Maripasoula

Maripasoula
Commune
A view of Maripasoula post office
Location of the commune (in red) within French Guiana
Location of Maripasoula
Coordinates: 3°38′40″N 54°02′02″W
Country	France
Overseas region and department	French Guiana
Arrondissement	Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
Intercommunality	Ouest Guyanais
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Serge Anelli[1]
Area ^1	18,360 km^2 (7,090 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	9,177
• Density	0.50/km^2 (1.3/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−03:00
INSEE/Postal code	97353 /97370
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km^2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Maripasoula (French pronunciation: [maʁipasula]), previously named Upper Maroni, is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. With a land area of 18,360 km² (7,090 sq mi), Maripasoula is the largest commune of France.^[3] The commune is slightly larger than the country of Kuwait or the U.S. state of New Jersey.

Geography

The Lawa and Maroni Rivers form a natural border with Suriname on the west, and with Brazil on the south.^[4]

Villages

• Alawataimë enï
• Antecume Pata
• Élahé
• Epoja
• Kayodé
• Kulumuli
• Nouveau Wakapou
• Palasisi
• Palimino
• Pëleya
• Pilima
• Talhuwen
• Tedamali

Transport

Maripasoula is served by Maripasoula Airport,^[5] with services on one commercial passenger airline.

The commune can be accessed only by air, or by boat via the Maroni river.^[4] The unpaved path between Maripasoula and Papaïchton will be turned into a proper road. Road work has commenced on 20 July 2020 and is scheduled to be completed by 2021.^{[needs update][6]} There are plans to extend the Route Nationale from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni to Maripasoula,^[7] however the Route Nationale currently ends south of Apatou.^[8]

Climate

Maripasoula has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) and is very warm to hot and humid all year round. Although there is a decline in rainfall between August and November, this is much less marked than in Cayenne and Kourou.

Climate data for Maripasoula (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1955−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	34.4 (93.9)	34.6 (94.3)	35.7 (96.3)	35.4 (95.7)	35.1 (95.2)	35.1 (95.2)	35.4 (95.7)	36.3 (97.3)	36.8 (98.2)	37.6 (99.7)	38.2 (100.8)	36.4 (97.5)	38.2 (100.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	31.1 (88.0)	31.1 (88.0)	31.6 (88.9)	31.7 (89.1)	31.7 (89.1)	31.9 (89.4)	32.2 (90.0)	33.0 (91.4)	33.9 (93.0)	34.3 (93.7)	33.7 (92.7)	32.2 (90.0)	32.4 (90.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)	26.8 (80.2)	26.8 (80.2)	27.1 (80.8)	27.4 (81.3)	27.4 (81.3)	27.3 (81.1)	27.3 (81.1)	27.6 (81.7)	27.9 (82.2)	28.2 (82.8)	28.1 (82.6)	27.4 (81.3)	27.4 (81.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	22.5 (72.5)	22.5 (72.5)	22.7 (72.9)	23.0 (73.4)	23.2 (73.8)	22.8 (73.0)	22.3 (72.1)	22.2 (72.0)	22.0 (71.6)	22.2 (72.0)	22.5 (72.5)	22.7 (72.9)	22.6 (72.7)
Record low °C (°F)	16.9 (62.4)	17.7 (63.9)	18.0 (64.4)	18.6 (65.5)	18.4 (65.1)	19.4 (66.9)	18.5 (65.3)	17.9 (64.2)	17.5 (63.5)	16.9 (62.4)	17.6 (63.7)	18.2 (64.8)	16.9 (62.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	223.1 (8.78)	235.3 (9.26)	238.7 (9.40)	284.7 (11.21)	354.0 (13.94)	280.8 (11.06)	204.8 (8.06)	159.7 (6.29)	58.1 (2.29)	69.8 (2.75)	111.9 (4.41)	194.7 (7.67)	2,415.6 (95.10)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	20.9	19.5	19.1	21.1	25.6	23.2	20.3	16.0	8.0	7.8	11.1	18.9	211.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours	—	113.4	132.7	129.8	—	—	181.9	214.4	240.7	253.0	207.8	169.6	—
Source 1: Météo-France[9]
Source 2: Meteociel (sunshine 1981–2010)[10]

History

The town of Maripasoula was officially founded as Upper Maroni at the end of the 19th century when gold was discovered.^[4] In 1953, the residents decided to change the name to Maripasoula.^[4] Since the beginning of the 21st century, Maripasoula has been at the heart of a gold rush.^[11][12] The majority of fortune seekers are illegal Brazilian garimpeiro.^[13] Efforts by the French gendarme and military to stop the illegal gold mining^[13] have resulted in illegal settlements across the Lawa River in Suriname where villages like Antonio do Brinco have sprung up. These villages contain a string of supermarkets, restaurants, bars and brothels,^[14] and cater to both the gold prospectors and the town of Maripasoula because of significantly lower prices and convenience.^[15]

Because of problems with crime in the region, the town was often referred to as "Far West" in the early 2000's, in a reference to the United States' historical Wild West.^[11][16] In August 2020, the development of the first Lycee de Maripasoula for 820 students was announced, and €32 million for construction work between Maripasoula and Papaïchton.^[17][18]

Population

Maripasoula City's inhabitants are known in French as Maripasouliens and Maripasouliennes. They are mainly the Maroon tribes Aluku (aka Boni), the Amerindian Wayana tribe, and the Saint Lucian and Guadeloupean Creoles. Except for residents of the city centre, the commune has a largely tribal population. The town is very ethnically diverse. In 1945, the town centre was home to 45 people, and the entire region was home to 952 people; today the population has increased from 4,507 people in 2006 to 13,227 in 2016.^[19]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1967	636	—
1974	884	+4.82%
1982	1,007	+1.64%
1990	1,748	+7.14%
1999	3,710	+8.72%
2007	5,545	+5.15%
2012	9,970	+12.45%
2017	13,227	+5.82%
Source: INSEE[20]

Sites of interest

Protected buildings and historical monuments

Near the Maroni River, petroglyphs have been found depicting many animals and humans.^[21] Other monuments are the Roches gravées de la crique du Marouini à Maripasoula.^[22]

National park

Most of the southern territory of Maripasoula makes up most of the area dedicated to the Guiana Amazonian Park (French: Parc amazonien de Guyane). The Biodiversity of the region of the Amazonian rainforest is one of the richest in the world.^[23] Bellevue de l'Inini, the highest mountain in French Guiana, is located in Maripasoula.^[24]

Notable residents

• Cyrille Regis – former West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City, and England national football team player, born in Maripasoula.^[25]
• Jacobin Yoma – professional boxer.^[26]

See also

• Communes of French Guiana

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
2. "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
3. "Villes de plus grande taille, superficie, surface - toutes-les-villes" (in French). 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-03-02. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
4. "Guide Maripasoula". Petit Futé (in French). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
5. "Maripasoula Airport". Airport Guide. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
6. "Route Maripasoula-Papaichton : 1 million d'euros par kilomètre". France Guyane (in French). Retrieved 10 August 2020.
7. "Route de l'intérieur : de rendez-vous manqués en promesses non tenues". Guyane, le Première (in French). 5 May 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
8. "La route d'Apatou raccommodée". Guyane la Première (in French). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
9. "Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records" (PDF) (in French). Météo-France. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
10. "Normales et records pour Maripasoula (973)". Meteociel. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
11. "Pour l'or de Maripasoula". Le Monde.fr (in French). 7 July 2001. Retrieved 6 June 2020. Far West is in the first paragraph, which can be read without paying.
12. "Population de Maripasoula". Linternaute (in French). Retrieved 5 August 2020.
13. "Pour l'or de Maripasoula". Opex 360 (in French). Retrieved 5 August 2020.
14. "La Vie en face". Une Saison en Guyane (in French). Retrieved 6 July 2020.
15. "Verkeerde benzine-opslag oorzaak brand Antonio do Brinco". De Ware Tijd (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 July 2020.
16. "Guyane: se soigner au coeur de l'Amazonie". Rose Up magazine (in French). 2 December 2019.
17. "Guyane : Le chantier de la route Maripasoula-Papaïchton lancé". Outremers 360 (in French). Retrieved 10 January 2022.
18. "La route Maripasoula-Papaïchton, le chantier commence". France TV Info (in French). Retrieved 10 January 2022.
19. Michele Baj Strobel (1989). "At home with a prospector in French Guiana: a sketch". New West Indian Guide. Vol. 63, no. 3–4. p. 224. doi:10.1163/13822373-90002031.
20. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
21. "World Heritage Papers: Rock Art in the Caribbean". Study Lib.es. p. 244. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
22. "Roches gravées de la crique du Marouini à Maripasoula".
23. (in French) Parc de Guyane Archived 2010-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
24. "Bellevue de L'Inni". Peak Bagger. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
25. "Cyrille Regis". National-Football-Teams.com.
26. "JACOBIN YOMA". Boxe Time (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2021.

External links