predominantly with the Caribbean. However, specifically French Guiana is located on the Atlantic Coast nearest the Brazilian coast, with Suriname located directly to the west. Unlike Guyana or Suriname, however, French Guiana is not a sovereign state as the territory remains under the direct jurisdiction of France, though the region is obviously not identified as part of Metropolitan France. Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, compared to Macapá in Amapá (Brazil), Paramaribo in Suriname, and Georgetown in Guyana.

The historic slave trade is also associated with the region, with an overwhelming dominance of Africans in the region, particularly within Guyana 🇬🇾, Suriname 🇸🇷, and French Guiana 🇬🇫 as represented by the Pan-African flag colors and the resemblance to many of the flags of West Africa. Beyond the Africans, however, a significant population from the Indian subcontinent had also settled especially Guyana.