Camopi


Camopi is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. Camopi is mainly inhabited by Amerindians of the Wayampi and Teko tribes.

History

In 1738, a Jesuit mission opened on the Oyapock River near the current town of Camopi. The missionaries brought European diseases and caused a depopulation. In 1763, the Jesuits left and most of the population dispersed.
During the 18th and 19th century, the Teko had moved into the area which had been home to the Wayampi, and by the 1830s, their territories overlap, however the tribes remained isolated. In 1930s, France and Brasil renewed their interest in the area, and wanted to establish borders. Medical facilities were established in the mid-1950s followed by a school. In the 1960s attempts were made to group the population into bigger villages with limited success. A granman was installed according to the Maroon hierarchy, but failed to catch on.
In 1969, the town of Camopi was established. Parts of the tribes rejected the modernisations, and in 1970 access to the commune had been restricted. In 1987, Jacques Chirac as Prime Minister had established Zones of Collective Use Rights. ZDUC means that the villages have communal land for hunting, fishing, agriculture and gathering.
Around 1990, gold had been discovered in the region. Illegal gold miners have moved into area, and town of Vila Brasil had been established opposite the town of Camopi on the other side of the Oyapock River. The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment has set up a camp to protect the border. Even though Vila Brasil had been built illegally in a nature reserve, Brazil designated Vila Brasil capital of the municipality in 2011. In 2013, the access to the area was no longer restricted, and the town had slowly opened for tourism.

Geography

With a land area of, it is the third-largest commune of France.
The village of Camopi, seat of the commune, lies on the border with Brazil at the confluence of the Camopi River into the Oyapock River.
The commune can only be reached by boat or via the air. It is served by Camopi Airport.

Villages