Where was the French penal colony of Cayenne located?

The penal colony of Cayenne, commonly known as Devil's Island was a French penal colony that operated for more than 100 years, from 1852 to 1953, in the Salvation Islands of French Guiana. It was notorious both for the staff's harsh treatment of detainees and the tropical climate and diseases that contributed to high mortality. The prison system had a death rate of 75% at its worst, and was finally closed down in 1953.

Devil's Island was formed by the government of the Emperor Napoleon III in 1852, and soon it became home for the worst criminals and repeat offenders of French nation. In addition to three small islands where penal colony was located, it also had a small prison facility on mainland. Although officially this penal colony carried the name "Bagne de Cayenne" (Cayenne penal colony, named by the capitol city of French Guiana), its prisoners soon coined the name "Devil's Island". This name was perfectly created to reflect the situation in which prisoners found themselves on this island. Between horrible conditions and sickness, it is calculated that great majority of 80 thousand prisoners that served there never left the island and died there.

The prisoner who told the world there in the most memorably gritty detail was French author Henri Charrière, whose incarceration and escape memoir Papillon became a worldwide best-seller when it appeared in 1969. It was later turned into a Hollywood film starring Steve McQueen.