French Guiana

A French overseas department on the equator: euros, French rules and the Kourou spaceport in the middle of the rainforest. Prices run well above mainland France because everything is shipped in, while healthcare and infrastructure follow French standards. It is hot and humid all year, the rainy season stretches from December to July, and the dry spell is short. The job market is narrow and tied to the public sector and the spaceport, mosquito-borne illness calls for prevention, and flights to Europe are long and expensive.