Communes serve as the fundamental administrative division in French Guiana, with 22 such municipalities comprising the second and final level of local government. These territorial units function similarly to communes in metropolitan France, handling essential municipal services including urban planning, local infrastructure maintenance, waste management, and primary education facilities. Each commune is governed by a municipal council elected by local residents, headed by a mayor who serves as both the commune's executive officer and a representative of the French state. Communes manage local taxation, deliver public services tailored to their communities' needs, and maintain civil registries. Given French Guiana's status as an overseas department of France, these communes operate under French administrative law while addressing the specific challenges of their tropical and often remote locations, with some covering vast territories of dense Amazonian rainforest alongside coastal settlements.