Kourou, town and commune (2007 pop. 25,918), N French Guiana, on the coast 26 mi (42 km) NW of Cayenne. A rocket-launching base, the Guiana Space Center, is mainly in the commune near the town; the Soyuz launch complex portion of the center is in neighboring Sinnamary commune. Launches there are conducted by the French space agency, the European Space Agency, and Arianespace. There also is a space museum. Devils Island is offshore but is part of Cayenne commune.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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