French Guiana is a region of France located on the north-east coast of South America. Despite its location bordered by Brazil and Suriname, French Guiana is a part of the European Union, and its official currency is the euro. Until the French colonized the area in the 18th century, the region was inhibited by the indigenous Arawak, Kalina and other peoples.
The ethnically-diverse population enjoys one of the higher standards of living in the continent, propped up by the French social security system and subsidies. After WWII, Charles de Gaulle established the Guiana Space Centre in 1965, a European Space Agency rocket launch site, accounting for a significant slice of GDP and lending strategic value for the country.