located_on_terrain_feature devil's island
île du Diable (" Devil ' s Island ") is the third - largest island of the Îles du Salut island group in the ___MASK64___ . It is located approximately 14 km ( 9 mi ) off the coast of French Guiana in South America just north of the town of Kourou . It has an area of 14 ha ( 34 . 6 acres ). The island was a part of a controversial French penal colony located in French Guiana for 101 years , from 1852 to 1953 . Although it was the smallest part of the penal colony , it is notorious for being used for internal exile of French political prisoners during that period . The most famous political prisoner on Devil ' s Island was Captain Alfred Dreyfus . French Guiana ( pronounced or ), officially called Guiana , is an overseas department and region of ___MASK13___ , located on the north Atlantic ___MASK80___ of ___MASK100___ in the Guyanas . It borders Brazil to the east and south , and Suriname to the west . Its area has a very low population density of only 3 inhabitants per km , with half of its 244 , 118 inhabitants in 2013 living in the metropolitan area of Cayenne , its capital . By land area , it is the second largest region of ___MASK13___ and the largest outermost region within the European Union . Overseas region is a recent designation given to the overseas departments that have identical powers to those of the regions of metropolitan ___MASK13___ . The overseas regions should not be confused with the overseas collectivities which have a particular status . As integral parts of the French Republic , they are represented in the National Assembly , Senate and Economic and Social Council , elect a Member of the European Parliament ( MEP ), and use the Euro as their currency . ___MASK100___ is a continent located in the western hemisphere , mostly in the southern hemisphere , with a relatively small portion in the ___MASK41___ . It is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas , which is the model used in nations that speak Romance languages . The reference to ___MASK100___ instead of other regions ( like Latin America or the Southern Cone ) has increased in the last decades due to changing geopolitical dynamics ( in particular , the rise of Brazil ). ___MASK5___ , officially the Federative Republic of ___MASK5___ , is the largest country in both ___MASK100___ and Latin America . As the world ' s fifth - largest country by both area and population , it is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas . Bounded by the ___MASK64___ on the east , ___MASK5___ has a coastline of . It borders all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile and covers 47 . 3 % of the continent ' s land area . Its Amazon River basin includes a vast tropical forest , home to diverse wildlife , a variety of ecological systems , and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats . This unique environmental heritage makes ___MASK5___ one of 17 megadiverse countries , and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection . Suriname ( or , also spelled Surinam ), officially known as the Republic of Suriname , is a sovereign state on the northeastern Atlantic ___MASK80___ of ___MASK100___ . It is bordered by French Guiana to the east , Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south . At just under , it is the smallest country in ___MASK100___ . Suriname has a population of approximately 566 , 000 , most of whom live on the country ' s north ___MASK80___ , in and around the capital and largest city , Paramaribo . The Cayenne River is a 50 km - long river in French Guiana . Formed by the Cascades River and the Tonnégrande River , it flows into the ___MASK64___ near the city of Cayenne , forming a large estuary , about 2 km long . Alfred Dreyfus ( 9 October 1859  12 July 1935 ) was a French Jewish artillery officer whose trial and conviction in 1894 on charges of treason became one of the most tense political dramas in modern French history with a wide echo in all ___MASK34___ . Known today as the Dreyfus affair , the incident eventually ended with Dreyfus ' complete exoneration . Cayenne is the capital city of French Guiana , an overseas region and department of ___MASK13___ located in ___MASK100___ . The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic ___MASK80___ . The city ' s motto is " fert aurum industria " which means " work brings wealth ". The ___MASK64___ is the second largest of the world ' s oceans with a total area of about . It covers approximately 20 percent of the Earth ' s surface and about 29 percent of its water surface area . It separates the " Old World " from the " New World ". An overseas department ( or " DOM ") is a department of ___MASK13___ that is outside metropolitan ___MASK13___ . They have nearly the same political status as metropolitan departments , although they have special constitutional provisions that allow them greater autonomy and are excluded from certain domestic statistics , such as the unemployment rate . The overseas departments should not be confused with the overseas collectivities which have a particular status . As integral parts of ___MASK13___ and the European Union , overseas departments are represented in the National Assembly , Senate , and Economic and Social Council , vote to elect members of the European Parliament ( MEP ), and also use the euro as their currency . Each overseas department is also an overseas region . ___MASK13___ , officially the French Republic , is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . The European , or metropolitan , area of ___MASK13___ extends from the ___MASK27___ to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the ___MASK64___ . Overseas ___MASK13___ include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . ___MASK13___ spans and had a total population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017 . It is a unitary semi - presidential republic with the capital in Paris , the country ' s largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban centres include Marseille , Lyon , Lille , Nice , Toulouse and Bordeaux . The European Union ( EU ) is a political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in ___MASK34___ . It has an area of , and an estimated population of over 510 million . The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states . EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people , goods , services , and capital within the internal market , enact legislation in justice and home affairs , and maintain common policies on trade , agriculture , fisheries , and regional development . Within the Schengen Area , passport controls have been abolished . A monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002 , and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency . The penal colony of Cayenne ( French : Bagne de Cayenne ) , commonly known as Devil ' s Island ( Île du Diable ) , was a famous prison of the 19th and 20th century . It operated at several locations in French Guiana . Opened in 1852 , it was notorious for being used for internal exile of French political prisoners during that period , the most famous of which was Captain Alfred Dreyfus . It is also known for its harsh treatment of criminals , who were deported there from all parts of the French empire . The system was closed down in 1953 . Kourou is a commune in French Guiana , an overseas region and department of ___MASK13___ located in ___MASK100___ . In addition to being an administrative district in French Guiana , it is also the main town in that district . Guyana ( pronounced or ), officially the Co - operative Republic of Guyana , is a sovereign state on the northern ___MASK90___ of ___MASK100___ . It is , however , included in the ___MASK9___ Region due to its strong cultural , historical , and political ties with the ___MASK9___ Community ( CARICOM ). Guyana is bordered by the ___MASK64___ to the north , Brazil to the south and southwest , Suriname to the east and Venezuela to the west . With , Guyana is the fourth - smallest country on ___MASK90___ ___MASK100___ after Uruguay , Suriname and French Guiana .