EU OVERSEAS REGIONS OF GLOBAL With the kind support of: 7importANCE Amazonia Did you Amazonia know? French Guiana is the largest Outermost Region (OR) of Europe. French Guiana - Mont Itoupé French Guiana comprises an It is the only of the 34 European Overseas important component of the Guiana entities located on the South American © Guillaume Feuillet, PAG Shield, a region considered as one continent. of the world’s last wilderness areas. With over 80% of its territory covered by It is covered by the largest expanse equatorial rainforest, French Guiana is home of undisturbed tropical rainforest, of to France’s largest forest. which 80% is in pristine condition The Guiana Amazonia Park is Europe’s and home to one of the highest biggest terrestrial protected area (20,300 km2) biodiversity rates on Earth. and France’s largest national park. As the only European tropical forest French Guiana covers a 6 times smaller area of significant size, it harbours than France but has: • 3 times more vertebrates, more tree species in 1 ha than all • 8 times more freshwater fishes, continental Europe forests combined. • 5 times more reptiles, The socio-economic value of many • 3 times more bats. ecosystem services of global importance is yet to be quantified. However, this treasure is threatened French Guiana by human activities: Illegal gold - Poisonous mining is one of the main pressures dyeing dart frog on French Guiana biodiversity as © Guillaume Feuillet, PAG well as massive deforestation and illegal, unregulated fishing in its freshwater and marine ecosystems. To ensure long-term benefits for all measures for sustainable resource management need to be developed Territories not only within currently existing protected areas, such as the Guiana Amazonian Park (Parc Amazonien de French Giuana Guyane). French Guiana - Baby turtles getting to the ocean ©Roger Leguen, WWF-Canon French Guiana – At the foot of Mont Itoupé French Guiana – Amazonian rain forest © Roger Leguen, WWF-Canon © Guillaume Feuillet, PAG Amazonia - Leatherback turtle on the beach ©Thierry Montford, WWF French Guiana – In the rain forest © Roger Leguen, WWF-Canon.