Kourou

Kourou spans along the Kourou River banks with a port facing the Atlantic Ocean and four surrounding hills named Carapa, Pariacabo, Café, and Lombard.

Between 1854 and 1944, the settlement functioned as a French penal colony where prisoners endured severe conditions before the area transformed into a modern space hub.

The population of 24,612 residents includes Kalina indigenous peoples, Creoles, Maroons, and immigrants from Brazil and Suriname, creating a diverse social fabric.

The Guiana Space Centre employs 1,700 direct personnel and generates approximately 7,500 additional jobs through related activities in the surrounding region.

The location 500 kilometers north of the equator reduces energy requirements for launching satellites into geostationary orbits from the European spaceport.

Location: Canton of Kourou

Location: French Guiana

Location: arrondissement of Cayenne

Elevation above the sea: 2 m

Shares border with: Macouria, Roura, Sinnamary, Montsinéry-Tonnégrande, Saint-Élie

Phone: +33594223131

Email: urbanisme@ville-kourou.fr

Website: http://kourou.fr

GPS coordinates: 5.15833,-52.64278

Latest update: May 26, 2025 21:33