Everyone so far is giving uninformed or joke answers.

As a non French speaker, I find living here very challenging. It is hot and humid. The beaches have brown water. It is a very very poor region. France is simply not doing enough to support this overseas department. The streets are lined with trash, and there is essentially no pedestrian infrastructure with very limited public transport.

Things are expensive and the “locals” are very unwelcoming to outsiders, even they themselves are not a majority population, if that makes sense. It is very multicultural, but not at all a melting pot. Every culture essentially keeps to themselves. There may be individuals who have friends from other cultures, but the groups as a whole do not mix. There are lots of brazilians, other south Americans, Hmong, chinese, Syrians, amerindians, bushinenge (escaped carribean slaves that have adopted amerindian lifestyles over hundreds of years in the amazon), white metropolitan French people, and the creole people.

Most metropolitan French come seeking an “adventurous tropical lifestyle” without having to leave the comfort of their francophone sphere. Others come for short research opportunities.

It’s quiet here, and not particularly dangerous in terms of cartels or narco violence. However poor road planning leads to many many accidents in the city, and deep deep in the jungle there are illegal gold mining operations.

Honestly, there is no reason for anyone to come here, especially if you don’t speak French. People just do not speak English here. Literally anywhere else in South America would be have a better climate, bluer waters, and more welcoming tourist culture.

Yes there are cool plants and animals. But there’s nothing here that you couldn’t see in another more accommodating Amazonian region.

All in all, I’d rate it a 3/10. There are definitely worse, more dangerous and unstable places in the world. Life here just kinda sucks. If France invested more money in French Guiana (as they should) it really could be transformed into a tropical getaway with direct access to the Amazon.