Maripasoula

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. {{cite web|url=https://sovereignlimits.com/boundaries/french-guiana-suriname-land |title=French Guiana–Suriname|website=Sovereign Limits|access-date=2 April 2025|language=en}}

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

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

{{div col end}}

Maripasoula is served by Maripasoula Airport,{{cite web|url=https://airportguide.com/airport/info/SO63|title=Maripasoula Airport|website=Airport Guide|access-date=6 June 2020}} with services on one commercial passenger airline.

The commune can be accessed only by air, or by boat via the Maroni river.{{cite web|url=https://www.petitfute.com/v36615-maripasoula-97370/|title=Guide Maripasoula |website=Petit Futé|access-date=6 June 2020|language=fr}} 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|date=October 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.franceguyane.fr/regions/haut-maroni/route-maripasoula-papaichton-1-million-d-euros-par-kilometre-471560.php|title=Route Maripasoula-Papaichton : 1 million d'euros par kilomètre|website=France Guyane|access-date=10 August 2020|language=fr}} There are plans to extend the Route Nationale from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni to Maripasoula,{{cite news|url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/guyane/route-interieur-rendez-vous-manques-promesses-non-tenues-585831.html|title=Route de l'intérieur : de rendez-vous manqués en promesses non tenues|date=5 May 2018|website=Guyane, le Première|access-date=6 June 2020|language=fr}} however the Route Nationale currently ends south of Apatou.{{cite news|url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/guyane/2015/08/19/la-route-d-apatou-raccommodee-279615.html |title=La route d'Apatou raccommodée |website=Guyane la Première|access-date=6 June 2020|language=fr}}

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.

{{Weather box

|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){{cite web|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=97353001&normes=2010&normes2=0|title=Normales et records pour Maripasoula (973)|publisher=Meteociel|access-date=31 August 2022}}}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.linternaute.com/ville/maripasoula/ville-97353/demographie|title=Population de Maripasoula|website=Linternaute|access-date=5 August 2020|language=fr}} The majority of fortune seekers are illegal Brazilian garimpeiro.{{cite news|url=http://www.opex360.com/2017/11/21/guyane-deux-trafiquants-tues-lors-dun-accrochage-avec-des-militaires/|title=Pour l'or de Maripasoula |website=Opex 360|language=fr|access-date=5 August 2020}} 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,{{cite web|url=http://www.une-saison-en-guyane.com/article/societe/la-vie-en-face/|website=Une Saison en Guyane|language=fr|access-date=6 July 2020|title=La Vie en face}} and cater to both the gold prospectors and the town of Maripasoula because of significantly lower prices and convenience.{{cite news|url=http://dwtonline.com/laatste-nieuws/2020/01/29/verkeerde-benzine-opslag-oorzaak-brand-antonio-do-brinco/ |title=Verkeerde benzine-opslag oorzaak brand Antonio do Brinco|website=De Ware Tijd|access-date=6 July 2020|language=nl}}

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/2001/07/06/pour-l-or-de-maripasoula_205592_1819218.html|title=Pour l'or de Maripasoula |newspaper=Le Monde.fr|date=7 July 2001 |access-date=6 June 2020|language=fr|url-access=limited|quote=Far West is in the first paragraph, which can be read without paying.}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rose-up.fr/magazine/soin-cancer-guyane-desert-medical/#1|title=Guyane: se soigner au coeur de l'Amazonie|website=Rose Up magazine|date=2 December 2019 |language=fr}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://outremers360.com/economie/guyane-le-chantier-de-la-route-maripasoula-papaichton-lance |title=Guyane : Le chantier de la route Maripasoula-Papaïchton lancé|website=Outremers 360|access-date=10 January 2022|language=fr}}{{cite news|url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/guyane/ouest-guyanais/guyane/route-maripasoula-papaichton-chantier-commence-860172.html|title=La route Maripasoula-Papaïchton, le chantier commence |website=France TV Info|access-date=10 January 2022|language=fr}}

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.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/41125853 |author=Michele Baj Strobel|year=1989|title=At home with a prospector in French Guiana: a sketch |magazine=New West Indian Guide |volume=63 |issue=3–4 |doi=10.1163/13822373-90002031|page=224}}

{{Historical populations

|source = INSEE[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-97353#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE

|percentages = pagr

|align = none

|graph-pos = right

|1967 |636

|1974 |884

|1982 |1007

|1990 |1748

|1999 |3710

|2007 |5545

|2012 |9970

|2017 |13227

}}

Near the Maroni River, petroglyphs have been found depicting many animals and humans.{{cite web|url=https://studylib.es/doc/5783620/world-heritage-papers-24--rock-art-in-the-caribbean|title=World Heritage Papers: Rock Art in the Caribbean|pages= 244|website=Study Lib.es|access-date=2 June 2020}} Other monuments are the Roches gravées de la crique du Marouini à Maripasoula.{{cite web|url=https://monumentum.fr/roches-gravees-crique-marouini-pa00135688.html|title=Roches gravées de la crique du Marouini à Maripasoula}}

Most of the southern territory of Maripasoula makes up most of the area dedicated to the Guiana Amazonian Park ({{Langx|fr|Parc amazonien de Guyane}}). The Biodiversity of the region of the Amazonian rainforest is one of the richest in the world.{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.parc-guyane.gf/accueil.php Parc de Guyane] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315223358/http://www.parc-guyane.gf/accueil.php |date=2010-03-15 }} Bellevue de l'Inini, the highest mountain in French Guiana, is located in Maripasoula.{{cite web|url=https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=8710|title=Bellevue de L'Inni|access-date=6 June 2020|website=Peak Bagger}}

• Cyrille Regis – former West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City, and England national football team player, born in Maripasoula.{{cite web |url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/18672.html |title=Cyrille Regis |website=National-Football-Teams.com }}
• Jacobin Yoma – professional boxer.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxe-time.com/jacobin-yoma |title=JACOBIN YOMA|website=Boxe Time|access-date=10 February 2021|language=fr}}

• Communes of French Guiana

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{{Communes of French Guiana|state=expanded}}

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Category:Communes of French Guiana