Cayenne

Lore & Background

Spanish explorers first visited the area but found it too hot and did not settle. The French founded a settlement in 1604, but it was destroyed by the Portuguese. French colonists returned in 1643 and founded Cayenne, but were forced to leave after attacks by Indigenous Amerindians. A permanent French settlement was established in 1664. Over the next decade, the colony changed hands among the French, Dutch, and English before being restored to France. Cayenne became a municipality in 1790, was captured by an Anglo-Portuguese force in 1809 and administered from Brazil until 1817, then returned to French control. It served as a French penal colony from 1854 to 1938.

The city's population has grown dramatically due to high immigration (chiefly from the West Indies and Brazil) and a high birth rate. At the 2012 census, 56.5% of metropolitan-area residents were born in French Guiana, 12.0% in Metropolitan France, and 26.7% in foreign countries, notably Haiti and Brazil. The city is an important seaport, exporting timber, rosewood essence, rum, and gold. Historic landmarks include the Saint-Sauveur Cathedral, Fort Cépérou, and renovated Creole houses.

Reader's Guide

Cayenne serves as the administrative, economic, and cultural hub of French Guiana. As the capital and largest city, it houses the prefecture, the main hospital (Andrée-Rosemon Hospital, opened 1992), and the Félix Eboué International Airport. The city's port, Dégrad des Cannes on the Mahury estuary, is a major South American seaport. The Pasteur Institute in Cayenne conducts research on tropical diseases and is renowned throughout Latin America. The city's intercommunal authority, the communauté d'agglomération du Centre Littoral, manages refuse collection, water supply, sewage treatment, urban planning, and public transport for Cayenne and five suburbs. Under the Köppen climate classification, Cayenne has a tropical monsoon climate bordering on equatorial, with average highs around 30°C and lows around 23°C, and receives roughly 3,500 mm of rain annually. The city's motto, 'fert aurum industria' (work brings wealth), reflects its historical emphasis on productivity. Cayenne's heritage includes the Saint-Sauveur Cathedral (consecrated 1934), Fort Cépérou (a 17th-century fortification), and restored historic Creole houses.

Did You Know?

• Cayenne's motto 'fert aurum industria' means 'work brings wealth'.
• The city was used as a French penal colony from 1854 to 1938.
• At the 2012 census, 26.7% of metropolitan-area residents were born in foreign countries, mainly Haiti and Brazil.
• The Saint-Sauveur Cathedral was consecrated in November 1934 by the first bishop of Guyana, monseigneur Pierre Gourtay.