Îles du Salut
The
Îles du Salut are a group of small islands of volcanic origin about 11 km off the coast of French Guiana in the Atlantic Ocean. Although closer to Kourou, the islands are part of Cayenne
commune, specifically
Cayenne 1er Canton Nord-Ouest. There are three islands, from north to south: Île du Diable, the most famous due to the political imprisonment there of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, is better known to English speakers as Devil's Island. The total area is 0.62 km². 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 part of a penal colony from 1852 onwards for only the worst criminals of France. The main part of the penal colony was a labor camp stretched along the border with Dutch Guiana, which today is Surinam. Île Royale was for the general population of the worst criminals of the penal colony to roam about in moderate freedom due to the difficulty of escape from the island.