Maroni (river)
Sunrise over the Maroni
View over the Maroni to Suriname
The Maroni or Marowijne ( Sranan Tongo: Marwina - liba ) is a river in South America. It forms the border between French Guiana and Suriname, has numerous rapids ( Sranan Tongo in Sula's called ) and by the present sandbanks temporarily inaccessible mouth.
The term Marowijne is needed for the part of the river, which is located downstream of the confluence of Tapanahony and Lawa.
In the mouth region of two nature reserves have been established in the interest of protecting the birds and there eggs droppers leatherback turtles on Surinamese side near the Karibendorfes Galibi.
Border problems
In 1860, on the French side by the question of which of the two source rivers must be regarded as the upper reaches and thus as a border river. A French-Dutch commission was set up to clarify this question. From the Dutch side were J. H. Baron van Heerdt dead Evers Mountain, J.F.A. Cateau van Rosevelt and August Kappler, from the French side Luits Vidal, Ronmy, Boudet and the doctor computation of the Commission. 1861 were therefore performed measurements that had the following result: the Lawa has a discharge rate of 35960 m³ / min at a width of 436 m; the Tapanahony a discharge rate of 20291 cubic meters and a width of 285 m. This was the headwaters of the Lawa as Marowijne.
By 1885, there were no problems with this decision. The discovery of gold in the area between Lawa and Tapanahony but emerged a renewed border conflict. On November 29, 1888 France and the Netherlands signed an agreement, according to which the conflict is to be subjected to arbitration. The Russian Tsar Alexander III. certain as inserted arbitrator that the Lawa is to be regarded as the upper reaches of Marowijne and thus as a border river.
Now, however, the question which flow is to be regarded as the source of the River Lawa. The Netherlands looked at the Marowini ( the eastern source river ) as the origin of the Lawa, the French further west running Litani River as a source. This question is not understood.
The Litani rises in Tumuk - Humak Mountains on about 2 ½ ° north latitude and 55 ° west Länge2.5 - 55; he takes in its course the Koele Koelekreek ( located in the source area of the 1938 identified and again controversial Dreiländerpunkt ), the Loekreek, the Mapaonikreek and Oelemari on.
The Marowini also rises in Tumuk - Humak Mountains at about 2 ° north latitude and 54 ° west Length2 - 54; he assumes, inter alia, the Koetoekreek on.
A few figures
The current area of Marowijne is 68.7 thousand km ²; above the river island Langatabbetje ( 110 km from the mouth ) is that area 63.7 thousand km ². The mean discharge rate was Langatabbetje in the period 1952-1973 at about 1700 m³ / sec The minimum is 95 m³ / sec, the maximum at 6550 m³ / sec The length of the estuary is about 90 km; the mean tidal range in the estuary area is 2 m; the tidal volume is about 300 million cubic meters; the salt limit ranges in the dry season, some 40 km upstream to the town of Albina.
The estimated potential for Suriname hydro-power is 1150-1250 MW.
Research
Of all the rivers of Surinam Marowijne is the most researched. Already in the 16th century, some river trips in the mouth region by Lawrence Keymis, Thomas Masham, Antonio de Berrio and Adriaen Cabeliau, in the 17th century by Harcourt, Fisher and De Vries. In the 18th century context the course will be explored by Mentelle, Patris, Le Blond and Heneman, in the 19th century by Zegelaar, Crevaux, Henri Coudreau, Ten Kate, Joost, among others
In the 20th century, especially the Gonini and the Tapanahony expedition, to name Tumuk Humak and the southern boundary expedition. There are also research the Geological Mijnbouwkundige Service ( GMD ) and the Centraal Bureau voor Lucht card ring ( CBL).
This and that
In the novel Papillon Henri Charriere describes his escape from the camp of Saint- Laurent- du- Maroni, which leads him by sailing boat on the Maroni in the Atlantic.