Remire-Montjoly (often unofficially spelled Rémire-Montjoly) is a commune of French Guiana, an

overseas region The overseas departments and regions of France (french: départements et régions d'outre-mer, ; ''DROM'') are departments of France that are outside metropolitan France, the European part of France. They have exactly the same status as mainlan ...

and

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

of France located on the northeast coast of South America. Remire-Montjoly is a suburb of

Cayenne Cayenne (; ; gcr, Kayenn) is the capital city of French Guiana, an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic Oc ...

, the capital '' préfecture'' and largest city of French Guiana. It is located to the south-east of Cayenne. Residential districts are located along some of the best beaches in the Cayenne area. Cayenne and French Guiana's main seaport, the port of

Dégrad des Cannes Dégrad des Cannes is the main seaport for the French Overseas department of French Guiana, situated in the northern edge of South America and opening into the Caribbean. The seaport is located on the estuary of the Mahury River. Nearly all of ...

, is located in the commune of Remire-Montjoly, on the estuary of the river

Mahury The Mahury is an extended estuary of French Guiana southeast of Cayenne. It reaches inland from the Atlantic Ocean, where it becomes known as the Oyak Ordu Yardımlaşma Kurumu (OYAK) (''lit. Military Mutual Aid Institution''), is a Turkish c ...

. Almost all of French Guiana's imports and exports pass through the port of Dégrad des Cannes.

History

The name of the town Remire, formerly Armire, is of Galibi origin. The town was founded in October 1652 by missionaires. In 1656, Dutch Jews who had fled from Pernambuco, Brazil settled in Remire and built a sugar factory. Most of them left for

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

when the French retook the area. In 1666, the Jesuits settled in the town, and started a sugar plantation. In 1765, the possessions of the Jesuits were ceased, and Remira became a tiny village in the shadow of Cayenne once more. In 1879, Remire was elevated to a community with its own mayor. After the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902, many people from Martinique settled in the town. The commune was originally called Remire, but on 27 March 1969 the name was officially changed to Remire-Montjoly to reflect the development of Montjoly, one of the two settlements located within the commune. With urban expansion, the settlements of Remire and Montjoly have fused with Cayenne into a single urban area, however Remire-Montjoly remains a commune that is administered separately from the commune of Cayenne.

Population

Fort Diamant

Fort Diamant is a coastal battery built in 1848 to protect Cayanne and the colony. The fort was built from basalt rubble and bricks and consists of three parts in a V-shape. The walls are two metres thick. Fort Diamant was classified as a historic monument in 1980, and renovated.

Nature

Salines de Montjoly Salines de Montjoly is a former saltworks and protected area in the commune of Remire-Montjoly in French Guiana, France. It is located in the urban area on the Atlantic Ocean, and contains a multitude of biomes. The beach is used by sea turtles f ...

is a former saltworks and

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

in the commune. It is located in the urban area near the Atlantic Ocean, and contains a multitude of biomes like a beach used by sea turtles for nesting, and

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

which are a refuge for birds. It also contains the only publicly accessible mangrove forest of French Guiana.

Sports

Remire-Montjoly is home to

ASC Rémire The Rémire Sports and Cultural Club ''(French: Association Sportive et Culturelle Remire)'', or simply known as ASC Rémire or Rémire is a Guianan football club based in Remire-Montjoly Remire-Montjoly (often unofficially spelled Rémire-Mo ...

football team who play at the

Stade Municipal Dr. Edmard Lama Stade Municipal Dr. Edmard Lama is a stadium in Remire-Montjoly, a suburb of Cayenne, French Guiana. The venue was the host stadium for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification (CFU–UNCAF play-off) The 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification (CFU ...

Notable people

Loïc Prévot Loïc Prévot (born 10 February 1998, in Remire-Montjoly) is a French sprinter. His personal best at 400 metres is 46.21 (Geneva, 15 June 2019). He anchored the French relay second in Super League at 2019 European Team Championships The 2019 ...

(born 1998), sprinter

References

External links

Official site
(in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Remiremontjoly Communes of French Guiana