Providence is a village of Paramacca Maroons[1] in the commune of Apatou at the confluence of the Maroni River and the Beïman Creek[2] in French Guiana.
Providence | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Providence Location in French Guiana | |
| Coordinates: 4°37′07″N 54°24′50″W / 4.6186°N 54.4139°W | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas region | French Guiana |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni |
| Commune | Apatou |
The village can only be accessed by boat via the Maroni River, and is located about three hours south of Apatou.[3] The children in Providence and the nearby islands used to go to school in Stoelmanseiland, however the Surinamese Interior War (1986-1992) caused the closure of the school, leaving about 300 children in the region without access to education.[4] In 2012, a school was constructed in the village.[5]
In 1991, gold was discovered in the Beïman Creek near the village. The main concession is the Esperance Gold Mine which is being exploited by Newmont,[2] however the discovery has attracted garimpeiros (illegal gold miners) to the region.[6] In 2017, the French Development Agency started a project to provide the village with clean drinking water.[3]
References
edit- ^ Mallé, Marie-Pascale (2004). "Les maisons des Noirs marrons de Guyane". In Situ. Le patrimoine rural. 2004 #5 (5): 4. doi:10.4000/insitu.2373.
- ^ a b "La compagnie minière espérance". Une Saison en Guyane (in French). Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ a b "Améliorer l'eau et l'assainissement à Apatou". French Development Agency (in French). 1 July 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "Providence privée d'école". 97320.com (in French). 26 July 2004. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "New school in Providence". Esperance Gold Mine. 15 April 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "'They always come back': French Guiana battles illegal gold hunters". Yahoo! News. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
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