• grue@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      edit-2
      4 months ago

      It’s because that little chunk of South America is French Guiana, which is a full-fledged part of France (not just a territory, but a departement with political status equal to the ones in mainland Europe).

      It’s also where the European Space Agency launches their spacecraft from, by the way.

      • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        4 months ago

        Cool. I’m not sure what that has to do with the continent, though. Politically, I’m uncertain if that would count as something other than colonization, either.

        • grue@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          4 months ago

          It depends what aspect of colonization is important to your definition, I guess. Is it about imperialist expansion to non-contiguous territories, or is it more specifically about extracting resources from those territories for the exclusive benefit of the motherland?

          At any rate, I would say that French Guiana either counts or doesn’t count as a colony of France to the same extent that Hawaii counts or doesn’t count as a colony of the United States.

          • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            4 months ago

            Edit: no need to repeat myself. I think European would have been a more reasonable label.