Festivals in French Guiana are celebrated with lots of cheerful traditions, cultural performances, music, drinking, and all-day feasts. Most events are based on religious observances and origins, but there are also many secular celebrations. The months of January and February come alive with Mardi Gras spirit and throughout the year, many other interesting holidays commemorate historic dates, including the abolition of slavery.
French Guiana's population of 250,109 (January 2013 est.), most of whom live along the coast, is very ethnically diverse. At the 2011 census, 56.5% of the inhabitants of French Guiana were born in French Guiana, 9.3% were born in Metropolitan France, 3.4% were born in the French Caribbean départements (Guadeloupe and Martinique), and 30.5% were born in foreign countries (primarily Suriname, Haiti, and Brazil).
Cayenne (/keɪɪˈɛn/; French pronunciation: [kajɛn]) is the capital 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".