Cayenne is the capital city of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic coast. The city’s motto is “fert aurum industria”, which means “work brings wealth”.
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Government | |
| Mayor (2020–2026) | Sandra Trochimara |
| Area1 | 23.60 km2 (9.11 sq mi) |
| Population (Jan. 2018) | 63,652 |
| Time zone | UTC−03:00 |
Geography
Cayenne is located on the banks of the estuary of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic Ocean. The city occupies part of the Cayenne Island.
Economy
Cayenne is an important seaport in South America. The major port of Dégrad des Cannes is on the estuary of the river Mahury, replacing Larivot and the Îles du Salut. Timber, rosewood essence, rum, and gold are exported in small quantities. A seafront avenue links Cayenne with the suburbs of Chaton and Montabo, where the French Institute of Tropical America and the Pasteur Institute are located. Historic landmarks include the Church of the Holy Saviour and a prefecture on the Place d’Armes. The Félix Eboué International Airport is the only international airport serving Cayenne.
Heritage
The palmists place
Initially it was a place arranged to ventilate the city after the demolition of the walls in 1810. The place being occupied by herbs, it was therefore called Place de la Savane. Later they planted royal palms of Guisanbourg, and it became the place of the Palmistes. Under Governor Gerville-Reache transformed the place into an English garden, with artificial hills, flower beds and ornamental plants. There is a statue of Félix Éboué, an illustrious Guianan character, in place of the Merlet fountain. Today it is a place of life, meeting Cayenese. In the evening, trailers sell French fries, sandwiches, bamis and nassi (Javanese specialties), local juices and other takeaways.
The Botanical Garden
In 1786, Louis XVI had a garden that served as a deposit and nursery for various plants and trees from various destinations. Louis Claude Richard, director of the garden was responsible for bringing from India muscadiers, rattans, trees in, feet of cardamom and pepper. In 1821 a house was built for the botanist. In 1879, he changed his name and became Botanical Garden is a floral park in the city center. There is a Gaston Monnerville statue in the center of the garden.
The market and the Place du Coq
These two adjoining buildings are located near the old port of Cayenne. As early as 1703, a Place du Port appears on a map of the city of Cayenne, it then becomes Place du Marché in 1842. In 1888, a covered market and a public garden were built there. In 1907 the municipal council led by the mayor Eugène Gobert decides the removal of the garden for the construction of a new covered market, the one that we know today.
Culture
Carnival of Cayenne
The carnival is one of the major events of the Capital. It takes place between Epiphany in early January and Ash Wednesday in February or March.
Description and origin
This festival belongs to the Guianan Creole culture. It is originally carnival as practiced in Europe. At the beginning of the colonization, the colonists practiced the carnival, but it was forbidden to the slaves. Braving ban, the slaves practiced the carnival, in the clandestine festivals. They were regaining some freedom, commemorating Africans, fertility and harvest, and making fun of settlers.
The fat days close the carnival :
- Fat Sunday: this is the day of the grand parade, the biggest carnival parade. concurrent groups to get prizes based on their performance.
- fat Monday: burlesque marriages, men dress up for brides and women for married couples.
- Mardi Gras: the carnivals go by in Diab rouj, everyone dresses in red and black.
- Ash Wednesday: black and white devils bury Vaval, the king of the carnival.
Carnival of the streets
Groups disguised according to the theme of the year, and around decorated characters, to the rhythm of drums and brass. The preparation of the groups last from the month before the carnival. The groups parade in front of the thousands of spectators who are massed on the sidewalks and the stands arranged for the occasion.
The most known groups are:
- Kassialata
- Reno Band
- OsBand
- les Belles de la Madeleine
The masked balls
The night business, called “Universities”, organizes masked balls during which men come to dance with the Touloulous. Evenings are held on Friday and Saturday nights. This tradition is peculiar to French Guiana, it does not exist anywhere else.
The carnival dances are mazurka, biguine and piké djouk. It is the Touloulou who invites men to dance, and they can not refuse. Only the Touloulous have the right to dance, if a woman is not disguised, the orchestra stops.
The Cayenne Ballroom is called Nana, where the Blues Star band plays.
Main sights
Cayenne centres on its main commercial street, the Avenue Général de Gaulle. At the east end of the avenue near the coast is the Place des Palmistes and the Place de Grenoble (also known as the Place Léopold Héder). Most of the official buildings are located in this area: the Hôtel de Ville (the town hall) built by Jesuits in the 1890s, the Post Office, the Préfecture, residence of French Guiana’s Préfect, and the Musée Départmental Franconie.
To the south of this compact region is the Village Chinois (known as Chicago), separated from the rest of Cayenne by the Canal Laussat. It has a reputation for being a dangerous area.
Other buildings in the city include Cayenne Cathedral, municipal library, the municipal museum and a museum of French Guianese Culture and a scientific research institute. The Jardin botanique de Cayenne is the city’s botanical garden.
Transport
Cayenne is served by the Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport, which is located in the neighbouring commune of Matoury. There are two flights a day to Paris (Orly Airport), served by Air France and Air Caraïbes. There are also flights to Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre, Belém, and Fortaleza.
Education
Cayenne is home to the University of French Guiana, formerly a campus of the University of the French West Indies until a strike concerning university funding lead to the creation of a separate institution in 2014.
