Roura
{{short description|Commune in French Guiana, France}}
{{for|the surname|Roura (surname)}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name = Roura
|commune status = Commune
|image = Roura.jpg
|caption = Roura as seen from the Oyak River
|image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Roura (Guyanne).svg
|map size = 220px
|adjustable map = Locator map of Roura 2022.png
|map caption = Location of the commune (in red) within French Guiana
|coordinates = {{coord|4.7242|-52.3215|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|arrondissement = Cayenne
|canton =
|INSEE = 97310
|postal code = 97311
|mayor = Jean-Claude Labrador{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}
|term = 2020–2026
|intercommunality = CA Centre Littoral
|elevation m = 231
|elevation min m = 0
|elevation max m = 337
|area km2 = 3902.5
|population = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}
Roura ({{IPA|fr|ʁuʁa}}) is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. The coastal commune is bordered by Matoury and Montsinéry-Tonnegrande in the North, Kourou and Saint-Elie in the North West and West, and finally by Régina in the South and East. It includes the town of Roura and the village of Cacao, and features vast protected natural areas like the Kaw-Roura Marshland Nature Reserve. The local economy depends on agriculture, and eco-tourism.
History
The town of Roura was founded in 1675 by Jesuits. In 1786, Marquis de Lafayette attempted an early emancipation of the slaves by allowing small scale agriculture on the savanna Gabriel near Roury. The experiment failed, and was abandoned in 1796.{{cite web|url=http://www.roura.gf/tourisme-et-decouverte/patrimoine/vestiges-archeologiques/|title=Vestiges archéologiques|website=Roura.gf|access-date=1 June 2020|language=fr}} Between 1809 and 1817, Roura was captured by the Portuguese and became part of Brazil. In 1848, slavery was abolished in the island.{{cite web|url=http://www.roura.gf/tourisme-et-decouverte/patrimoine/histoire-de-la-commune/|title=Histoire de la commune|work=Roura.gf|access-date=1 June 2020|language=fr}}{{cite web|url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/outre_0300-9513_1985_num_72_276_2476|title=L'abolition de l'esclavage en Guyane française (1848)|work=Persée|access-date=20 June 2025}}
In 1977, Cacao village was established for Hmong farmers. The population were refugees from Laos who were resettled in French Guiana.{{cite web|url=https://www.airfrance.us/US/en/common/travel-guide/cacao-an-authentic-hmong-village.htm|title=Cacao: an authentic Hmong village|website=Air France|access-date=16 March 2021}}{{cite web|url=http://www.roura.gf/tourisme-et-decouverte/escapades/bourg-de-cacao/|title=Bourg de Cacao|work=Roura.gf|access-date=16 March 2021|language=fr}} They settled here as living, and working conditions were similar to their native land.{{cite web|url=http://www.anapi.asso.fr/SITEANAI/www.anai-asso.org/NET/document/anai/historique/comite_national_dentraide_francovietnamien_francocambodgien_francolaotien/des_hmongs_en_guyane_1/index.html|title=Des Hmongs en Guyane|work=National Association of Elders and Friends of Indochina|access-date=16 March 2021|language=fr}}
Geography
Roura is a commune situated in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France on the northern coast of South America.{{cite web|url=https://data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/communes-de-guyane/|title=Communes de Guyane|work=data.gouv.fr|access-date=20 June 2025}} The commune's area is approximately {{cvt|3,902.5|km2}}. It is bordered by Matoury and Montsinéry-Tonnegrande in the North, Kourou and Saint-Elie in the North West and West, and finally by Régina in the South and East.{{cite web|url=http://www.map-france.com/Roura-97311/|title=City of Roura|website=Map France|access-date=1 June 2020|language=fr}} French Guiana is predominantly covered by dense, equatorial rainforest, part of the vast Guiana Shield, and the coastal strip, where the majority of the population resides, is generally low-lying and swampy. The region experiences a tropical climate with high humidity and consistent temperatures throughout the year.{{cite web|url=https://www.brgm.fr/en/regional-agency/french-guiana|title=French Guiana|work=Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM)|access-date=20 June 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=French_Guiana|title=French Guiana|work=Eurostat|access-date=20 June 2025}} Kaw Mountain, standing at {{cvt|337|m}} is located in the broader region of Roura.{{cite web|url=https://www.onf.fr/onf/savoir-faire/biodiversite-foret-littoraux/preserver-la-biodiversite/reserves-naturelles/kaw-roura-les-marais-de-kaw-roura/_/asset_publisher/v6sL27b5y53F/content/article/detail/kaw-roura-les-marais-de-kaw-roura-un-patrimoine-a-proteger|title=Kaw-Roura : Les marais de Kaw-Roura, un patrimoine à protéger|work=Office National des Forêts (ONF)|access-date=20 June 2025|lang=fr}}
In 1998, the Kaw-Roura Marshland Nature Reserve was established, which covers an area of 94,700 hectares in Roura and Régina.{{cite web|url=https://www.petitfute.co.uk/v37971-kaw-97353/c1173-visites-points-d-interet/c976-archeologie-artisanat-science-et-technique/c981-nature/345820-reserve-naturelle-des-marais-de-kaw-roura.html|title=Kaw-Roura Marshland Nature Reserve|work=Petit Futé|access-date=16 March 2021|language=fr}}{{cite web|url=https://www.petitfute.com/v37971-kaw-97353/|title=Guide Kaw|website=Petit Futé|access-date=16 March 2021|language=fr}} The Trésor Regional Nature Reserve is a 2,464 hectares nature reserve situated on the flank of the Kaw Mountain.{{cite web|url=https://www.reserve-tresor.fr/la-reserve/presentation/ |title=Présentation|website=Reserve Tresor|access-date=16 March 2021|language=fr}} It became a protected area in 2010.{{cite web|url=https://inpn.mnhn.fr/espace/protege/FR9300073|title=FR9300073 - Trésor |work=Inventaire National du Patrimoine Nature|access-date=16 March 2021|language=fr}}
Demographics
As of 2022, Roura had a population of 3,382 individuals.{{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}} The commune is home to diverse communities, including the Palikur Amerindian community settled in Favard village along the Oyack River and the Hmong village of Cacao, established for refugees from Laos.{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8237976?geo=COM-97306|title=Populations légales 2022 − Commune de Roura (97306)|work=Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (INSEE)|access-date=20 June 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.afd.fr/en/actualites/grand-angle/french-guiana-spring-water-finally-drinkable|title=French Guiana: spring water… finally drinkable !|work=Agence Française de Développement (AFD)|access-date=20 June 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/1630|title=Le village palikur de Favard|work=Journal de la Société des Américanistes|access-date=20 June 2025}}
{{Historical populations
|source = INSEE{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-97310#ancre-POP_T1 |title=Population en historique depuis|work=INSEE|access-date=1 June 2025}}{{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
|percentages = pagr
|align = none
|1967 |393
|1974 |401
|1982 |943
|1990 |1314
|1999 |1791
|2007 |2823
|2012 |3050
|2017 |3783
|2022 |3382
}}
Transport
File:Guyane route de Kaw D 6.jpg
The city of Roura is connected by two major roads. The Route nationale 2 leads to the towns of Régina and Saint-Georges.{{cite web|url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/guyane/centre-littoral/roura/prudence-nouveau-glissement-de-terrain-sur-la-rn2-a-40-kilometres-de-l-intersection-de-cacao-828580.html|title=Prudence, nouveau glissement de terrain sur la RN2 à 40 kilomètres de l'intersection de Cacao|work=Guyane, la Première|language=fr|access-date=31 May 2020}} The RD6 road connects to Kaw. This {{cvt|70|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} road follows a thalweg through the forests.{{cite web|url=http://www.reserves-naturelles.org/sites/default/files/recrutement/proposition_stage_suivi_etude_rd6_v0_10012020.pdf|title=Etude de la biodiversité et des paysages dans le cadre de l'aménagement et l'entretien de la route RD6, communes de Roura et Régina, Guyane|work=Reserves Naturelles|access-date=1 June 2020|language=fr}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.roura.gf/ Official website of the commune] (in French)
{{commons category|position=left}}
{{Communes of French Guiana|state=expanded}}
{{authority control}}