Île Portal is an island in the

Maroni River The Maroni () or Marowijne (; ) is a river in South America that forms the border between French Guiana and Suriname. Course The Maroni runs through the Guianan moist forests ecoregion. It originates in the Tumuk Humak Mountains and forms ...

in the commune of

Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (, ; ) is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is one of the three sub-prefectures of French Guiana and the seat of the Arrondissement ...

French Guiana French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...

. The island measures 27 km²

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 A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer ...

. In 1878, the island was visited by the explorer

Jules Crevaux Jules Crevaux (1847–1882) was a French medical doctor, soldier, and explorer. He is known for his multiple explorations into the interior of French Guiana and the Amazon. Biography Jules Crevaux was born on April 1, 1847, in the north-eas ...

who noted that four brothers were operating the plantation. In the early 20th century, the island was bought by Talon who started a

distillery Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

on the island. In 1964, the distillery and the buildings burnt down in a fire.

Indigenous inhabitants

About 200

Kalina Kalina may refer to: People * Kalina people The Kalina, also known as the Caribs or mainland Caribs and by several other names, are an Indigenous people native to the northern coastal areas of South America. Today, the Kalina live largely in ...

Amerindians In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...

used to live on the island. In the late 1970s, the island was bought by SCI de Provence, a real estate company, who wanted the Amerindians off their land. In 1981, they were told to leave the island, and resettle in Espérance. In 1983, the

Prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

of French Guiana refused to forcibly remove the remaining population of the island. SCI de Provence has sued the State for damages. In 2011, there were still 124 people living on the island. 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 A pirogue ( or ), also called a piragua or piraga, is any of various small boats, particularly dugouts and canoes. The word is French and is derived from Spanish ''piragua'' , which comes from the Carib '. Description The term 'pirogue' ...

to the mainland followed by a bus to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. As of 2019, SCI de Provence is still in litigation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ile Portal Islands of French Guiana Villages in French Guiana Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni