Geography of French Guiana (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish, [shrimp], rice, bananas. Arable land: 0%.<br> Permanent crops: 0%.<br> Permanent pastures: 0%.<br> Forests and woodland: 0%.<br> Other: 10% (1996 est.).<br> Irrigated land: 20 km² (1993 est.).<br> Natural hazards: high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding.<br> Environment - current issues: NA.<br> Geography - note: mostly an unsettled wilderness. Geography of French Guiana French Guiana is an overseas region of France, located on the northern coast of South America between Suriname and Brazil. See also the article on the geography of Suriname. Northern South America and part of Caribbean South America, bordering the North Atlantic
History of Guyana of the legacies of the indigenous peoples was the word Guiana, often used to describe the region encompassing modern Guyana as well as Suriname (former Dutch Guiana) and French Guiana. The word, which means "land of waters", is appropriate considering the area's multitude of rivers and streams. Historians speculate that the Arawak and Carib originated in the South American hinterland and migrated northward, first to the present-day Guianas and then to the Caribbean islands. The Arawak, mainly cultivators, hunters, and fishermen, migrated to the Caribbean islands before the Carib and settled throughout the region. The tranquility of Arawak society was