Saint laurent du maroni

The earliest evidence of human presence in the territory of the commune dates back to the early Neolithic . ^[2] In pre-Columbian times, Indian lands inhabited these lands. Before the formation of a colony by Europeans, the territory was named after the local leader Kamalaguli. ^[3] Of the Aboriginal tribes, only Arawak and Calina now remain.

In the 17th — 18th centuries, the coast of the Maroni River began to be explored by European settlers and their slaves, and also by runaway slaves from Suriname — bureaucrats. Now their descendants are four ethnic groups: Boni, Ndjuka, Paramaka, and Saramak, who live in the villages around Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, are engaged in agriculture and crafts, maintaining communication through river transport.

The first colonies were founded here after the adoption of the laws of August 26, 1792 and April 23, 1793, which provided for the deportation to Guiana of political criminals and persons convicted by the Church because of antisocial behavior. In 1795, the enemies of the French Revolution were condemned to deportation to Guiana, but the naval blockade imposed by Great Britain and the frequent epidemics in these places temporarily stopped this practice.

The abolition of slavery in 1850 worsened the economic situation of the white creoles and provoked the gold rush in French Guiana. Former slaves left the plantations and dug mines in tropical forests in search of gold. Creoles from the islands of Martinique , Guadeloupe , Dominic and St. Lucia joined the local black creoles. All of them settled in the area of ​​Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, where gold was traded, the mining of which was carried out illegally. Gold miners, or Garimpeiros, suffered from violence and malaria. Their use in washing the rocks of mercury and cyanide led to an ecological catastrophe - the waters of rivers and streams were poisoned, which threatened the existence of local Indian tribes and tropical forests.

The development of the territory along the banks of the Maroni River began in the 1820s. This led to the discovery here in 1852 of a colony founded by immigrants from Friedland in Mecklenburg . Emperor Louis Napoleon restored the practice of deportation of convicts to Guiana. The first convoy arrived here on March 31, 1852. The convicts were placed in the east of the colony. Their work was primarily used in the construction of roads. They also built new prisons. The eastern part of the colony was not suitable for human life, and the construction of new prisons was moved to the west.

On August 23, 1854, the first prisoners were transferred to the right bank of the Maroni River, on February 21, 1858, the agricultural prison Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni was founded here, so named after Auguste-Laurent Boden , then Governor of French Guiana . Prisoners labor was used in the production of bananas and sugar cane . New prisons were opened nearby - Saint-Jean-du-Maroni and Sparouin.

The government of France promoted active migration of Portuguese , Africans , Indians and Chinese to this region. The latter made up the largest group. However, due to the shortage of women, the migration policy of the government failed and in 1905 it was finally stopped.

Poor sanitation and hygiene conditions in the prison led to the fact that in 1867, Emperor Napoleon III decided to transfer white-skinned prisoners to prisons on the island of New Caledonia . This did not prevent Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni from becoming the center of the penal servitude administration in French Guiana. On September 15, 1880, the commune accepted the status of a prison city. The position of mayor was assigned to the director of the prison, who appointed members of the municipal commission.

In 1887, convicted Europeans were brought here again. The city began to expand. Built in chessboard order, it was divided into three districts. The official district with the corps of the administration and the houses of the employees, then the colonial city for the merchants, then the transfer prison, the police corps and the hospital. For this layout, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni received the nickname "Little Paris".

In 1923, the journalist Albert Londre visited Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. In his reports, which were published in the Lesser Parisian ( fr. Le Petit Parisien ), he spoke about the terrible situation of convicts. In an article of September 6, 1924, the journalist directly addressed Alber Sarro , the minister of colonies, with a demand to change the current situation. He was supported by Gaston Monnerville , a deputy from Guiana, who, after his election in 1932, made a demand to close the prison. His position received public support. By decree of June 17, 1938, the prison in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni was abolished, and in 1946 finally closed. In August 1953, the last 132 convicts left French Guiana, and the hard labor ceased to exist. The civil commune was officially established on November 9, 1949. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni became the main city of the region.

The center of the commune is located just beyond the mouth of the Maroni River, opposite the city of Albina in Suriname . The municipality is bordered in the north and east by the commune of Man , in the south-west by the commune of Gran Santi and in the north-west by the commune of Apatu . The commune includes the river islands Portal, Caranten and Lepreux.

The local terrain is mostly flat, with the highest point 100 meters above sea level. The landscape is a hilly valley and swamps. To the south of the center of the commune, the Deco-Decou mountain range begins with the highest point 500 meters above sea level. ^[4] The river Maroni is one of the borders of the commune in the north and north-west.

The climate in the commune is warm and humid equatorial type. There is only one season per year with two precipitation peaks, a big spring in May and a little winter in January. The air is constantly hot and humid. There is so much rainfall in a year that their annual amount reaches very high values ​​(2594.4 mm / year). However, precipitation ranges from one to three months, between the driest (105.9 mm in October) and the wettest (366.6 mm in May) month.

In 2010, the population of the commune was about 40,000 people. In terms of their ethnic composition, the Creoles are the descendants of the French, Portuguese, Indians and Chinese, the Maroons are primarily buzinanzhi, Calina, and Arawak tribes.

The active working-age population of the commune (between the ages of 15 and 64 years old) is 21,050 people, 28.7% of them are employed, 26.4% are unemployed and 44.8% are students. Of those who have a job, most are hired workers and workers, followed by employees and entrepreneurs. Locals also work at two military bases in the commune - in the village of Saint-Jean-du-Maroni and the border camp of Nemo.

Agriculture is a dynamically developing branch of the commune economy. The number of farms from 2000 to 2010 increased by 18%. Agricultural land is concentrated on the coast along the Maroni River. This, above all, rice fields and gardens. In addition to rice, the main crops are cassava, citrus, passion fruit, banana, pineapple and sugarcane. From the latter, the Saint-Maurice rum is being driven at the factory. Meat farming is focused on the breeding of cattle, rabbits, pigs, goats and chickens. Nevertheless, local crop and livestock production is unable to meet the needs of the rapidly growing population of the commune, and many products are imported from Brazil, the Caribbean and France.

The mining industry of the commune is the second largest employer in French Guiana after the space industry. It includes fifty companies, which in 2010 mined 1.14 tons of gold. Gold mining is carried out with regard to environmental safety. The woodworking industry is also developed, which is represented by thirty companies producing 12,000 m ^{3 of} wood per year. ^[7]

The commune has developed traditional crafts, especially among maroons. In addition, the reconstruction and improvement of the districts of the old city, the organization of cultural events gave impetus to the development of the tourism industry sector.

The commune has seven kindergartens, eighteen elementary municipal schools and one private elementary school, five colleges, three lyceums. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

In Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni there are several sports facilities, including the Rene Long stadium, a gym and a pool under the patronage of the Saint-Maurice rum producer. There are three football clubs - “Maroni”, “Ajuado” and “Cosma Foot”, cycling club “Velo Club du Maroni”.

Health care in the commune is represented by two social medical centers, a vaccination center and a hospital. The building of the old hospital Andre Buron March 9, 1999 received the status of a historical monument. ^[11] It is named after André Buron, MD, from Sarbonne, who voluntarily served as a doctor at Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni prison hospital since 1910. He died on February 27, 1939, at the age of 74, during a mission on the River Maroni. The hospital has been named since 2000.

The new hospital named after Frank Joly has been operating since August 10, 2000. Frank Joly, a doctor who has served in Guiana since 1967. He was the founder of the association that became the predecessor of the international organization Doctors Without Borders. Since 1976 he served in the hospital of Andre Buron, where in 1983 he became the chief physician. The new hospital is designed for 183 beds. For 2014, the construction of another hospital is planned.

Religion in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni ^[12] is primarily represented by Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism). There are followers of Islam and Hinduism. Roman Catholic followers make up the majority of the population. The main temple of the Diocese of Cayenne in the commune is the church of St. Lawrence. ^{[13] The} number of Protestants represented by the communities of evangelical Christians and Baptists is growing.

In 2009, the Cultural Association of Muslims was registered in western Guiana. ^[14] Since 2008, the Namaste Association has been operating in the commune, representing local Hindus.

Founded as a prison city, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni has a unique architectural style, represented by numerous buildings that have received the status of historical monuments of France. Along with Cayenne and Cours , Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is the place where the carnival takes place every year.

• Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant. La Guyane française: ses mines d'or et ses autres richesses (Neop.) . Manioc.org. - French Guiana: its gold mines and other riches. (fr.)
• Jean François Hilaire Mourié. La Guyane française, ou, notices géographi et al historique de la parie de la Guyane habitée accompagnées des cartes de la Guyane, de la ville de Cayenne, des Iles du Salut, et d'un aperçu sur la transportation (Neopr.) . Manioc.org. - French Guiana, or geographical and historical notes on the part of Guiana inhabited by settlers, in terms of the ability of the white race, its labor exploitation on the lands of the colony. The publication is accompanied by maps of Guiana, the city of Cayenne, the Salute Islands, as well as an overview of the transport system. (fr.)
• Site de la commune de Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (Neopr.) . Saintlaurentdumaroni.fr. - The official site of the commune Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. (fr.)