Didier, FY5FY will be active from French Guiana in CQ WW DX SSB Contest, 25 - 26 October 2025, as FY5FY.
He will operate in SOSB 15m Low Power Category.
Recent DX Spots FY5FY
QSL via FY5FY.
Ads for direct QSL:
Didier Bironneau, B.P. 57026, 97307 Cayenne, French Guiana.
French Guiana - a piece of France in the middle of the ocean and jungle
French Guiana is not located in France, but in South America. It borders Brazil and Suriname and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. On most political maps of the world, it is not marked separately, as it is considered part of France. There is indeed a lot of French influence here, but all of this is set against the backdrop of the luxurious South American nature. How did this amazing place appear on the world map?
Flamingos, French Guiana. Author - jc marsy.
Governance from across the ocean
Officially, the country is simply called Guiana, and the clarification “French” goes back to history: this paradise was once a Parisian colony. Guiana was then the name given to the combined territory of present-day Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname, with Suriname being a Dutch colony and present-day Guyana being a British colony. Now two of these countries have become autonomous, while French Guiana remains under the influence of the President of France and is an overseas region and overseas department of France. Paris appoints a prefect to administer the department, and the inhabitants elect deputies to the Regional and Regional Councils.
French colonists settled in French Guiana in the 17th century. At first, plantations were cultivated here (the famous “Cayenne pepper” comes from here, Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana), but a century and a half later, gold deposits were found here. The country immediately became the epicenter of the French “gold rush” - hundreds of prospectors rushed here. Unfortunately, the wild nature was not kind to them, and many died of hunger and disease. For the same reason, French Guiana was long a place of exile for those who displeased the French king, including the revolutionaries of 1848.
French Guiana was granted departmental status after World War II.
The country of Haitian Catholics
The inhabitants of French Guiana consider their country to be France. “Here in France,” is something you often hear them say. Formally, French Guiana has not been granted independent status and remains under the wing of Paris. This is a plus for the country: French Guiana is part of the EU, and the official currency here is the euro. Paris invests heavily in the region, which allows almost 20% of the population to be officially unemployed. The cities in French Guiana are quite European, but from them you can get to the real jungle or walk along the Atlantic coast.
To come here, you need a French visa (not a Schengen visa) or a separate visa to visit overseas territories.
French Guiana is as diverse as Paris in terms of race and nationality. The main inhabitants here are immigrants from Haiti, dark-skinned or mulatto. Europeans make up about one in ten of the population, while about 15% are Brazilians and immigrants from Asian countries.
Almost half of the country's citizens are Catholic; there are also Muslims, Protestants, Buddhists, and Vodouists. French is the official language of the country, but two dozen other languages are also spoken here, including local dialects.
The exotic jungle
The coast of French Guiana is not at all what tourists imagine it to be: it consists of vast swamps overgrown with mangrove trees. It is gloomy, damp, and dangerous. The large cities where most of the country's population lives are located in the habitable areas of the coast.
The most remarkable part of Guiana's nature is its equatorial forests with lush vegetation and a huge number of exotic animals. Many tourists are attracted here by the opportunity to visit a real jungle, just like in the Indiana Jones movies. In every city in the country, you will find a guide who will arrange such a trip for you. But don't go on an adventure on your own: it's very dangerous.
The jungles of French Guiana are home to thousands of tropical birds, monkeys, jaguars, tapirs, and snakes, many of which are poisonous.
A spaceport surrounded by palm trees and the ocean
The country's main man-made attraction is the Kourou spaceport. It is located on the coast between the cities of Kourou and Sinnamary, near the capital of French Guiana, Cayenne. The equatorial latitude at which the spaceport is located makes it convenient for launching any objects into space. Many satellites and even two Russian Soyuz rockets have been launched from here.
The country's major cities are very reminiscent of European ones. They have modern architecture, hospitals, museums, universities, and shopping centers. Palm trees, which grow in abundance on the streets, stand out from the landscape.
Don't take a step without sunscreen!
The climate in French Guiana is humid and hot: it is subtropical. On the coast, due to the proximity of the sea, it is slightly easier to bear, but in the jungle, it is felt with full force. There is a lot of radiation in the sunlight here, so tourists should not go outside without a hat and sunscreen. The rainy season lasts from January to May, and the rest of the year is dry, although the humidity still reaches almost 100%.
The climate and tropical insects make the country not very comfortable for Europeans, but the exotic nature and European standard of living attract many tourists here.
