Arrondissement of St.-Laurent-du-Maroni

Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni illustrates how colonial borders can create permanent economic gradients. This arrondissement faces Suriname across the Maroni River, sharing a 520-kilometer border that was economically irrelevant in 1975 when both territories had comparable wealth. By 2000, French Guiana's EU-subsidized economy had pulled so far ahead that migration flows became permanently one-directional. When Suriname's inflation exceeded 50% in 2022, the gradient steepened further, with pirogues ferrying Surinamese buyers seeking subsidized French goods.

The city of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni has grown from 5,055 residents in 1974 to over 50,000 by 2021, now French Guiana's second largest urban center. Approximately 75% of the population are Maroons, descendants of enslaved Africans who escaped Dutch plantations in the 17th and 18th centuries. This makes it the world's largest majority-Maroon city, with Sranan Tongo as the dominant language. The population's origins in Suriname complicate border enforcement, as kinship networks span the river.

In June 2025, the French state transferred over 250,000 hectares to French Guiana communities, including 91 hectares specifically to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni for housing, public facilities, and a new business park. France also announced plans for a new high-security prison. The informal economy absorbs significant employment, with surveys indicating only half of sawmill and rice field workers are formally declared. Cross-border cooperation now includes joint river patrols, waste management, and hospital coordination. The arrondissement exists at the edge of European territory, where subsidized development meets underdeveloped neighbors across a thin water border.