Maripasoula

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Commune in French Guiana, France

title: "Maripasoula" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["communes-of-french-guiana", "maripasoula"] description: "Commune in French Guiana, France" topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maripasoula" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Commune in French Guiana, France ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox French commune"]

FieldValue
nameMaripasoula
commune statusCommune
image[[File:Vue sur Avenue Lalaymia Abdallah vers le College Grand man Difou en ete.jpg
captionA view of Maripasoula post office
map size220px
adjustable mapLocator map of Maripasoula 2022.png
map captionLocation of the commune (in red) within French Guiana
arrondissementSaint-Laurent-du-Maroni
INSEE97353
postal code97370
mayorSerge Anelli
term2020–2026
intercommunalityOuest Guyanais
coordinates
area km218360
population
population date
population footnotes
::

|name = Maripasoula |commune status = Commune |image = [[File:Vue sur Avenue Lalaymia Abdallah vers le College Grand man Difou en ete.jpg|220px|Vue sur Avenue Lalaymia Abdallah vers le College Grand man Difou en ete]] |caption = A view of Maripasoula post office |image coat of arms = |map size = 220px |adjustable map = Locator map of Maripasoula 2022.png |map caption = Location of the commune (in red) within French Guiana |arrondissement = Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni |INSEE = 97353 |postal code = 97370 |mayor = Serge Anelli |term = 2020–2026 |intercommunality = Ouest Guyanais |coordinates = |elevation m = |elevation min m = |elevation max m = |area km2 = 18360 |population = |population date = |population footnotes =

Maripasoula (), 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, Maripasoula is the largest commune of France. 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.

About a tenth of the Maripasoula commune is claimed by Suriname. A bilateral commission has been set up to resolve the dispute. Suriname, contends that the boundary follows the Marowini River to the east, while France asserts that the border follows the Litani River and Coulé-Coulé Creek to the west.

Villages

Transport

Maripasoula is served by Maripasoula Airport, with services on one commercial passenger airline.

The commune can be accessed only by air, or by boat via the Maroni river. 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. There are plans to extend the Route Nationale from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni to Maripasoula, however the Route Nationale currently ends south of Apatou.

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. |location= Maripasoula (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1955−present) |metric first= Y |single line= Y |Jan record high C = 34.4 |Feb record high C = 34.6 |Mar record high C = 35.7 |Apr record high C = 35.4 |May record high C = 35.1 |Jun record high C = 35.1 |Jul record high C = 35.4 |Aug record high C = 36.3 |Sep record high C = 36.8 |Oct record high C = 37.6 |Nov record high C = 38.2 |Dec record high C = 36.4 |year record high C = 38.2 |Jan high C = 31.1 |Feb high C = 31.1 |Mar high C = 31.6 |Apr high C = 31.7 |May high C = 31.7 |Jun high C = 31.9 |Jul high C = 32.2 |Aug high C = 33.0 |Sep high C = 33.9 |Oct high C = 34.3 |Nov high C = 33.7 |Dec high C = 32.2 |year high C = 32.4 |Jan mean C = 26.8 |Feb mean C = 26.8 |Mar mean C = 27.1 |Apr mean C = 27.4 |May mean C = 27.4 |Jun mean C = 27.3 |Jul mean C = 27.3 |Aug mean C = 27.6 |Sep mean C = 27.9 |Oct mean C = 28.2 |Nov mean C = 28.1 |Dec mean C = 27.4 |year mean C = 27.4 |Jan low C = 22.5 |Feb low C = 22.5 |Mar low C = 22.7 |Apr low C = 23.0 |May low C = 23.2 |Jun low C = 22.8 |Jul low C = 22.3 |Aug low C = 22.2 |Sep low C = 22.0 |Oct low C = 22.2 |Nov low C = 22.5 |Dec low C = 22.7 |year low C = 22.6 |Jan record low C = 16.9 |Feb record low C = 17.7 |Mar record low C = 18.0 |Apr record low C = 18.6 |May record low C = 18.4 |Jun record low C = 19.4 |Jul record low C = 18.5 |Aug record low C = 17.9 |Sep record low C = 17.5 |Oct record low C = 16.9 |Nov record low C = 17.6 |Dec record low C = 18.2 |year record low C = 16.9 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 223.1 |Feb precipitation mm = 235.3 |Mar precipitation mm = 238.7 |Apr precipitation mm = 284.7 |May precipitation mm = 354.0 |Jun precipitation mm = 280.8 |Jul precipitation mm = 204.8 |Aug precipitation mm = 159.7 |Sep precipitation mm = 58.1 |Oct precipitation mm = 69.8 |Nov precipitation mm = 111.9 |Dec precipitation mm = 194.7 |year precipitation mm = 2415.6 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 20.9 |Feb precipitation days = 19.5 |Mar precipitation days = 19.1 |Apr precipitation days = 21.1 |May precipitation days = 25.6 |Jun precipitation days = 23.2 |Jul precipitation days = 20.3 |Aug precipitation days = 16.0 |Sep precipitation days = 8.0 |Oct precipitation days = 7.8 |Nov precipitation days = 11.1 |Dec precipitation days = 18.9 |year precipitation days = 211.6 |Jan sun = n/a |Feb sun = 113.4 |Mar sun = 132.7 |Apr sun = 129.8 |May sun = n/a |Jun sun = n/a |Jul sun = 181.9 |Aug sun = 214.4 |Sep sun = 240.7 |Oct sun = 253.0 |Nov sun = 207.8 |Dec sun = 169.6 |year sun = n/a |source 1 = Météo-France{{cite web | url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_97353001.pdf | title=Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records | language = fr | publisher = Météo-France | access-date = August 31, 2022}} |source 2 = Meteociel (sunshine 1981–2010)}}

History

The town of Maripasoula was officially founded as Upper Maroni at the end of the 19th century when gold was discovered. In 1953, the residents decided to change the name to Maripasoula. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Maripasoula has been at the heart of a gold rush. The majority of fortune seekers are illegal Brazilian garimpeiro. Efforts by the French gendarme and military to stop the illegal gold mining 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, and cater to both the gold prospectors and the town of Maripasoula because of significantly lower prices and convenience.

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. 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.

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; the population increased from 4,507 people in 2006 to 13,227 in 2016.

|source = INSEE |percentages = pagr |align = none |graph-pos = right |1967 |636 |1974 |884 |1982 |1007 |1990 |1748 |1999 |3710 |2007 |5545 |2012 |9970 |2017 |13227

Sites of interest

Protected buildings and historical monuments

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

National park

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

Notable residents

References

References

  1. (2 December 2020). "Répertoire national des élus: les maires".
  2. (2013). "Villes de plus grande taille, superficie, surface - toutes-les-villes".
  3. "French Guiana–Suriname".
  4. "Maripasoula Airport".
  5. "Guide Maripasoula".
  6. "Route Maripasoula-Papaichton : 1 million d'euros par kilomètre".
  7. (5 May 2018). "Route de l'intérieur : de rendez-vous manqués en promesses non tenues".
  8. "La route d'Apatou raccommodée".
  9. "Normales et records pour Maripasoula (973)". Meteociel.
  10. "Population de Maripasoula".
  11. "Pour l'or de Maripasoula".
  12. "La Vie en face".
  13. "Verkeerde benzine-opslag oorzaak brand Antonio do Brinco".
  14. (7 July 2001). "Pour l'or de Maripasoula". Le Monde.fr.
  15. (2 December 2019). "Guyane: se soigner au coeur de l'Amazonie".
  16. "Guyane : Le chantier de la route Maripasoula-Papaïchton lancé".
  17. "La route Maripasoula-Papaïchton, le chantier commence".
  18. Michele Baj Strobel. (1989). "At home with a prospector in French Guiana: a sketch".
  19. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-97353#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE
  20. "World Heritage Papers: Rock Art in the Caribbean".
  21. "Roches gravées de la crique du Marouini à Maripasoula".
  22. {{in lang. fr [http://www.parc-guyane.gf/accueil.php Parc de Guyane] {{webarchive. link. (2010-03-15)
  23. "Bellevue de L'Inni".
  24. "Cyrille Regis".
  25. "JACOBIN YOMA".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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