Geography of French Guiana

Climate

French Guiana's climate is tropical and hot with a Köppen climate classification of tropical rainforest (Af) throughout most of the country. Heavy showers, severe thunderstorms, and floodings are frequent, as is intense heat and humidity.

Although French Guiana is very close to the equator, the trade winds which blow almost the year round refresh the coastal region and prevent the formation of great tropical storms. The annual mean temperature on the coast is 80 °F (27 °C). There are two principal seasons: "summer" from July to December and the "rainy season" the rest of the year, broken only by a Short "March Summer."

Tree cover extent and loss

Global Forest Watch publishes annual estimates of tree cover loss and 2000 tree cover extent derived from time-series analysis of Landsat satellite imagery in the Global Forest Change dataset. In this framework, tree cover refers to vegetation taller than 5 m (including natural forests and tree plantations), and tree cover loss is defined as the complete removal of tree cover canopy for a given year, regardless of cause.

For French Guiana, country statistics report cumulative tree cover loss of 91,912 ha (919.12 km²) from 2001 to 2024 (about 1.1% of its 2000 tree cover area). For tree cover density greater than 30%, country statistics report a 2000 tree cover extent of 8,162,754 ha (81,627.54 km²). The charts and table below display this data. In simple terms, the annual loss number is the area where tree cover disappeared in that year, and the extent number shows what remains of the 2000 tree cover baseline after subtracting cumulative loss. Forest regrowth is not included in the dataset.

Annual tree cover loss in French Guiana, 2001–2024. View chart definition.Tree cover extent in 2000 minus cumulative tree cover loss in French Guiana, 2001–2024 (loss-only residual; does not account for gain). View chart definition.

Terrain

French Guiana extends almost 400 km (250 miles) into the continent and is divided into two natural zones: a small, low, swampy coastal area called the "Terres Basses," varying from 16 to 48 km in width, and a granite peneplain called the "Terres Hautes," worn down by erosion into steps forming a series of low steep hills. Almost the entire country is covered by rain forest and its many large rivers and streams, although their courses are broken by rapids, constitute the only natural means of penetration into the interior. The main rivers, flowing in a general south–north direction, are the Maroni, the Mana, the Iracoubo, the Sinnamary, the Kourou, the Mahury, the Approuague and the Oyapock.

Extreme Points

• Northernmost point – Pointe Isère
• Southernmost point – border with Brazil, Maripasoula
• Westernmost point – disputed, see France–Suriname relations
  • assuming France's claim: tripoint with Suriname and Brazil, Maripasoula
  • assuming Suriname's claim: point on Maroni, Apatou
• Easternmost point – mouth of Oyapock, Saint-Georges commune (but near the village of Ouanary)
• Highest point – Bellevue de l'Inini: 851 m
• Lowest point – Atlantic Ocean: 0 m