Balata, French Guiana

Balata is named after the nearby Balata Creek. It is located at the junction of RN1 and RN2 in Matoury.^[2]

Haitian emigration to French Guiana started in the late 1960s, and accelerated from the late 1980s onwards.^[3] At first, they settled among the Haitians already living in Cayenne.^[4] Starting in 1995, shanty towns like Balata appeared on the outskirts of the urban area.^[5] Many of the settlers either bought or rented the land. By 2005, only a third of the residents were squatting.^[6]

The favourable position at the junction of two main roads, triggered suburbanisation in the area. Family Plaza, a 30,000 m² commercial centre with shopping mall,^[7] a golf course,^[8] and the Lycée Balata, a high school, were constructed in Balata.^[9]

Balata, a neighbourhood of Matoury,^[10] is listed as a QPV, a problematic urban area needing attention,^[1] because of its crime rate^[11]

• Romanovski, Zéphirin; Piantoni, Frédéric (2008). "Les stratégies d'accès au logement des Haïtiens dans l'agglomération de Cayenne comme facteurs de restructuration urbaine". Marquages territoriaux et reconnaissance communautaire dans l'outre-mer français. 6 (6). doi:10.4000/espacepolitique.1009.