Apatou () is a
commune in
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 ...
, an
overseas region
The overseas departments and regions of France (, ; DROM) are the five departments and regions of the French Republic which are located outside European France (also known as " metropolitan France"). These overseas entities have exactly the s ...
and
department of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
. Apatou is home to
Maroons of the
Aluku
The Aluku are a Bushinengue ethnic group living mainly on the riverbank in Maripasoula in southwest French Guiana. The group are sometimes called Boni, referring to the 18th-century leader, Boni (guerrilla leader), Bokilifu Boni.
History
The ...
,
Paramacca,
Ndyuka, and
Saramaka
The Saramaka, Saamaka or Saramacca are one of six Maroon (people), Maroon peoples (formerly called "Bush Negroes") in the Republic of Suriname and one of the Maroon peoples in French Guiana. In 2007, the Saramaka won a ruling by the Inter-Ameri ...
tribes.
History
The town of Apatou was founded in 1882 as Moutendé.
It was renamed after Captain
Apatou of the
Aluku
The Aluku are a Bushinengue ethnic group living mainly on the riverbank in Maripasoula in southwest French Guiana. The group are sometimes called Boni, referring to the 18th-century leader, Boni (guerrilla leader), Bokilifu Boni.
History
The ...
.
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. In 1891, Apatou mediated between France and the
Colony of Suriname with regards to the border, and allied the Aluku with France.
He also united all the different tribes on the French side.
Apatou was up to 1969 part of the
Inini territory which allowed for an autonomous and self sufficient
tribal
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
system for the Maroons without clear borders.
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.
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).
Population
Transport
The villages in the commune could only to be reached by boat from the
Maroni River.
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. The road is scheduled to be extended to
Maripasoula. Construction work on the section to
Papaïchton is planned to begin in 2021.
Sports
Apatou is home to
ASC Agouado football team who play at the
Stade de Moutendé.
See also
*
Communes of French Guiana
*
Lucifer Dékou-Dékou Biological Reserve, a wilderness area in the commune.
*
Providence, a village in the commune.
References
External links
{{authority control
Communes of French Guiana