French Guiana
 

Former Regional Council Flag                 Regional Council Flag                Council General Flag    Department Flag Adopted 29 Jan 2010  Map of French Guiana Hear National Anthem "La Marseillaise"  Text of National Anthem Constitution  (28 Sep 1958) Capital: Cayenne (La Ravardiere 1643-1664) Currency: Euro (EUR); to 1 Jan 2002 French Franc (FRF) National Holiday: 14 Jul (1789) Bastille Day ----------------------------------- Local Holiday: 10 Jun (1848) Slavery Abolition Day Population: 220,898 (2008) GDP: $3.52 billion (2006)  Exports: $1.50 billion (2006) Imports: $1.69 billion (2006)  Ethnic groups: Guianese mulatto 37.9%, French 8%, Hatian 8%, Surinamese 6%, Antillean 5%, Chinese 5%, Brazilian 4.9%, East Indian 4%, other (West Indian, Hmong, other South American) 21.2% (2000) Total Active Armed Forces: 1,470 (2006) Defense is the Responsibility of France Merchant marine: None (2008)  Religions: Christian 84.6% (of which Roman Catholic 80%,  Protestant 3.9%), Chinese folk religionist 3.6%, Spiritist 3.5%, non-religious/atheist 3%, traditional beliefs 1.9%, Hindu 1.6%, Muslim 0.9%, other 0.9% (2000) International Organizations/Treaties: ACS (associate), UPU, WFTU French Guiana Index Chronology Jan 1500                   Coastline sighted by Spanish Capt. Vicente Yáñez                              de Pinzón. 1604                       French expedition under Daniel de La Ravardière. 1624                       French establish Sinnemary as a trading post. 1637                       French establish Cayenne as a trading post. 27 Nov 1643 - 1654         French settlement at Cayenne (under                               the Compagnie de Rouen to 1654). 1654 - 15 May 1664         Dutch occupation. 15 May 1664                Re-occupied by France (Guyane Français); under                              the Compagnie de la France Équinoxiale to 1674).  5 May 1676 - Dec 1676     Dutch occupation of Cayenne. 25 Oct 1797 - 1801         Organized as département of France; from 1801                              a colony 12 Jan 1809 -  8 Nov 1817  Portuguese/Brazilian occupation.  8 Nov 1817                Restored to France. 1852 - 1946                Penal colony on Devil's Island. 14 Sep 1939 - 16 May 1943  Subordinated to High Commissioner and Commander                              of the Theater Atlantic West (see Martinique). 16 Jun 1940 - 18 Mar 1943  Administration loyal to Vichy France                              (from 18 Mar 1943, under Free French).  6 Jul 1930 - 19 Mar 1946  French Guiana divided into two territories;                              French Guiana (Cayenne and the Atlantic coast)                              and Inini (inland area). 19 Mar 1946                French overseas département (previously colony). 28 Mar 2003                French overseas region. 10 Jan 2010                Referendum votes 69.8% against increased autonomy. Inini Territory (1930-1946)

Governors
1643                       Charles Poncet de Brétigny         (d. 1644)
1644 - 1654                Huet de Navarre                    (b. 1611 - d. 1658) 
1654 - 1660                Guerin Spranger (Dutch governor)   (b c.1610 - d. 1664)
1660 - 1664                Jan Claessen Lagedijk 
                             (Dutch governor)
15 May 1664 - 1665         Joseph-Antoine Lefebvre de la
                             Barre (1st time)
1665                       Antoine de Noël de la Trompe d'Or
1665 - 1668                Cyprien Lefebvre de Lézy (1st time)
1668 - 1670                Joseph-Antoine Lefebvre de la
                             Barre (2nd time)
1670 - 1676                Cyprien Lefebvre de Lézy (2nd time)
 5 May 1676 - Dec 1676     Synkes (Dutch commander)
1676 - 1679                Cyprien Lefebvre de Lézy (3rd time)
1679 - Oct 1684            Pierre-Eléonore de La Ville,       (b. 16.. - d. 1705)
                             marquis de Férolles (1st time) 
1684 - 1687                Pierre de Sainte-Marthe de Lalande (d. 1692)
1687 - 1688                Pierre-Eléonore de La Ville,       (s.a.)
                             marquis de Férolles (2nd time) 
1688 - 1691                François Lefebvre de la Barre
1691 - Jan 1700            Pierre Eléonore de La Ville,       (s.a.)
                             marquis de Férolles (3rd time) 
1700 - 1701                Rémy Guillouet d'Orvilliers        (b. 1633 - d. 1713)
                             (1st time)
1701 -  5 Aug 1705         Pierre Eléonore de la Ville,
                             marquis de Férolles (4th time)   (s.a.)
1705 - 15 Sep 1706         Antoine de Querci de Rionville
1706 - Jul 1713            Rémy Guillouet d'Orvilliers        (s.a.)
                             (2nd time) 
1713                       chevalier de Béthune
1713 - Sep 1716            Pierre de Morthon de Laumière
                             de Grandville (interim)
1716 - Dec 1720            Claude Guillouet d'Orvilliers      (b. 1668 - d. 1729) 
                             (1st time)
1720 - 1722                François de la Motte-Aigron
1722 - Sep 1729            Claude Guillouet d'Orvilliers      (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
1729 - Jun 1730            Michel Marshalek de Charanville
1730 -  2 Aug 1730         Gilbert Guillouet d'Orvilliers
                             (1st time)
1730 - 30 Aug 1736         Henri Dussault de Lamirande        (d. 1736)
1736 - Dec 1736            Henri de Poilvillain, baron de     (d. 1736)
                             Grenay
1736 -  9 Jul 1738         Gilbert Guillouet d'Orvilliers 
                             (2nd time)
 9 Jul 1738 - Jun 1743     Antoine Le Moyne de Chateauguay    (b. 1683 - d. 1747)
1743 - Jun 1751            Gilbert Guillouet d'Orvilliers 
                             (3rd time)
1751 - May 1752            Jean Baptiste Hyacinthe de 
                             Saint-Michel Dunezat (1st time)
1752 - Jul 1753            Gilbert Guillouet d'Orvilliers 
                             (4th time)
1753 - Apr 1757            Jean Baptiste Hyacinthe de 
                             Saint-Michel Dunezat (2nd time)
1757 - May 1763            Gilbert Guillouet d'Orvilliers 
                             (5th time)
1763 -  2 Jan 1764         Jean Pierre Antoine de Béhague     (b. 1727 - d. 1813)
                             (1st time)
1764 - 22 Dec 1764         Louis Thomas Jacau de Fiedmond 
                             (1st time)
22 Dec 1764 - Apr 1765     Brule Tout de Préfontaine (acting)
Apr 1765 - 1765            Étienne François de Turgot         (b. 1721 - d. 1789)
1765 - 28 Jan 1766         Jean Pierre Antoine de Béhague     (s.a.) 
                             (2nd time)
1766 - 15 Dec 1781         Louis Thomas Jacau de Fiedmond 
                             (2nd time)
1781 - 13 Jul 1785         Alexandre Ferdinand, baron de      (d. 1785)
                             Bessner
1785 - 16 Aug 1785         Louis de La Vallière (interim)
1785 - 17 May 1787         Thomas de FitzMaurice
May 1787 - 22 Oct 1788     Pierre François de Mareuilh de
                             Villeboi                         (d. 1788)
1788 - 19 Jun 1789         Charles Guillaume Vial d'Alais
1789 -  5 Jan 1791         Jacques Martin de Bourgon
1791 - 26 Sep 1792         Henri Benoît (acting)
1792 - 1793                Frédéric Joseph Guillot
                             (civil commissioner) 
14 Apr 1793 - Nov 1794     Nicolas Georges Jeannet-Oudin      (b. 1762 - d. 1828)
                             (1st time) (civil commissioner)
Nov 1794 - Apr 1796        François Maurice Cointet de        (b. 1766 - d. 1809)
                             Fillain (commissioner)
Apr 1796 -  5 Nov 1798     Nicolas Georges Jeannet-Oudin      (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)(agent particulier)
Nov 1798 -  2 Dec 1799     Étienne Laurent Pierre Burnel      (b. 1762 - d. ....)
                             (agent particulier)
13 Dec 1799 -  8 Jan 1800  Étienne Franconie                  (b. 1729? - d. 18..)
                             (president of the departmental administration)
 8 Jan 1800 - 12 Jan 1809  Jean Baptiste Victor Hugues        (b. 1762 - d. 1826)
                             (agent; from 1804 imperial commissioner)
12 Jan 1809 - Oct 1809     Manuel Marques
                             (Portuguese governor)
Oct 1809 - Feb 1812        Pedro Alexandrino Pinto de Sousa
                             (Portuguese governor)
Feb 1812 -  8 Nov 1817     João Severiano Maciel da Costa     (b. 1760 - d. 1834)
                             (Portuguese governor)
Commandants
1817 - 25 Jul 1819         Jean-François, comte de Carra      (b. 1756 - d. 1834)
                             Saint-Cyr   
25 Jan 1819 - 12 Mar 1823  Pierre Clément, baron de Laussat   (b. 1756 - d. 1835)
1823 - 1825                Pierre Bernard, baron de Milius    (b. 1773 - d. 1829)
1825 - 1826                Charles Emmanuel de Muyssard
                             (interim)
Governors
1826 - 1827                Joseph Burgues de Missiessy
                             (interim)
1827 - 1829                Louis Henri de Saulses de          (b. 1777 - d. 1840)
                             Freycinet 
 1 Jun 1829 - 11 Apr 1836  Louis Jean-Guillaume Jubelin       (b. 1787 - d. 1860)
1836 - 1837                François Dominique Laurens de 
                             Choisy
1837 - 1839                Paul de Nourquer du Camper
1839 - 1841                Jean Baptiste Marie Augustin       (b. 1786 - d. 1845)
                             Gourbeyre
1841 - 1843                Guillaume Basile Charmasson de     (b. 1780 - d. 1864)
                             Puylaval 
1843 - 1845                Marie Jean-François Layrle         (b. 1791 - d. 1881)
1845 - 1846                Jean Baptiste Armand Bertrand 
                             Cadéot
18 Feb 1846 - 16 May 1850  André Aimé Pariset                 (b. 1795 - d. 1872)
1850 -  6 Jan 1851         Louis Eugène Maissin               (b. 1811 - d. 1851)
1851                       Jean François Marie Félix          (b. 1796 - d. ....)
                             Stanislas Vidal de Lingendes
                             (acting)
May 1851 - May 1852        Octave Pierre Antoine de           (b. 1803 - d. 1889) 
                             Chabannes-Curton
1852 - 1853                Joseph Napoléon Sarda-Garriga      (b. 1808 - d. 1877)
1853 - 1854                Martin Fourichon                   (b. 1809 - d. 1884)
1854 - 1855                Louis Adolphe Bonard               (b. 1805 - d. 1867)
1855 - Jan 1856            Antoine Alphonse Masset (acting)
Jan 1856 - 1859            Auguste Laurent François Baudin    (b. 1800 - d. 1877)
15 May 1859 -  1 May 1864  Louis Marie François Tardy de      (b. 1811 - d. 1864)
                             Montravel
1864 - 1865                Antoine Favre (acting)
1865 - 1870                Privat Antoine Agathon Hennique    (b. 1810 - d. 1870)
1870                       J.A.A. Noyer (acting)
30 Apr 1870 - Aug 1877     Jean-Louis Loubère                 (b. 1820 - d. ....)
                             (acting to 1871)
1877                       A.E. Bouet (acting)
1877 - 1880                Marie Alfred-Armand Huart          (b. 1826 - d. ....)
1880                       P.A. Trève (acting)
1880 - 1883                Charles Alexandre Lacouture        (b. 1829 - d. 1917)
1883 - 1884                Henri Isidore Chessé               (b. 1839 - d. ....)
1884 - 1885                Jean Baptiste Antoine Lougnon      (b. 1843 - d. ....)
                             (acting)
1885 - 1887                Léonce Pierre Henri Le Cardinal    (b. 1830 - d. ....)
1888 - 1891                Anne Léodor Philotée Metellus      (b. 1849 - d. ....)
                             Gerville-Réache
Apr 1891 - 1893            Louis Albert Grodet (1st time)     (b. 1853 - d. 1933)
1893                       Paul Émile Joseph Casimir Fawtier  (b. 1837 - d. 1903)
24 Apr 1893 -  4 Aug 1895  Camille Charvein                   (b. 1834 - d. ....)
30 Aug 1895 - 13 Jun 1896  Henri Félix de Lamothe             (b. 1843 - d. 1926)
1896 - 1898                Henri Eloi Danel                   (b. 1850 - d. 1900)
1898 - 1899                Henri Charles Victor Amédée        (b. 1849 - d. 1916)
                             Roberdeau
1899                       Louis Mouttet                      (b. 1857 - d. 1902)
1899 - 1903                Émile Joseph Merwart               (b. 1869 - d. 1960)
1903 - 1905                Louis Albert Grodet (2nd time)     (s.a.)
1905                       Charles Emmanuel Joseph Marchal
1905 - 1906                Victor François Ferdinand Rey
1906                       Louis Alphonse Bonhoure            (b. 1864 - d. 1909)
20 Jan 1906 -  5 Jul 1907  Édouard Picanon                    (b. 1854 - d. 1939)
1907 - 1909                François Pierre Rodier             (b. 1854 - d. 1913)
1909 - 1910                William Maurice Fawtier            (b. 1867 - d. 19..)
1910                       Fernand Ernest Thérond
1910 - 31 May 1911         Paul Samary                        (b. 1848 - d. 1911)
1911                       Denis Joseph Goujon                (b. 1863 - d. 19..)
1911 - 1914                Pierre Jean Henri Didelot          (b. 1870 - d. 1941)
                             (1st time)
1914 - 1916                Fernand Ernest Lévecque            (b. 1852 - d. 19..)
1916                       Pierre Jean Henri Didelot          (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
1916 - 1917                Georges Lévy                       (b. 1867 - d. 19..)
1917                       Jules Gérard Auguste Lauret        (b. 1866 - d. 19..)
1917 - 1918                Antoine Joseph Xavier Barre
1918 - 1923                Henri Alphonse Joseph Lejeune
1923                       Julien Edgard Cantau
20 Nov 1923 - 1926         Marc Émile Charles Jean Chanel     (b. 1882 - d. 1943)
1926 - 1927                Gabriel Henri Joseph Thaly         (b. 1875 - d. 19..)
1927                       François Adrien Juvanon            (b. 1875 - d. 19..)
1927 - 1928                Émile Buhot-Launay                 (b. 1881 - d. 1970)
1928 - 1929                Camille Théodore Daniel Maillet    (b. 1879 – d. 1954)
1929 - 1931                Bernard Jacques Victorin Siadous
27 May 1931 - 1933         Louis Joseph Bouge (acting)        (b. 1878 - d. 1960)
1933 - 1935                Julien Georges Lamy
 2 Jun 1935 - 1936         Max de Masson de Saint-Félix       (d. 1939)
1936                       Pierre Tap
1936 - 1938                René Veber (1st time)
1938 - 1942                Robert Paul Chot-Plassot
1942 - 18 Mar 1943         René Veber (2nd time)
1943 - 1944                Jean Alexandre Léon Rapenne        (b. 1901 - d. 1952)
1944 - 1946                Jules Eucher Surlemont             (b. 1897 - d. 1983)
1946                       Jean Pezet
Prefects (10 May 1982 - 24 Feb 1988, commissioners of the republic)
16 Aug 1947 -  1 Jun 1955  Robert Vignon                      (b. 1910 - d. 1989)
 1 Jun 1955 - 16 Sep 1957  Pierre Malvy                       (b. 1909)
 1 Oct 1957 -  1 Nov 1958  Pierre Voitellier                  (b. 1910)
13 Oct 1958 -  1 Dec 1960  André Dubois-Chabert               (b. 1913 - d. 1992)
                            (acting for Voitellier to 1 Nov 1958)
 1 Dec 1960 -  1 Dec 1963  René Erignac                       (b. 1909)
 1 Dec 1963 - 16 Aug 1967  René Letellier                     (b. 1914)
16 Aug 1967 - 16 Jul 1970  Paul Bouteiller                    (b. 1921)
16 Jul 1970 -  1 Feb 1972  Jean Monfraix                      (b. 1918)
 1 Feb 1972 -  8 Feb 1974  Jacques Robert Delaunay            (b. 1921)
 5 Mar 1974 - 20 May 1977  Hervé Bourseillier                 (b. 1925)
20 May 1977 - 10 Feb 1980  Jean Julien Émile Le Direach       (b. 1924)
10 Feb 1980 - 27 Jul 1981  Antoine Carli                      (b. 1924)
27 Jul 1981 - 22 Jul 1982  Maxime Gonzalvo                    (b. 1917)
Jul 1982 - 1984            Claude Silberzahn                  (b. 1935)
1984 - 1986                Bernard Courtois                   (b. 1935)
1986 - Aug 1988            Jacques Dewatre                    (b. 1936)
22 Aug 1988 - 16 May 1990  Jean-Pierre Lacroix                (b. 1942)
19 Jun 1990 - May 1992     Jean-François Di Chiara            (b. 1941?)
27 May 1992 -  6 Jan 1995  Jean-François Cordet               (b. 1950)
 6 Jan 1995 -  3 Feb 1997  Pierre Dartout                     (b. 1954)
 3 Feb 1997 -  2 Aug 1999  Dominique Vian                     (b. 1944)
 2 Aug 1999 -  2 Sep 2002  Henri Masse                        (b. 1947)
 2 Sep 2002 - Aug 2006     Ange Mancini                       (b. 1944)
28 Aug 2006 - Feb 2009     Jean-Pierre Laflaquière            (b. 1947)
19 Feb 2009 - May 2011     Daniel Ferey                       (b. 1947)
16 May 2011 -              Denis Labbé                        (b. 1952)

Presidents of the General Council (Conseil général)
1947 - 1949                Vermont Polycarpe                  (b. 1908 - d. 1958)
1949 - 1955                Auguste Boudinot
1955 - 1956                Eudoxie Vérin                      (b. 1902 - d. 1975)
1956 - 1958                Roland Barrat                      (b. 1901 - d. 1966)
1958 - 1965                Joseph Symphorien
1965 - 1967                Henri Plenet
1967 - 1970                Jules Harmois                      (b. 1900 - d. 1976)
1970 - 1973                Léopold Héder                      (b. 1918 - d. 1978)  PS
1973 - 1979                Claude Ho-A-Chuck                                       UDF
1979 - 1982                Emmanuel Bellony                                        RPR
1982 - 1983                Georges Othily                     (b. 1944)            PS
1983 - Mar 1994            Elie Castor                        (b. 1943 - d. 1996)  UDF
Mar 1994 - 30 Mar 1998     Stéphan Phinera-Horth                                   PSG
30 Mar 1998 - 26 Mar 2001  André Lecante                      (b. 1941?)           ADG
26 Mar 2001 -  4 Apr 2004  Joseph Ho-Ten-You                  (b. 1942)            ADG
 4 Apr 2004 - 20 Mar 2008  Pierre Désert                      (b. 1944)            DVG
20 Mar 2008 -              Alain Tien-Long                    (b. 1963)            DVG

Presidents of the Regional Council of Guyane (Conseil régional)
1974 - 28 Jan 1980         Serge Patient                      (b. 1934)            UDF
28 Jan 1980 - 1982         Jacques Lony                       (b. 1908? - d. ....)
1982 - 29 Mar 1992         Georges Othily                     (s.a.)               PS
29 Mar 1992 - 26 Mar 2010  Antoine Karam                      (b. 1950)            PS
26 Mar 2010 -              Rodolphe Alexandre                 (b. 1953)            UMP

Ordonnateur (subordinated to the Intendants on Martinique)
1706 - 1746                Paul Lefebvre d'Albon              (d. 1746)
1712 - 1714                Antoine Tissier de Boizereau
                             (acting for absent d'Albon)
1738 - 1740                Jérôme Jean Villiers de l’Isle Adam
                             (1st time)(acting for absent d'Albon)
1744 - 1746                Jérôme Jean Villiers de l’Isle Adam
                             (2nd time)(acting for absent d'Albon)
1748 - 1762                Antoine Philippe Lemoyne
1762 - 1763                Morisse
1763 - 1764                Jean-Baptiste Mathieu Thibault     (b. 1725 - d. 1785)
                             de Chanvalon -Intendant
1764 - 1765                René Marie Pichot de Kerdisien
                             (interim)
1765                       Claude de Macaye -Intendant
1765 - 1766                Pierre François Prévost de Lacroix
                             (interim)
1766 - 1771                Jacques Maillart-Dumesle
1771 - 1773                Dieudonné Hubert Charvet
1773 - 1774                Jean-Baptiste Le Roy de Préville
                             (1st time)(interim)
1773 - 1776                César Jacques Delacroix
1777 - 1778                Pierre-Victor Malouet
1778 - 1785                Jean-Baptiste Le Roy de Préville
                             (2nd time)
1785 - 1788                Daniel Lescallier                  (b. 1743 - d. 1822)
1788 - 1789                Pierre d'Huinet Desvarennes
1789 - 1791                Augustin François Motais de        (b. 1747 - d. 1827)
                             Narbonne
1790 - 1792                Charles Antoine d'Aigremont
                             (intérim)
1792 - 1794                Vincent Boué (1st time)
1794 - 1795                Louis Arnaud de Corio
1796                       Jean Pierre Masse
1795 - 1797                Vincent Boué (2nd time)
1797 - 1798?               Siméon Roustagneuq
1798 - 1800                Louis Benoît Dusargues Colombier
1800 - 1809                Auguste Alexandre François
                             Benoist-Cavay

Party abbreviations: ADG = Action Démocratique Guyanaise (Guianese Democratic Action);
DVG = Divers Gauche (Various Left parties); FDG = Forces Démocratiques de la Guyane (Guiana Democratic Forces); FTTLG = Front Tam-Tam de Libération de la Guyane (Tam-Tam Front for the Liberation of Guiana, independentist); MoDem = Mouvement Démocrate (Democratic Movement, centerist, social- democratic, former UDF, est.2007); PNPG = Parti National Populaire Guyanais (National Popular Party of Guiana); PS = Parti Socialiste (Socialist Party -may be a subset of PSG); PSG = Parti Socialiste de Guyanais (Guianese Socialist Party); UDS = Union des Démocrates Sociaux (Union of Social Democrats -umbrella group of RPR and UDF); UMP = Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement [to 17 Nov 2002: Union for the Presidential Majority], conservative, est. 23 Apr 2002 from RPR, DL and the main part of UDF);
- Former parties: RPR = Rassemblement Pour la République (Rally for the Republic, Gaulist, conservative, 1976-2002 successor to UDR, merged into UMP); UDF = Union pour la Démocratie Française (Union for French Democracy, 1978-2007)

 6 Jul 1930 - 19 Mar 1946  French Guiana divided into two territories;
                             French Guiana (Cayenne and the Atlantic coast)
                             and Inini Territory (inland area).

Governors
 6 Jul 1930 - 19 Mar 1946  the governors of French Guiana