Kourou (river)

Last updated
Kourou
Kourou river black birds boats.jpg
American black vultures on the shore of the Kourou River
Guyane department relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location
Country French Guiana
Physical characteristics
Source 
  location Amazon Rainforest
Mouth Atlantic Ocean
  coordinates
5°9′10″N52°37′45″W / 5.15278°N 52.62917°W / 5.15278; -52.62917
Length144 km (89 mi)
Basin size2,000 km2 (770 sq mi)
Discharge 
  average3,000 m3/s (110,000 cu ft/s)

The Kourou (French pronunciation: [kuru] ) is a river in French Guiana, discharging into the Atlantic Ocean. It is 144 km (89 mi) long. [1] The town of Kourou is located at its estuary, which is generally used as a pleasure port.

Like the river Amazon, it has brown, muddy waters due to sediments picked up from the forest. A great many different fish species live in the river and are used in the local diet.

Like many Guyanaise rivers, it is polluted by mercury, as a result of clandestine gold mining.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of French Guiana</span>

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kourou</span> Commune in French Guiana, France

Kourou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Kourou is famous for being the location of the Guiana Space Centre, the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency (ESA). It is an administrative district in French Guiana and the main town there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guiana Space Centre</span> French and European spaceport in French Guiana

The Guiana Space Centre, also called Europe's Spaceport, is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Kourou is located approximately 310 mi (500 km) north of the equator at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its equatorial location and open sea to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinnamary</span> Commune in French Guiana, France

Sinnamary is a town and commune on the coast of French Guiana, between Kourou and Iracoubo. Sinnamary was the second French settlement founded in French Guiana: the town was founded in 1664.

The European Space Tracking (ESTRACK) network consists of a number of ground-based space-tracking stations belonging to the European Space Agency (ESA), and operated by the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany. The stations support various ESA spacecraft and facilitate communications between ground operators and scientific probes such as XMM-Newton, Mars Express, BepiColombo, Gaia. Similar networks are run by the USA, China, Russia, Japan, and India.

Météo-France is the French national meteorological service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macouria</span> Commune in French Guiana, France

Macouria is a commune of French Guiana located midway between Cayenne and Kourou, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The seat of the commune is the settlement of Tonate, and so the commune is also known unofficially as Macouria-Tonate. The French Guiana Zoo is located in the commune.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ELA-1</span> Launch pad at the Centre Spatial Guyanais

ELA-1, short for Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 1, now named Ensemble de Lancement Vega, is a launch pad at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana. It has been used to support launches of the Europa rocket, Ariane 1, Ariane 3, and is currently used to launch Vega rockets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ELA-2</span> Launch pad at the Centre Spatial Guyanais

ELA-2, short for Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 2, was a launch pad at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana. It was used by Arianespace for two Ariane 3 launches, the second Ariane 2 launch in 1987, and all 116 Ariane 4 launches between 1988 and 2003. Following the retirement of the Ariane 4 in favour of the Ariane 5, ELA-2 was deactivated. In September 2011 the pad's mobile service tower was demolished using explosives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French Guiana</span> Overseas department of France in South America

French Guiana is an overseas department of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas. Bordered by Suriname to the west and Brazil to the east and south, French Guiana covers a land area of 83,534 km2 (32,253 sq mi), and is inhabited by 301,099 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz</span>

The Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz (ELS) is a launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou/Sinnamary, French Guiana. It was used by Soyuz-ST rockets: modified versions of the Soyuz-2 optimised for launch from Kourou under Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pléiades (satellite)</span> French Earth observation satellite

The Pléiades constellation is composed of two very-high-resolution optical Earth-imaging satellites. Pléiades-1A and Pléiades-1B provide the coverage of Earth's surface with a repeat cycle of 26 days. Designed as a dual civil/military system, Pléiades will meet the space imagery requirements of European defence as well as civil and commercial needs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neutral zone (territorial entity)</span> Type of political territory

A neutral zone is a delimited zone bordering at least one of the states that has agreed to set up a neutral territory. This has occurred in the past and/or present for:

Kourou Station is an ESTRACK satellite ground station in French Guiana. Two antennas are located at the site: A 15-meter one that receives in X- and S-bands along with smaller 1.3-meter X-band acquisition aid antenna. Additional facilities provide tracking, telemetry, telecommand and radiometric measurements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnival in French Guiana</span>

Carnival in French Guiana is a major event. Its style is described as Afro-Caribbean. A moveable holiday, it takes place between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, ending on Mardi Gras. Known internationally for its Paré-masqué balls and its emblematic character, the Touloulou, it is considered the longest carnival in the world.

Kourou is a commune in French Guiana.

The Coupe de France is a tournament in which all FFF affiliated teams can participate, including those from clubs from the overseas departments and territories. This is the list of overseas teams that played a match in the main competition.

References

  1. Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau - kourou, le (fleuve) (913-0400)".