coastal town, north-central French Guiana, on the Kourou River. From 1854 to 1944 it served as a French penal colony. In the 19th century about 15,000 French settlers, imagining the town to be the legendary El Dorado, arrived there, but within two years all had died, either from disease or starvation. Kourou town assumed some importance after 1970 with the completion nearby of the European Launcher Development Organization's Equatorial Space Range (subsequently the Guiana Space Centre of the European Space Agency). Available for use by all friendly nations for satellite launchings, it is used for research programs (such as weather studies) and for telecommunications. The surrounding area's economy is basically agricultural, with coffee, cacao, and tropical fruits being grown. Pop. (1999) 19,107.