Saint-Georges, French Guiana
Saint-Georges is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. It lies on the Oyapock River, opposite the Brazilian town of Oiapoque. The town contains a town hall, a French Foreign Legion detachment, and some hotels.History
The town was founded on 23 April 1853 as a penal colony and named after a Dutch coin of Saint George which was discovered at the site. The camp was closed down in 1863. The discovery of gold in 1885 in the Camopi River revived the hamlet and the town was officially created in 1947.Transport
An asphalted road from Saint-Georges to Régina was opened in 2004, completing the National Road 2 from Cayenne to the Brazilian border and ending the isolation of Saint-Georges. It is now possible to drive on a fully paved road from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni on the Surinamese border to Saint-Georges on the Brazilian border.
Following an international treaty between France and Brazil signed in 15 July 2005, the Oyapock River Bridge was built and was opened in March 2017. This bridge is the first land crossing ever opened between France and Brazil, and indeed between French Guiana and the rest of the world. When the bridge was opened, it is possible to drive uninterrupted from Cayenne to Macapá, the capital of the state of Amapá in Brazil.
Saint-Georges is served by the Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock Airport.
