Papaïchton is a commune

Communes of France

The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...

 in the overseas region and department of French Guiana

French Guiana

French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...

. The village lies on the shores of the Maroni River

Maroni River

The Maroni or Marowijne is a river in South America. It originates in the Tumuk Humak Mountains and forms the border between French Guiana and Suriname...

, which used to be the only way to access the village.

The village which is the seat of the commune was named Papaïchton-Pompidouville in honour of the president Pompidou

Georges Pompidou

Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 1962 to 1968, holding the longest tenure in this position, and later President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...

.

Papaïchton is home to some of the Aluku

Aluku

The Aluku or Boni is the name of a Maroon ethnic group living mainly on the riverbank in Maripasoula, southwest French Guiana, and the eponymous term for their language, which has more than 5,000 speakers. They are mostly descended from former slaves from Suriname Paramaribo, who escaped and...

 people.

History

• 1895 : The village is said to have been founded by "granman Ochi".
• 1930 : Creation of the territory of Inini, administrative division including Papaïchton
• 1946 : Departmentalisation of French Guiana, and the territory of Inini becomes an arrondissement
  Arrondissement
  Arrondissement is any of various administrative divisions of France, certain other Francophone countries, and the Netherlands.-France:The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The capital of an arrondissement is called a...
  
  
• 1968 : Creation of a municipal circle in Grand-Santi-Papaïchton
• 1969 : Municipal circles transformed into communes
  Communes of France
  The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
  
  
• 1976 : Separation of the communes of Apatou
  Apatou
  Apatou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America.The commune of Apatou was created on 12 November 1976 by detaching its territory from the commune of Grand-Santi-Papaichton ....
  
   and Grand-Santi-Papaïchton
• 1993 : Separation of the communes of Grand-Santi and Papaïchton.

Incident at Loka

Loka

Loka

Loka is a Sanskrit word for "world". In Hindu mythology it takes a specific meaning related to cosmology.-Hindu tradition:In the Puranas, and already in the Atharvaveda, there are fourteen worlds, seven higher ones and seven lower ones , viz...

 is a hamlet in the commune of Papaïchton. In April 2006, 14 people of te same family, including 12 children, were found dead, believed to be caused by carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...

poisoning.