Matoury

Matoury
Commune
A view of the port of Larivot in Matoury
A view of the port of Larivot in Matoury
Location of the commune (in red) within French Guiana
Location of the commune (in red) within French Guiana
Location of Matoury
Coordinates: 4°50′50″N 52°19′52″W / 4.8472°N 52.3311°W / 4.8472; -52.3311
CountryFrance
Overseas region and departmentFrench Guiana
ArrondissementCayenne
IntercommunalityCA Centre Littoral
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Serge Smock
Area
1
137.19 km2 (52.97 sq mi)
Highest elevation
234 m (768 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2023)
36,512
 • Density266.14/km2 (689.30/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−03:00
INSEE/Postal code
97307 /97351
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Matoury (French pronunciation: [matuʁi]; French Guianese Creole: Matouri) is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.

Matoury is a southern suburb of Cayenne, the préfecture and largest city of French Guiana. Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport, the main international airport of French Guiana, is located in the commune of Matoury.

Geography

Location

Matoury is located in French Guiana situated in South America. It is bordered by 5 communes:

The city used to be called "Tour de l'Isle" because it is bordered by water :

Town planning

The town planning of Matoury is very uneven. Outside the town-centre there are some urbanized areas along the road leading to Cayenne, Macouria and Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport. PROGT, the professional lyceum in Balata is surrounded by forests. The city is urbanizing quickly as a suburb of Cayenne

The main neighbourhoods of Matoury are:

Population

The commune of Matoury experienced a rapid suburbanisation in the late 20th century, and grew from 567 people in 1967 to 36,512 in 2023.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1961 517—    
1967 567+1.55%
1974 1,133+10.40%
1982 2,532+10.57%
1990 10,152+18.96%
1999 18,032+6.59%
2007 24,893+4.11%
2012 29,712+3.60%
2017 31,956+1.47%
2023 36,512+2.25%
Source: SPLAF and INSEE (1967-2023)

Matoury is a cosmopolitan town. It is home to Amerindians (located in Sainte-Rose-de-Lima, Cécilia and Petit-la-Chaumière), to Afro–French Guianans, Metropolitans, Haïtians, Brazilians, Surinamese, Javanese, Chinese, Maroon and people from British West Indies such as Saint Lucia.

History

In 1838, during the colonial era, the District of Matoury was the third of the French Guiana colony thanks to its large and diversely cultivated areas. The main productions were sugarcane, cotton, clove, achiote and pepper.

Matoury is also home to remains of the past:

A new Hôtel de Ville (town hall) was built in the town in around 1980.

Administration

The Hôtel de Ville

Gabriel Serville was Mayor of the city between 2014 and 2020, and deputy to the French National Assembly since 2012.

Nature

The Mirande trail is located in Matoury. The trail gives access to the Mont Grand Matoury Nature Reserve on the eponymous mountain.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ↑ "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE
  4. ↑ SPLAF (Site sur la Population et les Limites Administratives de la France). "Agglomérations et villes de la Guyane". Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  5. ↑ Masse, Daniel (1986). La Guyane: ses communes. Societé Leclerc. p. 71. Matoury: La Nouvelle Mairie
  6. ↑ "Guide Matoury". Petit Futé (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  7. ↑ "Éric Alex". National Football Teams. Retrieved 16 March 2021.