Camopi

Camopi is a common French of DOM-ROM of the Guyana.

Geography

The commune is located on the edges of the river Oyapock.

This very vast south-eastern continental commune (3rd of France by its surface), located in Amerindian country Teko (swivel) and Wayampi is accessible only with one prefectoral authorization, instituted in 1970 then revised in 1977 (Decree n° 1845/C of October 3rd, 1977). One can go there by plane (with an often unusable ground in rain seasons but whose restoration must be financed by the European Union) or by dugout by going up the Oyapock, in 4 with 6:00 according to the season starting from Saint-Georges-with-the Oyapock.

The village has of a grocer, a gendarmerie and a dispensary where work two doctors and a male nurse. The school, the only one of the area, accommodates approximately 200 pupils. An appendix of the college of Saint-Georges-in-the Oyapock is also present.

Environment

Camopi is located in one of the richest areas of the world as regards biodiversity. The area is also gold bearing. The fishing zones of the Indians Wayampi and Teko of this commune and of the village were or are still illegally orpaillées and were it sometimes in an intensive way (1986 - 87), which explains very high the mercury rates detected in the hair of the people tested in 1997 by French researchers.

This mercury is not biodegradable and persists in the environment, concentrating in particular in the fish which is the independent source of proteins of these Indians. Oils of draining of the engines, the gas oil add their pollution to that of mercury around sites and grounds devastated by the motor-driven pumps.

History

The creation date of the commune goes back to 1969 and the latter is considered, in fact, like the first " commune; amérindienne" from France.

Economy

The majority of the economy room is based on an itinerant family agriculture on denshering intended for subsistence farming (culture of the manioc).

The monetary main resource of the inhabitants of Camopi is RMI. There exists however a grocer strongly competed with by the trade of Villa Brasil, an illegal hamlet in the Brazilian commune of Oiapoque, located opposite the borough of the other with dimensions of Oyapock (in the zone of the Brazilian national park of Tumuc-humac). The other economic activities are summarized with a conveyer paddler and the administrations (town hall, school, dispensary, station, general advice, gendarmerie).

There exists also an abstract economic activity related to clandestine gold washing: some young people are employed with the carriage of gasoline and goods towards the Brazilian camps of the Camopi river (some were apprehended by the gendarmerie and were judged in Cayenne at the end of 2006 for this activity). Joseph Chanel, the mayor of Camopi, had announced in 2006 in an article of the newspaper France Guyana which it launched out in gold washing if the authorities did not make respect the law, this so that the local communities benefit from it before the resource is not completely exhausted by the Brazilian gold washers. There exist also dies which make it possible to the young Amerindians to be provided in narcotics (Cannabis, ace). The localized activities of Prostitution to Villa Brasil seem to be addressed to the Brazilian gold washers primarily.

Some products resulting from the artisanal activity (potteries, basket makings) are exported towards Saint-Georges and Cayenne.

The tourist activity is voluntarily restricted by the situation of the borough of Camopi in the point access regulated, this in order to preserve the peace of the inhabitants. There exists however a hiking trail (the way of the Swivels) which connects Camopi to Maripasoula.

Useful bonds

Internal bonds

Guyana
Teko
Wayampi

External bonds

Album Photographs on Camopi and its inhabitants

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