Salvation Islands#Islands
{{short description|Group of islands off the coast of French Guiana}}
The Salvation Islands (French: Îles du Salut, so called because the missionaries went there to escape plague on the mainland), sometimes mistakenly{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} called the Safety Islands, are a group of small islands of volcanic{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} origin about {{convert|11|km|nmi|frac=2|abbr=off}} off the coast of French Guiana, {{convert|14|km|nmi|frac=2|abbr=off}} north of Kourou, in the Atlantic Ocean. Although closer to Kourou, the islands are part of Cayenne {{lang|fr|commune}} (municipality), specifically {{lang|fr|Cayenne 1er Canton Nord-Ouest}}.
Geography
=Islands=
There are three islands, from north to south:
| class="wikitable" style="background: #CCC;"
!Island !Area (ha) !Height (m) |
| style="background: #FFF;"
|style="text-align:left"|Devil's Island |style="text-align:right"|14 |style="text-align:right"|40 |
| style="background: #FFF;"
|style="text-align:left"|Royale Island |style="text-align:right"|28 |style="text-align:right"|66 |
| style="background: #FFF;"
|style="text-align:left"|Saint-Joseph Island |style="text-align:right"|20 |style="text-align:right"|30 |
| style="background: #CCC;"
!style="text-align:left"|Total |style="text-align:right"|62 |style="text-align:right"|136 |
Devil's Island, the most famous due to the political imprisonment there of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, is better known to French speakers as {{lang|fr|Île du Diable}}. The total area is {{convert|0.62|km2|sqmi|frac=32|abbr=off}}. Devil's Island and Île Royale are separated by {{lang|fr|Passe des Grenadines}}, Île Royale and Saint-Joseph Island by {{lang|fr|Passe de Désirade}}.
=Climate=
The climate of Salvation Islands focuses on the characteristics of Royale Island. Royale Island ({{langx|fr|Île-Royale}}) has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification). The average annual temperature in Royale Island is {{cvt|27.6|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|2496.7|mm}} with May as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in October, at around {{cvt|28.7|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{convert|26.9|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Royale Island was {{cvt|34.8|C}} on 10 November 2008; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|18.4|C}} on 10 July 1979.
{{Weather box
|location= Salvation Islands (Île-Royale, altitude 48m, 1991–2020 averages, extremes 1974−present)
|metric first= Y
|single line= Y
|Jan record high C = 31.9
|Feb record high C = 33.2
|Mar record high C = 33.5
|Apr record high C = 34.4
|May record high C = 33.9
|Jun record high C = 32.7
|Jul record high C = 32.7
|Aug record high C = 34.6
|Sep record high C = 34.6
|Oct record high C = 34.7
|Nov record high C = 34.8
|Dec record high C = 33.4
|year record high C = 34.8
|Jan high C = 29.4
|Feb high C = 29.6
|Mar high C = 30.1
|Apr high C = 30.0
|May high C = 29.7
|Jun high C = 29.7
|Jul high C = 30.1
|Aug high C = 30.8
|Sep high C = 31.4
|Oct high C = 31.9
|Nov high C = 31.2
|Dec high C = 30.1
|year high C = 30.3
|Jan mean C = 26.9
|Feb mean C = 27.0
|Mar mean C = 27.4
|Apr mean C = 27.4
|May mean C = 27.2
|Jun mean C = 27.0
|Jul mean C = 27.3
|Aug mean C = 27.9
|Sep mean C = 28.5
|Oct mean C = 28.7
|Nov mean C = 28.3
|Dec mean C = 27.4
|year mean C = 27.6
|Jan low C = 24.4
|Feb low C = 24.4
|Mar low C = 24.8
|Apr low C = 24.9
|May low C = 24.7
|Jun low C = 24.3
|Jul low C = 24.5
|Aug low C = 25.1
|Sep low C = 25.5
|Oct low C = 25.6
|Nov low C = 25.4
|Dec low C = 24.8
|year low C = 24.9
|Jan record low C = 20.0
|Feb record low C = 20.8
|Mar record low C = 21.2
|Apr record low C = 21.4
|May record low C = 20.3
|Jun record low C = 20.1
|Jul record low C = 18.4
|Aug record low C = 20.9
|Sep record low C = 21.1
|Oct record low C = 20.5
|Nov record low C = 19.8
|Dec record low C = 20.6
|year record low C = 18.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 261.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 186.2
|Mar precipitation mm = 186.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 348.2
|May precipitation mm = 461.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 404.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 188.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 74.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 27.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 38.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 104.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 215.6
|year precipitation mm = 2496.7
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 17.1
|Feb precipitation days = 14.3
|Mar precipitation days = 14.0
|Apr precipitation days = 17.6
|May precipitation days = 23.4
|Jun precipitation days = 23.3
|Jul precipitation days = 16.5
|Aug precipitation days = 8.0
|Sep precipitation days = 3.6
|Oct precipitation days = 5.8
|Nov precipitation days = 10.9
|Dec precipitation days = 18.2
|year precipitation days = 172.7
|Jan sun = n/a
|Feb sun = 125.9
|Mar sun = 151.4
|Apr sun = 143.7
|May sun = 136.2
|Jun sun = n/a
|Jul sun = 203.1
|Aug sun = n/a
|Sep sun = 246.9
|Oct sun = 248.6
|Nov sun = 202.8
|Dec sun = n/a
|year sun = n/a
|source 1 = Météo-France{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_97304001.pdf
| title=Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records
| language = fr
| publisher = Météo-France
| access-date = August 29, 2022}}
|source 2 = Meteociel (sunshine 1981-2010){{cite web|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=97304001&normes=2010&normes2=0|title=Normales et records pour Ile Royale (973)|publisher=Meteociel|access-date=4 June 2022}}}}
History
Between 1852 and 1953, the islands were part of a notorious penal colony for the worst criminals of France. The penal colony stretched along the border with Suriname. Île Royale was the reception centre for the general population of the penal colony; they were housed in moderate freedom due to the difficulty of escape from the island. Saint-Joseph Island was the Reclusion, where inmates were sent to be punished by solitary confinement in silence and darkness for escapes or offences committed in the penal colony. Devil's Island was for political prisoners. In the 19th century, the most famous such prisoner was Captain Alfred Dreyfus, held there from 1895 to 1899 after his conviction in mainland France for treason.
This penal colony was controversial given its reputation for harshness and brutality. Prisoner upon prisoner violence was common, tropical diseases killed many, and a small core of broken survivors returned to France to tell how horrible it was and scare other potential criminals. This system was gradually phased out and ended completely in 1953. Nowadays the islands are a popular tourist destination. The islands were featured in the autobiography Papillon, by Henri Charrière, who was imprisoned there for 9 years. Joseph Conrad's short story An Anarchist (1906) is largely set in Salvation Islands.[http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/jc/anar.html Joseph Conrad, "An Anarchist: A Desperate Tale," Harper's Magazine, August, 1906]
As of 1979, the Salvation Islands are protected areas managed by Conservatoire du littoral.{{cite web|url=http://www.guyane.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Atlas_des_Sites_proteges_Chapitre4.pdf |title=Sites & Espaces Protégée |website=Government of French Guiana|access-date=24 March 2021|language=fr|page=54}}
Gallery
File:Panorama depuis l'île Royale.jpg|Royal Island.
File:Iles du salut1.JPG|Arrival on Royal Island.
File:LE PHARE DES ILES DU SALUT - GUYANE.jpg|The Salvation Islands' Lighthouse.
File:Joseph island beach 1.jpg|Saint Joseph Island's beach.
File:Ile du Diable - Iles du Salut - Guyane Française.jpg|Devil's Island.
File:Hutte von Dreyfus.jpg|Alfred Dreyfus's House.
References
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061221073638/http://www.geocities.com/sy_nette/ruter/Iles_du_Salut.jpg Map] (archived 21 December 2006)
- [http://sagnimorte.info/photo_plage.php#carnet_photo2 Photos des Îles du Salut] {{in lang|fr}}
- [http://www.lalegion.ch/picstore/thumbnails.php?album=133&lang=english Photos de Île Royale]
- [http://www.lalegion.ch/picstore/thumbnails.php?album=134&lang=english Photos de Île Saint-Joseph]
{{coord|5|17|09|N|52|35|09|W|region:FR_type:isle_source:dewiki|display=title}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iles Du Salut}}