Apatou
Apatou | |
---|---|
show Location of Apatou | |
Coordinates: 5°09′12″N 54°20′10″W / 5.1533°N 54.336°WCoordinates: 5°09′12″N 54°20′10″W / 5.1533°N 54.336°W | |
Country | France |
Overseas region and department | French Guiana |
Arrondissement | Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni |
Intercommunality | Ouest Guyanais |
Government | |
• Mayor (2021–2026) | François Lokadi[1] |
Area 1 | 2,020 km2 (780 sq mi) |
Population (Jan. 2018)[2] | 9,381 |
• Density | 4.6/km2 (12/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC−03:00 |
INSEE/Postal code | 97360 /97317 |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Apatou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Apatou is home to Maroons of the Aluku, Paramacca, Ndyuka, and Saramaka tribes.[3]
History[]
The town of Apatou was founded in 1882 as Moutendé.[3] It was renamed after Captain Apatou of the Aluku.[4] In the late 19th century, Apatou was a guide for the explorer Jules Crevaux. On 7 September 1885, Jules Brunetti opened a Catholic mission in the village.[5] In 1891, Apatou mediated between France and the Colony of Suriname with regards to the border, and allied the Aluku with France.[4] He also united all the different tribes on the French side.[3]
Apatou was up to 1969 part of the Inini territory which allowed for an autonomous and self sufficient tribal system for the Maroons without clear borders.[6] Along with the commune, came a government structure, and francisation. Most importantly, it led to the concentration in bigger villages and the near abandonment of smaller settlements.[6]
The commune of Apatou was created on 12 November 1976 by detaching its territory from the commune of Grand-Santi-Papaichton (since then renamed Grand-Santi).[3]
Transport[]
The villages in the commune could only to be reached by boat from the Maroni River.[3] In 2010, Route Nationale opened connecting Apatou with Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, and the road network of French Guiana. The road was opened with the Tour of Guiana.[7] The road is scheduled to be extended to Maripasoula. Construction work on the section to Papaïchton is planned to begin in 2021.[8]
Sports[]
Apatou is home to ASC Agouado football team who play at the Stade de Moutendé.[9]
See also[]
- Communes of French Guiana
- Lucifer Dékou-Dékou Biological Reserve, a wilderness area in the commune.
- Providence, a village in the commune.
References[]
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Populations légales 2018". INSEE. 28 December 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Guide Apatou". Petit Futé (in French). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids, vol 78 issue 3-4 (1 January 2004). "The explorer as hero: 'Le Fidèle Apatou' in the French wilderness". Brill. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Moomou, Jean (2009). "La mission du père Brunetti chez les Boni de la Guyane française à la fin du xixe siècle". Histoire et missions chrétiennes (in French) (2009/4): 8. Cite journal requires
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(help) - ^ Jump up to: a b "The Aluku and the Communes in French Guiana". Cultural Survival. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "La route d'Apatou raccommodée". Guyane la Première (in French). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "Route Maripasoula-Papaichton : 1 million d'euros par kilomètre". France Guyane (in French). Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ "ASC Agouado". Soccer Way. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
External links[]
- Official site (in French)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Apatou. |
- Apatou
- Communes of French Guiana