Facts About French Guiana Language

French Guiana Language

French Guiana is an overseas department of France on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America, just above Brazil and Guyana, with Suriname to the east and north and the Brazilian state of Amapá to the west.

An archipelago in the Guyanas group, along with two other mainland regions, it’s known in French as Guyane, an archaic word that some still use today.

Here are five facts about French Guiana language you may not have known before!

1) It’s an official language in its own right

French is the official language of French Guiana and is spoken by about 75% of the population.

The predominant language in French Guiana is Creole, which is an offshoot of French. Another language that can be found in French Guiana is the Amerindian language, which is spoken by indigenous populations.

French territory includes different Caribbean territories and other foreign countries such as the United States.

There is a wide range of regional languages that exist in this area as well due to its location on the borders with Suriname, Brazil, and Guyana.

Despite this wide range of regional languages, the majority of these regional languages are the predominant languages and are related to Carib Indians and there are over 25 varieties spoken throughout this region.

2) There are three kinds of people speaking it

There are three groups of people speaking French Guianese Creole as their predominant language: African slaves, forest rangers and forest tracks, and the clandestine gold prospectors who came to the region for reasons other than to exploit its resources.

African slaves were brought to work on plantations during the 18th and 19th centuries, which explains why many of them speak French Creole as their first language.

Their descendants have since acquired proficiency in French but maintain their creole as a mother tongue.

There is also a large population that speaks mixed creoles, or Maroon creoles. These people are descendants of former African slaves who fled into the jungles and eventually mixed with native populations.

They still use French as their main language but also use local languages like Guyana and Carib languages.

French convicts from France arrived in French Guiana when it was part of the penal colony known as French Guyana, between 1794 and 1897.

These French convicts mainly settled in coastal areas such as Cayenne where they developed a separate identity from those who lived inland; however, it can be difficult to tell them apart due to so much intermarriage having taken place over the years.

The French government has imposed laws preventing these settlers from various foreign countries from passing down French citizenship to their children, making it more difficult for immigrants from a foreign country to settle here legally because they’re not entitled to passports or social benefits.

3) It is spoken in a specific French territory (French Guiana)

French is the only official language of France, but there are many different languages spoken in other parts of the country.

This is mainly due to the diversity of cultures that were brought in by immigrants from their home countries.

The territory of Guiana is one example. It is a part of France in South America and has a population that speaks Maroon Creole languages, and some people speak Guyanese Creole.

There are also some other dialects like Eloi or La Pointe Creole. Operation Anaconda took place here in 1964, which was an effort to try and end all resistance against the U.S., though it eventually failed as well.

Air France operates flights out of Cayenne airport to Paris. Every year, around 100 million euros worth of gold comes out of the mines near Roura to be exported through Air France back to Paris.

French Guiana’s main export is gold, followed by manioc (a starchy root), bananas, coffee, shrimp, and timber products. Manioc flour is often used in french fries because it is easy to produce and has a lower cost than potatoes.

4) Every speaker speaks one other language besides it

5) People from neighboring territories can understand it

One of the most interesting facts about the French Guiana language is that it’s actually spoken by people from neighboring territories such as Brazil and Suriname.

The difference between those who live in Guyana and those who live in these other regions is that locals are able to understand each other, whereas people living outside of this region would not be able to comprehend what they’re saying.

Another fact worth mentioning is that English words are often used within the French Guiana language. It’s true: the local lingo often features words like okay, tonight, weekend, etc.

FAQ’S