Balata | |
|---|---|
  Balata Location in French Guiana | |
| Coordinates: 4°53′12″N52°20′13″W / 4.8866°N 52.3369°W Coordinates: 4°53′12″N52°20′13″W / 4.8866°N 52.3369°W | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas region | French Guiana |
| Arrondissement | Cayenne |
| Commune | Matoury |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.59 km2 (0.23 sq mi) |
| Population (2013) [2] | |
| • Total | 2,169 |
| • Density | 3,700/km2 (9,500/sq mi) |
Balata is a town in the commune of Matoury in French Guiana. It is located at the junction of RN1 and RN2, and started as a Haitian shanty town.
Balata is named after the nearby Balata Creek. It is located at the junction of RN1 and RN2 in Matoury. [3]
Haitian emigration to French Guiana started in the late 1960s, and accelerated from the late 1980s onwards. [4] At first, they settled among the Haitians already living in Cayenne. [5] Starting in 1995, shanty towns like Balata appeared on the outskirts of the urban area. [6] Many of the settlers either bought or rented the land. By 2005, only a third of the residents were squatting. [7]
The commune of Matoury, experienced a rapid suburbanisation in the late 20th century, and grew from 567 people in 1968 to 31,956 in 2017. [8] The favourable position at the junction of two main roads, triggered suburbanisation in the area. Family Plaza, a 30,000 m2 commercial centre with shopping mall, [9] a golf course, [10] and the Lycée Balata, a high school, were constructed in Balata. [11]
Nowadays Balata is often considered a neighbourhood of Matoury, [12] however it is listed as a QPV, a problematic urban area needing attention, [1] because of its crime rate [13]
Transport in French Guiana consists of transport by road, boat, bus, and airplane. There is a railway line within the Guiana Space Centre to transport spacecraft. The road network is mainly concentrated in the coastal region. The interior of Guiana is accessed by plane or boat. There is one main airport, however there are several smaller airstrips in the interior.
Cayenne is the capital city of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic coast. The city's motto is "fert aurum industria", which means "work brings wealth". Cayenne is the largest francophone city of the South American continent.
Air Guyane SP is a French airline with its head office on the grounds of Cayenne-Rochambeau Airport in Matoury, French Guiana, France. It operates regional scheduled flights. Its main base is Cayenne-Rochambeau Airport.
The arrondissement of Cayenne is an arrondissement of France in French Guiana department in French Guiana region. It has 14 communes. Its population is 193,482 (2022), and its area is 42,589 km2 (16,444 sq mi). It is the larger of the two arrondissements in French Guiana.
Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport is French Guiana's main international airport. It is located near the commune of Matoury, 13 kilometres (8 mi) southwest of French Guiana's capital city of Cayenne. It is managed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of French Guiana.
Scouting in French Guiana mainly follows the program of the Scouts et Guides de France (SGdF), but there are also groups of the Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs de France. The SGdF's Région Guyane is an associate member of the Interamerican Scout Region of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
Matoury is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.
Roura is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The city of Roura is bordered by Matoury and Montsinéry-Tonnegrande in the North, Kourou and Saint-Elie in the North West and West, and finally by Régina in the South and East.
The French Guiana Régional 1 is the highest tier of men's football in French Guiana. It was created in 1961 and is organized by the Ligue de Football de la Guyane. There are twelve participants in the league, with teams finishing in the two bottom spots being relegated to the Régional 2. The division is equivalent to the sixth tier of football in France, the Régional 1.
French Guiana is an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas. It borders Brazil to the east and south and Suriname to the west.
Gabriel Serville is a French-Guianese politician who was elected to the French National Assembly on 16 June 2012 representing French Guiana's 1st constituency. On 2 July 2021, he was elected President of the Assembly of French Guiana.
Auxence Contout was a French writer who was from French Guiana.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the French overseas department and region of French Guiana. The first five cases were found on 4 March and the first death was announced on 20 April 2020. On 30 April, the territory was green listed, because the pandemic appeared to be under control except for Saint-Georges. In June, the virus started circulating all over the territory.
The canton of Matoury is one of the former cantons of the Guyane department in French Guiana. It was located in the arrondissement of Cayenne. Its administrative seat was located in Matoury, the canton's sole commune. Its population was 29,712 in 2012.
The Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in French Guiana, France. The reserve is located about eight kilometres south of Cayenne in the commune of Matoury It has been named after the eponymous mountain which measures 234 metres, It was first protected in 1942, and extended in 2006.
Sainte-Rose-de-Lima is a village of Lokono Amerindians in the commune of Matoury in French Guiana. The village is located on the RN2 near Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport. It is the largest settlement of Lokono in French Guiana.
Route nationale 1 (RN1) is a highway in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. The highway connects Cayenne with Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and measures 258 kilometres (160 mi). The highway is the busiest road of French Guiana.
Route nationale 2 (RN2) is a highway in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. The highway connects Cayenne with Saint-Georges and measures 185 kilometres (115 mi). The highway provides a direct connection to Brazil.