Remire-Montjoly

Remire-Montjoly (often unofficially spelled Rémire-Montjoly) is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located on the northeast coast of South America.

Remire-Montjoly
Commune
Rémire-Montjoly beach
Coat of arms
Location of the commune (in red) within French Guiana
Location of Remire-Montjoly
Coordinates: 4°54′18″N 52°16′36″W
CountryFrance
Overseas region and departmentFrench Guiana
ArrondissementCayenne
IntercommunalityCentre Littoral
Government
 • Mayor (2014-2020) Jean-Marcel Ganty
Area
1
46.11 km2 (17.80 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
25,122
 • Density540/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−03:00
INSEE/Postal code
97309 /97354
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Remire-Montjoly is a suburb of Cayenne, 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.[2]

Cayenne and French Guiana's main seaport, the port of Dégrad des Cannes, is located in the commune of Remire-Montjoly, on the estuary of the Mahury River. Almost all of French Guiana's imports and exports pass through the port of Dégrad des Cannes.[3]

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 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.[4] After the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902, many people from Martinique settled in the town.[2]

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,[5] however Remire-Montjoly remains a commune that is administered separately from the commune of Cayenne.[4]

Fort Diamant
Fort Diamant

Fort Diamant is a coastal battery built in 1848 to protect Cayanne and the colony.[4] It was classified as a historic monument in 1980, and renovated.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. "Remire-Montjoly, historie d'une commune" (in French). Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  3. "Dégrad des Cannes". Marfret (in French). Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  4. "Historique de Remire-Montjoly". Remire-Montjoly (in French). Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  5. "Guide de Cayenne et ses environs". Petit Futé (in French). Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  6. "Fort Diamant". Alluring World. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
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