Îles du Salut
Encyclopedia
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
origin about 11 km off the coast 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...
(14 km north of Kourou
Kourou
Kourou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.Kourou is the location of the Guiana Space Centre, France and ESA's main spaceport.-Geography:...
) in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Although closer to Kourou, the islands are part of Cayenne
Cayenne
Cayenne is the capital of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic coast. The city's motto is "Ferit Aurum Industria" which means "Work brings wealth"...
commune (municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
), specifically Cayenne 1er Canton Nord-Ouest.
There are three islands, from north to south:
| Island | Area (ha Hectare The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2... ) |
Height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Île du Diable Devil's Island Devil's Island is the smallest and northernmost island of the three Îles du Salut located about 6 nautical miles off the coast of French Guiana . It has an area of 14 ha . It was a small part of the notorious French penal colony in French Guiana until 1952... |
14 | 40 |
| Île Royale Île Royale Île Royale is the largest and westernmost island of the three Îles du Salut, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of French Guiana. As the largest island, with an area of 28 hectares, it was used as the centre for administration when the islands were used as a penal settlement. With an elevation of... |
28 | 66 |
| Île Saint-Joseph Île Saint-Joseph Île Saint-Joseph is the southernmost island of the three Iles du Salut in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of French Guiana. Twenty hectares in size, it is the middle in size. During the period when the islands were used as a penal colony, the island was reserved for solitary confinement. At an... |
20 | 30 |
| TOTAL | 62 |
Île du Diable is better known to English speakers as Devil's Island
Devil's Island
Devil's Island is the smallest and northernmost island of the three Îles du Salut located about 6 nautical miles off the coast of French Guiana . It has an area of 14 ha . It was a small part of the notorious French penal colony in French Guiana until 1952...
. The total area is 0.62 km² (62 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s). Île du Diable and Île Royale are separated by Passe des Grenadines, Île Royale and Île Saint-Joseph by Passe de Désirade. The islands were used as a penal colony from 1852 onwards, earning them a reputation for harshness and brutality. This system was gradually phased out and has been completely shut down since 1953. Nowadays the islands are a popular tourist destination. The islands were featured in the novel by Henri Charrière
Henri Charrière
Henri Charrière was a convicted murderer chiefly known as the author of Papillon, a hugely successful memoir of his incarceration in and escape from a penal colony in French Guiana....
, Papillon. He was imprisoned here for 9 years.
