The Kourou is a 112 km long river in French Guiana

French Guiana

French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...

. The town of Kourou

Kourou

Kourou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.Kourou is the location of the Guiana Space Centre, France and ESA's main spaceport.-Geography:...

 is located at its estuary, which is generally used as a pleasure port.

Like the river Amazon, it has brown, muddy waters due to sediments picked up from the forest. A great many different fish species live in the river, and are used in the local diet.

Like many Guyanaise rivers, it is polluted by mercury

Mercury (element)

Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...

, as a result of clandestine gold mining

Gold mining

Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...

.