Devil's Island (Kourou) Devil's Island (Kourou) Devil's Island (French: Île du Diable) is the third-largest island of the Salvation's Islands, an island group in the Atlantic Ocean. It is located approximately 14 km (9 mi) off the coast of French Guiana in South America just north of the town of Kourou. It has an area of 14 ha (34.6 acres). The island was a part of a controversial French penal colony located in French Guiana for 101 years, from 1852 to 1953. Although it was the smallest part of the penal colony, it is notorious for being used for internal exile of French
Macquarie Harbour Penal Station face further imprisonment at Macquarie Harbour Penal Station. It was finally closed in late 1833. Most of the remaining convicts were then relocated to Port Arthur. Ten convicts remained behind in January 1834 finishing the construction of a brig; however, they seized the opportunity to escape with it in the Frederick escape. The island was later used for pining purposes, and was known by the piners as Settlement Island, rather than Sarah Island, though it has since reverted to its original name. The ruins of the settlement remain today as the "Sarah Island Historic Site" —part of the larger Tasmanian