Maripasoula ( French pronunciation: [maʁipasula] ), previously named Upper Maroni , is a commune of French Guiana , an overseas region and department of France located in South America . With a land area of 18,360 km (7,090 sq mi), Maripasoula is the largest commune of France . The commune is slightly larger than the country of Kuwait or the U.S. state of New Jersey .
16-475: The Lawa and Maroni Rivers form a natural border with Suriname on the west, and with Brazil on the south. Maripasoula is served by Maripasoula Airport , with services on one commercial passenger airline. The commune can be accessed only by air, or by boat via the Maroni river. The unpaved path between Maripasoula and Papaïchton will be turned into a proper road. Road work has commenced on 20 July 2020 and
32-658: A reference to the United States' historical Wild West . 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 . 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
48-536: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cornelis Lely Cornelis Lely ( Dutch pronunciation: [kɔrˈneːlɪs ˈleːli] ; 23 September 1854 – 22 January 1929) was a Dutch politician of the Liberal Union and civil engineer. He oversaw the passage of an act of parliament authorising construction of the Zuiderzee Works , a huge project – designed to his own plans – that turned
64-571: Is a river of South America . It forms part of the international boundary between Suriname and French Guiana . It is formed by the confluence of the Litani and Malani. Downstream from its confluence with the Tapanahony , it is called Maroni . The total length of Litani, Lawa and Maroni is 612 km (380 mi). Important tributaries are the Tampok , Inini and Grand Abounami . After gold
80-546: Is named after him and the Amsterdam Lelylaan station , one of the city's main railway stations, is situated on this road. In 1905, the Surinamese village of Kofi Djompo was renamed Lelydorp in his honour; Lely having led the construction of a new railway from Paramaribo that ran through the area. Most of the railway has now gone, but Lelydorp survives and is now the capital of Wanica District . It lies on
96-573: Is scheduled to be completed by 2021. There are plans to extend the Route Nationale from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni to Maripasoula, however the Route Nationale currently ends south of Apatou . 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. The town of Maripasoula
112-518: 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, and cater to both the gold prospectors and the town of Maripasoula because of significantly lower prices and convenience. Because of problems with crime in the region, the town was often referred to as "Far West" in the early 2000's, in
128-700: The Zuiderzee into a lake and made possible the conversion of a vast area of former seabed into dry land. Lelystad , the capital of the province of Flevoland , is named after him. Cornelis Lely was born on 23 September 1854 in Amsterdam , son of an oilseed trader. Lely went to the Hogere Burgerschool (HBS). He later studied at the Polytechnic School of Delft and graduated as civil engineer in 1875. Between 1886 and 1891, Lely led
144-756: The 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 ( French : Parc amazonien de Guyane ). The Biodiversity of the region of the Amazonian rainforest is one of the richest in the world. Bellevue de l'Inini , the highest mountain in French Guiana, is located in Maripasoula. Lawa River (South America) The Lawa
160-574: 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; today the population has increased from 4,507 people in 2006 to 13,227 in 2016. Near the Maroni River , petroglyphs have been found depicting many animals and humans. Other monuments are
176-653: The implementation of his own plans. The scheme was finally approved and realised after severe flooding along the shores of the Zuiderzee in 1916 . In 1898 as minister he implemented a law on local railroads and tramways, which played a significant role in the development of the Dutch countryside. In 1895 Lely became member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences . Lely was governor of Suriname from 1902 to 1905. In Suriname, he achieved
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#1732765676650192-534: The initiation and construction of the Lawa Railway from Paramaribo to Benzdorp . The city of Lelystad , situated in the Eastern Flevoland polder and capital of Flevoland province, was named after him. The flags of the province and of the city are both adorned with a white fleur-de-lys to note his contribution. In the city of Amsterdam the "Cornelis Lelylaan", a major thoroughfare,
208-524: The road from Paramaribo to Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport . A statue of Lely stands on the western point of the Afsluitdijk . It was sculpted by Mari Andriessen and dedicated on 23 September 1954, the 100th anniversary of Lely's birth. A replica of this statue stands in the center of Lelystad, on a 35-metre-high (115 ft) tower of basalt blocks, designed by Hans van Houwelingen (artist) [ nl ] . In Lelystad's city hall
224-412: The technical research team that explored the possibility, later approved by a State Commission, of enclosing the Zuiderzee . The Dutch parliament passed the law creating the Zuiderzee Works on 14 June 1918, using Lely's plan. He served three times as Minister of Transport and Water Management (in 1891–1894, 1897–1901, and 1913–1918) and in this role was hugely influential in advocating
240-463: Was discovered on the banks of the Lawa River, the governor of Suriname, Cornelis Lely , ordered the construction of the Lawa Railway in 1902. Construction of the railway line was halted when gold production in the area proved disappointing. This article related to a river in Suriname is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in French Guiana
256-442: 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 . The majority of fortune seekers are illegal Brazilian garimpeiro . Efforts by the French gendarme and military to stop the illegal gold mining have resulted in illegal settlements across
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