Île Portal
Island
Île Portal is located in French Guiana
Île Portal
Île Portal
Location in French Guiana
Coordinates: 5°24′20″N 54°06′30″W / 5.4056°N 54.1084°W / 5.4056; -54.1084
CountryFrance
Overseas regionFrench Guiana
ArrondissementSaint-Laurent-du-Maroni
CommuneSaint-Laurent-du-Maroni
Area
[1]
 • Total27 km2 (10 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total124
 • Density4.6/km2 (12/sq mi)

Île Portal is an island in the Maroni River in the commune of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, French Guiana.[3] The island measures 27 km2[1]

History

In 1852, Constant Bar started a plantation on the island to produce coffee, sugar and wood. The workforce consisted of African and East-Indian immigrants, and French convicts from the penal colony.[4] In 1878, the island was visited by the explorer Jules Crevaux who noted that four brothers were operating the plantation.[5] In the early 20th century, the island was bought by Talon who started a distillery on the island. In 1964, the distillery and the buildings burnt down in a fire.[4]

Indigenous inhabitants

About 200 Kalina Amerindians used to live on the island. In the late 1970s, the island was bought[6] by SCI de Provence,[7] a real estate company, who wanted the Amerindians off their land.[6] In 1981, they were told to leave the island, and resettle in Espérance.[8]

In 1983, the Prefecture of French Guiana refused to forcibly remove the remaining population of the island. SCI de Provence has sued the State for damages.[7] In 2011, there were still 124 people living on the island.[2] As of 2018, there are little camps along the river. There is no school on the island, and the children have to take a pirogue to the mainland followed by a bus to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.[3] As of 2019, SCI de Provence is still in litigation.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 G. Sieffermann (1955). Etude pédologique de reconnaissance de l'Île Portal (PDF) (in French). p. 2.
  2. 1 2 "Le sort des habitants de l'île Portal entre les mains du Conseil d'État". France Guyane (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Les enfants de l'île Portal". Media Part (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Le Patrimoine dans tous ses Etats" (PDF) (in French). Ville de Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. September 2017. p. 8. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  5. ↑ "Par m. Jules crevaux, medecin de premiere classe de la marine francaise". m-20-bal (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2021. Crevaux used the surname Bard and not Bar
  6. 1 2 P. F. Grenand and P. Menget (1985). "La question amérindien en Guyane française" (PDF). Ethies (in French). Vol. 1. p. 55. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  7. 1 2 "Conseil d'Etat, 10 / 9 SSR, du 16 février 2000, 147948, mentionné aux tables du recueil Lebon". Légifrance (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2021. Legal document from 2000 which states that SCI de Provence owns the whole island
  8. ↑ Odile Renault-Lescuie (1985). "La question amérindien en Guyane française" (PDF). Ethies (in French). Vol. 1. p. 20. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  9. ↑ "Conseil d'État, 5ème chambre, 20 mars 2019, 420123, Inédit au recueil Lebon". Doctrine.fr (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2021.
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