Ask someone which countries border France. Chances are, if you run into someone with at least passable knowledge of geography, this is what the answer will be: Belgium, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Andorra, Switzerland, and Italy. Many would not think of France bordering The Netherlands or Brazil. At least not Metropolitan France.
Believe it or not, France does share borders with Brazil and The Netherlands. There is Metropolitan France, which is the mainland part, which is on the European mainland. And then there are Overseas Departments of Frances, Overseas Territories. The same can be said about The Netherlands. There is the mainland part of The Netherlands, and then there are The Netherlands Antilles.
Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin share the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea. Sint Maarten, in the southern part of the island, is part of The Netherlands, specifically The Netherlands Antilles. Saint-Martin, on the north side of the island, is an Overseas Collectivity of France. This is where France and The Netherlands meet.
At one time, France and The Netherlands used to share a border on the South American continent. Suriname, which shares its western border with French Guiana, was known as Dutch Guiana. Since Suriname’s independence, this is no longer so. French Guiana is an Overseas Territory of France, and it shares its border with Brazil to the south and east.
St. Martin was a highly contested island during the 17th century. The Dutch Republic used the island for salt during the time. The Spanish Empire, warring with the Dutch Republic at the time, captured the island in 1633. The Spanish Empire later abandoned the island, seeing it as unprofitable. The Dutch Republic and the Kingdom of France divided the island amongst themselves.
During the 18th century, what is now French Guiana was colonized by the French Empire, along with other places in the Caribbean. It was soon become a prison colony, as few people could survive there in the tropical climate. It switched to Portuguese rule, and later back to French rule.
French Guiana is home to Guiana Space Center at Kourou, where rockets are launched for the European Space Agency.
TheGeoScholar 