Suriname fish. Multicultural country Suriname. Animal and plant life
Basic moments
About 90% of the territory is occupied by forests. The landscape of the Atlantic coastal strip (where 90% of the country's population lives) superficially resembles Holland with a developed system of dams and drainage canals forming polders. Main role The mining industry plays a major role in the economy of Suriname, represented in fact only by bauxite mining. Agriculture is low-productive (up to 40% of food is imported). The most educational route for tourists is from the capital of Paramaribo up the Suriname River to the Brokopondo Reservoir and to the town of Malobbi.
Suriname's population of 558,368 (2016) is a veritable ethnic kaleidoscope. A third of the inhabitants are descendants of Indians brought here in the 19th century, about 30% are Creoles, almost 15% are Indonesians, about 10% are blacks. Until recently, up to 2 thousand people a month emigrated to the Netherlands, the former metropolis (Suriname gained independence only in 1975).
Suriname's climate is hot and constantly humid. The average annual temperature is 26 °C. About 200 days a year are rainy. The driest period favorable for visiting the country is from September to November.
Nature
On the territory of Suriname, one can distinguish the coastal Guiana lowland, the savannah belt and the tropical forests Guiana Plateau.
The Guiana Lowland, ranging from 25 km in width in the east to 80 km in the west, is composed of alluvial and marine sands and clays. The surface is flat, swampy, in places crossed by coastal ramparts and dissected by rivers. Some forest areas have been preserved. Small pockets of agriculture are confined to coastal ramparts and drained areas of swamps.
To the south, on the slopes of the Guiana Plateau, a narrow belt of savannas is widespread. The soils here are infertile, agriculture is poorly developed and is of a consumer nature.
The Guiana Plateau is composed of ancient crystalline rocks. The surface is largely covered with tropical rainforest. Against the general smoothed background, watershed mountain ranges and ridges stand out, especially the Wilhelmina Mountains with highest point country - Mount Juliana (1230 m). On the southern slopes of the highlands, partly located within Suriname, savannas are reappearing.
Four people cross the country large rivers, flowing in a northerly direction: Corentain, along which part of the border with Guyana passes, Coppename, Gran Rio, Suriname and Marowijne (the latter forms the border with French Guiana). For Agriculture and cargo transportation great importance They also have the rivers Kottika and Kommewijne, which flow into the Suriname River near its mouth, the Saramacca, which flows into the Koppename also near the mouth, and the Nickerie, a tributary of the Corentayne. Because of the rapids, ships can only move within the coastal lowlands, so until recently the southern regions of the country were practically isolated from the outside world.
The climate of Suriname is subequatorial, humid and hot. Average monthly temperatures range from 23° to 31° C. Average annual precipitation is 2300 mm on the plains and more than 3000 mm in the mountains. There are two wet seasons (from mid-November to February and from late March to mid-July) and two dry seasons (shorter from February to mid-March and longer from August to mid-November).
Population
In the 1990s, Suriname's annual population growth averaged 0.9%. About 90% of the population is concentrated in the coastal zone, primarily in Paramaribo and its suburbs. In the interior regions the population density is extremely low.
The birth rate in Suriname has been trending downward, from 26 per 1,000 in 1985–1990 to 18.87 per 1,000 in 2004. The mortality rate is 6.99 per 1,000. Thus, natural population growth, 1.7% per year, is one one of the lowest in Latin America. At the same time, actual population growth is significantly reduced due to emigration, which increased sharply after 1950. By 1970, its level was 2% per year, by 1975, when the country gained independence, it reached 10%. A new wave of emigration arose after the political upheavals of 1980 and 1982. Total number emigrants to the Netherlands reached 180 thousand by 1987. In 1998, the emigration rate was 9 people per 1000. At the same time, immigration into the country remains very insignificant.
Surinamese society is characterized by stratification according to ethnicity. As of 1997, 37% of the population of Suriname were Indians, descendants of immigrants who came to the country in the 19th century; 31% are blacks and mulattoes, who in Suriname are called creoles; 15.3% are from Indonesia; 10.3% – so-called “forest blacks,” descendants of runaway slaves living in the interior of the country; 2.6% – Indians, indigenous inhabitants of the country; 1.7% - Chinese; 1% are Europeans and 1.1% are representatives of other ethnic groups.
Creoles, who make up two-thirds of the urban population, are settled mainly in Paramaribo and its suburbs. Indians are concentrated in the most productive agricultural areas. They make up less than a quarter of the city's population. Indonesians are located in less fertile agricultural areas, they form a majority only in the Commewijne district, where they are used as wage laborers on plantations. Indians and "forest blacks" mainly live in the interior regions of the country.
The ethnic diversity of Suriname is also evident in the language. Official language Dutch, but many Surinamese do not consider it their native language, and some do not speak it at all. The language of interethnic communication became the Sranan Tongo language, born in a Negro-mulatto environment, in other words, Negro English, or Bastard English, also called Toki-Toki or Surinamese. At least 16 other languages are spoken in the country, including Hindi, Indonesian, Chinese, two Forest Negro languages - Aucan and Saramaccan, and at least four Indian languages.
The same diversity is observed in denominations. Christianity is represented by Protestant (mainly Moravian, 25.2%) and Roman Catholic (22.8% adherents) churches. Indians practice Hinduism (27.6%) or Islam (19.6%). Most Indonesians are Islamists, and part of the population is Catholic. In Suriname there are supporters of Judaism and Confucianism. Blacks practice syncretic African-American cults, including elements of Christianity and pagan rites of healing and evocation of spirits.
The class structure of Surinamese society is quite blurred. The struggle for economic and political dominance unfolds between various ethnic groups, which dominate some areas of activity. At the same time, class stratification is also observed within ethnic groups. Thus, in the Negro-mulatto environment there is a narrow stratum of specialists who have received a European education and government employees, as well as a wide lower stratum of low-skilled or completely unskilled workers. Indians in the first half of the 20th century. established control over agriculture, and after World War II they began to actively master urban professions and now compete with other ethnic groups in all spheres of the economy. Indonesians as a whole remain in secondary roles, forming a layer of agricultural wage workers. The Chinese, predominantly employed in urban retail trade, belong to the middle and upper classes, while the "forest blacks" and Indians living in the wilderness represent marginal groups of the population.
In the 1980s, Suriname saw cuts to social welfare programs. The Netherlands and some religious communities cover the cost of medical care for the population. The average life expectancy in Suriname in 1998 was 70.6 years (68 for men and 73.3 for women).
Suriname has declared compulsory education for children aged 6 to 12 years. Economic difficulties have a negative impact on the quality of education. In 1993, 94% of children attended primary school. At the University of Suriname (founded in 1968) and other higher education institutions educational institutions in 1992 there were 4,400 students. 93% of the adult population is literate. If in 1975 there were 7 daily newspapers published in the country, then at the end of the 1990s there were only two left (West and Vare Tide), which are published in the Dutch language.
Story
The indigenous people of Suriname lived in separate tribes in small settlements, earning food by hunting and primitive agriculture, which was based on the cultivation of root crops, mainly cassava. The coastal tribes spoke the languages of the Arawakan family, the Indians of the interior regions spoke Caribbean languages. The coast of Suriname was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498 during his third expedition to New World. However, for a long time the Spaniards and Portuguese did not try to colonize this area. Only at the end of the 16th century. The British, French and Dutch began to show interest in Guiana, as rumors spread that there was a fabulous rich country El Dorado. The Europeans never found gold, but they founded trading posts along the Atlantic coast.
The first permanent settlement was founded on the Suriname River by Dutch merchants in 1551. At the end of the 16th century. Suriname was captured by the Spaniards, and in 1630 by the British, who then, by the peace treaty of Breda (1667), ceded Suriname to Holland in exchange for New Amsterdam (present-day New York). Among the first colonists of Suriname were many Dutch and Italian Jews who fled the persecution of the Inquisition. In 1685, on the Suriname River, 55 km southeast of modern Paramaribo, they founded the colony of Jodensavanne (lit. Jewish Savannah). Until 1794, Suriname was under the control of the Dutch West India Company and has since remained a colony of the Netherlands (except for two short periods in 1799–1802 and 1804–1814, when it was captured by the British).
The basis of the colony's economy was the plantation economy. Slaves were imported from Africa to work on the plantations. Along with the main crop, sugar cane, coffee and chocolate trees, indigo, cotton, and grain crops were grown on the plantations. The plantation economy expanded until 1785. By this time, there were 590 plantations in Suriname; of these, 452 were cultivated with sugar cane and other cash crops, the rest with crops for domestic consumption. At the very end of the 18th century. the colony began to decline. By 1860 there were only 87 sugar cane plantations left there, and by 1940 there were only four.
In Suriname, as in other sugar-producing colonies that used slave labor, there was a sharp stratification of society. At the highest level of the social hierarchy there was a very small layer of Europeans, mainly colonial officials, large merchants and a few planters. The European population was dominated by the Dutch, but there were also Germans, French and English. Below this elite was a layer of free Creoles, which included the descendants of European marriages with slaves and slaves who received or purchased freedom. The lowest and most numerous category of society were slaves. Among them, a distinction was made between slaves brought from Africa legally until 1804 and illegally until 1820, and slaves born in Suriname.
The slavery system in Suriname was extremely cruel. Slaves had no rights. Colonial laws were aimed at giving slave owners unlimited power over slaves and completely isolating the latter from the free population. Therefore, slaves, at every opportunity, fled from their masters into the interior of the country and created settlements in the forests (“forest blacks”).
From the beginning of the 19th century. In Europe, the campaign for the abolition of slavery expanded. After the British (1833) and then the French (1848) abolished slavery in their colonies, the Dutch decided to follow their example. However, there was concern that freed slaves would not want to work on the plantations. Therefore, after the abolition of slavery, it was decided that slaves should work on the previous plantations for 10 years for a minimum wage. The decree abolishing slavery was passed in 1863. After this, freed slaves were faced with the need to feed themselves and their families and flocked to Paramaribo, where work was better paid and education was available. There they joined the middle Creole layer of society, becoming servants, workers, traders, and their descendants even teachers primary schools and petty officials. At the end of the 19th century. some Creoles went to interior areas countries where they began mining gold and collecting rubber. In the 1920s, Creoles found work in bauxite mines and also emigrated to Curacao (where they worked in oil refineries), the Netherlands and the United States.
In search of labor for plantations, colonial authorities began to contract residents of Asian countries. In the period 1853–1873, 2.5 thousand Chinese were brought to Suriname, in 1873–1922 – 34 thousand Indians, in 1891–1939 – 33 thousand Indonesians. The descendants of these migrants now make up the majority of Suriname's population. During World War II, there were many American soldiers in Suriname, and with them came capital for servicing US military bases.
For a long time, Suriname was governed by a governor appointed by the mother country. Under him, there were two councils, elected by local electors and approved by the Dutch authorities. In 1866 these councils were replaced by parliament, but the governor retained the right to veto any decisions of this body. Initially, there were strict property and educational qualifications for participation in elections, but as they were softened, planters began to enter parliament, and after 1900 the majority in it were already made up of representatives of the upper and middle strata of Creole society. However, the electorate did not exceed 2% of the population until 1949, when universal suffrage was introduced.
In 1954, Suriname gained autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. At the same time, the metropolis still appointed the governor and controlled the defense and foreign policy country, and the Surinamese elected parliament and government.
After 1949, in parties organized along ethnic lines, big influence acquired by the Creoles. They created a coalition with the Indonesians, who also supported the independence of Suriname, won the 1973 elections and formed a government led by Prime Minister Henk Arron, leader of the National Party of Suriname (SNP). Negotiations with the Netherlands were successful, and on November 25, 1975, the independence of Suriname was proclaimed. Following this approx. 40 thousand Surinamese of Asian origin emigrated to the Netherlands. The former metropolis pledged to provide financial assistance to the young state in the amount of $1.5 billion over 15 years. Before independence, two more political parties emerged in Suriname: the Indian Progressive Reform Party and the Indonesian Party of National Unity and Solidarity.
Arron, re-elected in 1977, was accused of corruption and removed from his post in 1980 in a military coup carried out by a group of army officers led by Lieutenant Colonel Desi Bouterse. The National Military Council came to power, which by February 1982 dissolved parliament, revoked the constitution and dismissed the last representative of the civilian government, President Henk Chin Ah Sen. The latter, along with thousands of Surinamese, emigrated to the Netherlands, where, in order to fight the dictatorial regime, he formed the Movement for the Liberation of Suriname. The political crisis was supplemented by an economic one, caused by the fall in world prices for bauxite. Economic losses were only partially compensated by remittances from emigrants to their homeland.
After the military tortured and killed 15 prominent citizens of the country, the Netherlands stopped financial assistance to Suriname. Under domestic and international pressure, the National Military Council in 1985 authorized the formation of a new parliament and lifted the ban on political parties. After this, Arron joined the National Military Council, renamed the Supreme Council.
In July 1986, with the support of the Movement for the Liberation of Suriname, several hundred lightly armed “forest blacks” rebelled in the south and east of the country. Led by Ronnie Brunswijk, Bouterse's former personal bodyguard, they formed the Suriname Liberation Army, dedicated to restoring constitutional order in the country. Over the course of several months, they destabilized bauxite mines and oil refineries. Bouterse accused, among others, the Dutch government and Surinamese emigrants of aiding the rebels, which led to the severance of diplomatic relations between Suriname and the Netherlands in early 1987. The Surinamese army tried to suppress the uprising with brutal measures, often violating the rights of its own citizens and foreigners. This policy caused widespread discontent, and the population demanded reforms. In a referendum in September 1987, 93% of voters voted for the new constitution.
On parliamentary elections in November 1987, representatives of the Bouterse party received only three parliamentary seats out of 51, while the multi-ethnic Front for the Struggle for Democracy and Development received 40 seats. In January 1988, businessman of Indian origin Ramsevak Shankar became president, and Arron became vice president and prime minister. Bouterse retained some power as head of the five-member Military Council. Shankar's policy was aimed at improving relations with the Netherlands and the United States. The Netherlands again began to provide assistance to Suriname, promising to pay $721 million over 7-8 years. Bauxite mining has resumed.
However, in December 1990, the military removed the civilian government and dissolved the National Assembly. Under pressure from the world community, the military was forced in May 1991 to hold elections with the participation of international observers. In these elections, a coalition called the New Front for Democracy, which included three traditional ethnic parties, the Front for Democracy and Development and the Suriname Labor Party, won 30 votes in parliament. In September, the candidate of the National Party of Suriname, Ronald R. Venetian, assumed the presidency; The leader of the Indian Progressive Reform Party, Yul R. Ayodia, became vice president and prime minister. Colonel Bouterse remained commander-in-chief of the army.
In August 1992, Venetian reached peace agreements with the Suriname rebels liberation army. Bouterse was replaced as commander-in-chief by Artie Gorre. In the first half of the 1990s, Suriname, along with some other Latin American countries, embarked on the path of liberal economic reforms. Venetian managed to curb inflation and improve relations with the Netherlands, which increased financial assistance to Suriname and investment in the economy. However, opposition from trade unions and the collapse of the New Front coalition led to Venetian's defeat in the May 1996 elections. Desi Bouterse's People's Democratic Party won more seats in the National Assembly than any other party (16 out of 51), and in coalition with the Indian and Indonesian parties and a number of small parties approved their candidate Weidenbosch as president. At the same time, the coalition turned out to be quite weak, and the new government was unable to enact its legislative program in 1997–1998. Bouterse stood behind Weidenbosch. Under him, Suriname became the main transit point for drugs on the way from Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia to the Netherlands and the United States. The police were headed by Bouterse's closest associate, Colonel Etienne Burenveen, who was convicted in Miami in the 1980s and served five years in prison for trafficking cocaine. Another Bouterse employee, Henk Goodschalk, became head of the Central Bank of Suriname. In August 1998, at the request of the Dutch government, Interpol issued an arrest warrant for Bouterse on charges of drug trafficking and financial fraud.
Useful information for tourists about Suriname, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of Suriname, cuisine, features of visa and customs restrictions of Suriname.
Geography of Suriname
The Republic of Suriname is a country in South America. It borders on the Republic of Guyana in the west, French Guiana in the east, Brazil in the south and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north.
To the south of the coastal strip are the hills of the foothills of the Guiana Plateau, covered with savanna. The interior southern part of Suriname is occupied by the Guiana Plateau, the highest point of which is Mount Juliana (1230 m).
State
State structure
Suriname is a republic. The head of state and government is the president. Parliament is a unicameral State Assembly.
Language
Official language: Dutch
Although the official language is Dutch, many Surinamese do not consider it their native language, and some do not speak it at all. The language of interethnic communication became the Sranan Tongo language, born in a Negro-mulatto environment, in other words, Negro English, or Bastard English, also called Toki-Toki or Surinamese. At least 16 other languages are spoken in the country, including Hindi, Indonesian, Chinese, two Forest Negro languages - Aucan and Saramaccan, and at least four Indian languages.
Religion
Christianity is represented by Protestant (mainly Moravian, 25.2%) and Roman Catholic (22.8% adherents) churches. Indians practice Hinduism (27.6%) or Islam (19.6%). Most Indonesians are Islamists, and part of the population is Catholic. In Suriname there are supporters of Judaism and Confucianism. Blacks practice syncretic African-American cults, including elements of Christianity and pagan rites of healing and evocation of spirits.
Currency
International name: SRD
The Surinamese dollar is equal to 100 cents. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 dollars and coins in denominations of 250, 100, 25, 10, 5 and 1 cent.
You can exchange currency at banks and exchange offices. It is not recommended to change currency on the street (there is a high risk of fraud), as well as in hotels, where the rate is usually much lower than in exchange offices or banks. Currency exchange in many provincial banks often takes a lot of time and requires a number of documents.
Almost all stores and service establishments accept US dollars at the usual rate, many stores even indicate prices in dollars.
Credit cards are accepted mainly in major hotels, banks and transport agencies. American Express is more common than MasterCard or Visa.
Suriname Map
Popular attractions
Tourism in Suriname
Popular hotels
Tips
In restaurants, it is customary to tip approximately 10% of the bill. Taxi drivers do not require tips, although you can round up the fare for convenience or negotiate the fare (and especially the type of currency) in advance.
Visa
Office hours
Banks are open on weekdays from 7.00 to 14.00.
Purchases
Shops are usually open from Monday to Friday from 7.30 to 16.30, on Saturdays from 7.30 to 13.00. On Wednesdays and Fridays, many stores have reduced opening hours.
Shopping at markets, especially handicrafts, will involve mandatory haggling.
Safety
It is not recommended to carry large amounts of cash with you. You should not display chic dresses, jewelry, or expensive photo or video equipment outside the relevant establishments. "Deals" offered by strangers on the street should be avoided at all costs.
Emergency numbers
Unified rescue service - 115.
Photo and video shooting
Photograph public places, especially of a political or military nature (including police departments) is strongly discouraged. Officially, all regulations in this regard have long been abolished in the country, but in practice law enforcement officers are very sensitive to such issues. It is also not recommended to photograph local residents without their consent, however, if they have it, they are photographed with obvious pleasure.
The coastline of Suriname is 360 km long; from north to south the country extends over 400 km. The country's population is 428 thousand people (1998). Capital and only Big City– Paramaribo (180 thousand inhabitants). Other significant cities are Nieuw Nickerie, Albina and Mungo.
Nature.
On the territory of Suriname, one can distinguish the coastal Guiana lowland, the savannah belt and the tropical forest belt of the Guiana Plateau.
The Guiana Lowland, ranging from 25 km in width in the east to 80 km in the west, is composed of alluvial and marine sands and clays. The surface is flat, swampy, in places crossed by coastal ramparts and dissected by rivers. Some forest areas have been preserved. Small pockets of agriculture are confined to coastal ramparts and drained areas of swamps.
To the south, on the slopes of the Guiana Plateau, a narrow belt of savannas is widespread. The soils here are infertile, agriculture is poorly developed and is of a consumer nature.
The Guiana Plateau is composed of ancient crystalline rocks. The surface is largely covered with tropical rainforest. Against the general smoothed background, watershed mountain ranges and ridges stand out, especially the Wilhelmina Mountains with the highest point of the country - Mount Juliana (1230 m). On the southern slopes of the highlands, partly located within Suriname, savannas are reappearing.
The country is crossed by four large rivers flowing in a northern direction: the Corenteign, along which part of the border with Guyana passes, Coppename, Gran Rio, Suriname and Marowijne (the latter forms the border with French Guiana). For agriculture and transportation of goods, the rivers Kottika and Kommewijne, which flow into the Suriname River near its mouth, the Saramacca, which flows into the Koppename also near the mouth, and the Nickerie, a tributary of the Coranteyn, are also of great importance. Because of the rapids, ships can only move within the coastal lowlands, so until recently the southern regions of the country were practically isolated from the outside world.
The climate of Suriname is subequatorial, humid and hot. Average monthly temperatures range from 23° to 31° C. Average annual precipitation is 2300 mm on the plains and more than 3000 mm in the mountains. There are two wet seasons (from mid-November to February and from late March to mid-July) and two dry seasons (shorter from February to mid-March and longer from August to mid-November).
Population and society.
In the 1990s, Suriname's annual population growth averaged 0.9%. About 90% of the population is concentrated in the coastal zone, primarily in Paramaribo and its suburbs. In the interior regions the population density is extremely low.
The birth rate in Suriname has been trending downward, from 26 per 1,000 in 1985–1990 to 18.87 per 1,000 in 2004. The mortality rate is 6.99 per 1,000. Thus, natural population growth, 1.7% per year, is one one of the lowest in Latin America. At the same time, actual population growth is significantly reduced due to emigration, which increased sharply after 1950. By 1970, its level was 2% per year, by 1975, when the country gained independence, it reached 10%. A new wave of emigration arose after the political upheavals of 1980 and 1982. The total number of emigrants to the Netherlands reached 180 thousand by 1987. In 1998, the emigration rate was 9 people per 1000. However, immigration into the country remains very low.
Surinamese society is characterized by stratification along ethnic lines. As of 1997, 37% of the population of Suriname were Indians, descendants of immigrants who came to the country in the 19th century; 31% are blacks and mulattoes, who in Suriname are called creoles; 15.3% are from Indonesia; 10.3% – so-called “forest blacks,” descendants of runaway slaves living in the interior of the country; 2.6% – Indians, indigenous inhabitants of the country; 1.7% - Chinese; 1% are Europeans and 1.1% are representatives of other ethnic groups.
Creoles, who make up two-thirds of the urban population, are settled mainly in Paramaribo and its suburbs. Indians are concentrated in the most productive agricultural areas. They make up less than a quarter of the city's population. Indonesians are located in less fertile agricultural areas, they form a majority only in the Commewijne district, where they are used as wage laborers on plantations. Indians and "forest blacks" mainly live in the interior regions of the country.
The ethnic diversity of Suriname is also evident in the language. The official language is Dutch, but many Surinamese do not consider it their native language, and some do not speak it at all. The language of interethnic communication became the Sranan Tongo language, born in a Negro-mulatto environment, in other words, Negro English, or Bastard English, also called Toki-Toki or Surinamese. At least 16 other languages are spoken in the country, including Hindi, Indonesian, Chinese, two Forest Negro languages - Aucan and Saramaccan, and at least four Indian languages.
The same diversity is observed in denominations. Christianity is represented by Protestant (mainly Moravian, 25.2%) and Roman Catholic (22.8% adherents) churches. Indians practice Hinduism (27.6%) or Islam (19.6%). Most Indonesians are Islamists, and part of the population is Catholic. In Suriname there are supporters of Judaism and Confucianism. Blacks practice syncretic African-American cults, including elements of Christianity and pagan rites of healing and evocation of spirits.
The class structure of Surinamese society is quite blurred. The struggle for economic and political dominance takes place between different ethnic groups, which dominate certain areas of activity. At the same time, class stratification is also observed within ethnic groups. Thus, in the Negro-mulatto environment there is a narrow stratum of specialists who have received a European education and government employees, as well as a wide lower stratum of low-skilled or completely unskilled workers. Indians in the first half of the 20th century. established control over agriculture, and after World War II they began to actively master urban professions and now compete with other ethnic groups in all spheres of the economy. Indonesians as a whole remain in secondary roles, forming a layer of agricultural wage workers. The Chinese, predominantly employed in urban retail trade, belong to the middle and upper classes, while the "forest blacks" and Indians living in the wilderness represent marginal groups of the population.
In the 1980s, Suriname saw cuts to social welfare programs. The Netherlands and some religious communities cover the cost of medical care for the population. The average life expectancy in Suriname in 1998 was 70.6 years (68 for men and 73.3 for women).
Suriname has declared compulsory education for children aged 6 to 12 years. Economic difficulties have a negative impact on the quality of education. In 1993, 94% of children attended primary school. The University of Suriname (founded in 1968) and other higher education institutions had 4,400 students in 1992. 93% of the adult population is literate. If in 1975 there were 7 daily newspapers published in the country, then at the end of the 1990s there were only two left (West and Vare Tide), which are published in the Dutch language.
Government and politics.
In 1975, when Suriname gained independence, a constitution was adopted, according to which the country was proclaimed a parliamentary republic, the former governor-general remained the formal president of the country, and real executive power passed to the cabinet of ministers. As a result of the military coup of 1980, the constitution was abolished. The new constitution, approved by a general referendum in 1987, provides for the popular election for a period of five years of 51 members of the legislative body - the National Assembly, which in turn elects the president (head of state) and the vice-president, who heads the cabinet of ministers, who is appointed by the president himself. The President forms State Council of 15 people - representatives of political forces, trade unions, business and military circles. The Council of State makes recommendations to the cabinet and has the power to veto laws emanating from the National Assembly. In practice, Lieutenant Colonel Desi Bouterse, who carried out a coup d'état in 1980 and ruled the country until 1987, enjoyed almost unlimited power as State Councilor, although his power was somewhat limited after his resignation as Commander-in-Chief of the Army in April 1993.
Suriname's judicial system includes a Supreme Court of six judges appointed for life by the President, and three lower courts. Administratively, the country is divided into 10 districts under the administration of administrative representatives of the president: Brokopondo, Commewijne, Koroni, Marowijne, Niqueri, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini and Wanika.
After the Second World War, three political parties were formed in Suriname: the National Party of Suriname (founded in 1946), expressing the interests of the petty and middle national bourgeoisie of Creole origin, the Indonesian Party of National Unity and Solidarity (1947) and the United Hindustan Party (1949, since 1969 called the Progressive reform party) uniting Indians. These essentially ethnic parties were banned after Bouterse's coup d'état in 1980. They emerged from underground in 1985 and two years later formed the coalition Front for Democracy and Development led by Ronald Venetian. The Front was initially opposed to the National Democratic Party (NDP), founded by Bouterse in 1987. In the same year, the Suriname Labor Party emerged, which in 1991 joined the Front, which won the 1987 elections. The Front briefly lost power during a military coup in December 1990 , but won the 1991 elections again and brought Venetian to the presidency. In 1996, the NDP entered into a coalition with the Indonesian party and a number of small parties and led its candidate to victory in the elections. Juul Weidenbosch became the new president.
Economy.
The country's economic development was hampered by a small population, lack of well-maintained roads, and political instability. In 1996, Suriname's GDP was $523 million, i.e. $1,306 per capita (in the 1980s, GDP reached $1.08 billion). The decline in GDP was attributed to guerrilla warfare in bauxite mining areas, economic mismanagement, and falling demand and prices for bauxite and aluminum, Suriname's main export products. Bauxite mining, which previously accounted for 80% of exports and 30% of GDP annually, fell to 70% of exports and 15% of GDP in 1997. In Suriname, large-scale development of bauxite deposits began after World War II: then more than 75% of bauxite was exported from Suriname to the United States. Currently, Suriname produces approx. 4 million tons of bauxite per year, and it is one of the ten largest bauxite producers in the world. The main deposits are concentrated in Paranama and Mungo in the northeast of the country. The bauxite mining industry is controlled by American and Dutch companies. Bauxite mining is highly mechanized, so this industry employs less than 5% of the working population. In the 1990s, Suriname exported approx. 300 kg of gold. Deposits of iron ore, copper, nickel, platinum, manganese and kaolin have been explored, but they are not being developed.
In 1981, oil fields were discovered in Suriname. In 1997, its production reached 300 thousand tons and continues to grow rapidly. About 40% of crude oil is exported, the rest goes to energy services for the production of alumina and aluminum. Thus, Suriname has sharply reduced its dependence on other energy sources and imported energy resources (petroleum products and coal). In the 1960s, a hydroelectric power station was built in Afobaka, providing cheap electricity that is used in the production of aluminum. There are a number of public and private thermal power plants operating in the country.
Suriname's industry as a whole is underdeveloped, so the country imports many essential industrial products, although it is self-sufficient in food. In addition to bauxite mining and processing, Suriname produces beverages, tobacco products, shoes and cement.
60% of Suriname's total agricultural production is rice, mainly from the Nickerie district. This crop employs approx. 50 thousand hectares. The largest rice plantation is located near Wageningen, where mostly Indonesians work. However, in general, small farms predominate. Suriname's agricultural products include bananas, palm oil, coconuts, citrus fruits, coffee, beef, and chicken. Sugar cane, which was the basis of the colonial economy for centuries, now occupies a very modest place. The importance of shrimp production and timber harvesting is increasing.
In the period from 1983 to 1988, the unemployment rate according to official data reached 13.2%. In fact, the rate was even higher, especially in Paramaribo, where seasonal agricultural workers flocked in search of work. Unemployment continued to be a serious problem during the 1990s, marked by economic recession. In 1998, the share of employees was 49% of the working population (100 thousand), of which 35% were employed in the private sector and 16% in state-owned companies. In the 1980s, persistent budget deficits caused the country's foreign exchange reserves to decline significantly. The situation has improved since 1988, when Suriname began to receive financial assistance from the Netherlands, the US, the EU, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.
In 1996, Suriname's export revenues amounted to $457.7 million, and import expenses amounted to $415.5 million. After bauxite, alumina and aluminum, rice, timber, bananas and shrimp were important export items. The latter are exported mainly to the USA (25%), the Netherlands and EU countries. Suriname imports engineering products, oil, steel and rolled products, agricultural products and consumer goods. 50% of imports come from the USA, and the rest from Brazil, the EU and the Caribbean Community.
Story.
The indigenous people of Suriname lived in separate tribes in small settlements, earning food by hunting and primitive agriculture, which was based on the cultivation of root crops, mainly cassava. The coastal tribes spoke the languages of the Arawakan family, the Indians of the interior regions spoke Caribbean languages. The coast of Suriname was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498 during his third expedition to the New World. However, for a long time the Spaniards and Portuguese did not try to colonize this area. Only at the end of the 16th century. The British, French and Dutch began to show interest in Guiana, as rumors spread that the fabulously rich country of Eldorado was located there. The Europeans never found gold, but they founded trading posts along the Atlantic coast.
The first permanent settlement was founded on the Suriname River by Dutch merchants in 1551. At the end of the 16th century. Suriname was captured by the Spaniards, and in 1630 by the British, who then, by the peace treaty of Breda (1667), ceded Suriname to Holland in exchange for New Amsterdam (present-day New York). Among the first colonists of Suriname were many Dutch and Italian Jews who fled the persecution of the Inquisition. In 1685, on the Suriname River, 55 km southeast of modern Paramaribo, they founded the colony of Jodensavanne (lit. Jewish Savannah). Until 1794, Suriname was under the control of the Dutch West India Company and has since remained a colony of the Netherlands (except for two short periods in 1799–1802 and 1804–1814, when it was captured by the British).
The basis of the colony's economy was the plantation economy. Slaves were imported from Africa to work on the plantations. Along with the main crop, sugar cane, coffee and chocolate trees, indigo, cotton, and grain crops were grown on the plantations. The plantation economy expanded until 1785. By this time, there were 590 plantations in Suriname; of these, 452 were cultivated with sugar cane and other cash crops, the rest with crops for domestic consumption. At the very end of the 18th century. the colony began to decline. By 1860 there were only 87 sugar cane plantations left there, and by 1940 there were only four.
In Suriname, as in other sugar-producing colonies that used slave labor, there was a sharp stratification of society. At the highest level of the social hierarchy there was a very small layer of Europeans, mainly colonial officials, large merchants and a few planters. The European population was dominated by the Dutch, but there were also Germans, French and English. Below this elite was a layer of free Creoles, which included the descendants of European marriages with slaves and slaves who received or purchased freedom. The lowest and most numerous category of society were slaves. Among them, a distinction was made between slaves brought from Africa legally until 1804 and illegally until 1820, and slaves born in Suriname.
The slavery system in Suriname was extremely cruel. Slaves had no rights. Colonial laws were aimed at giving slave owners unlimited power over slaves and completely isolating the latter from the free population. Therefore, slaves, at every opportunity, fled from their masters into the interior of the country and created settlements in the forests (“forest blacks”).
From the beginning of the 19th century. In Europe, the campaign for the abolition of slavery expanded. After the British (1833) and then the French (1848) abolished slavery in their colonies, the Dutch decided to follow their example. However, there was concern that freed slaves would not want to work on the plantations. Therefore, after the abolition of slavery, it was decided that slaves should work on the previous plantations for 10 years for a minimum wage. The decree abolishing slavery was passed in 1863. After this, freed slaves were faced with the need to feed themselves and their families and flocked to Paramaribo, where work was better paid and education was available. There they joined the middle Creole stratum of society, becoming servants, workers, merchants, and their descendants even became primary school teachers and minor officials. At the end of the 19th century. some Creoles moved to the interior of the country, where they began mining gold and collecting rubber. In the 1920s, Creoles found work in bauxite mines and also emigrated to Curacao (where they worked in oil refineries), the Netherlands and the United States.
In search of labor for plantations, colonial authorities began to contract residents of Asian countries. In the period 1853–1873, 2.5 thousand Chinese were brought to Suriname, in 1873–1922 – 34 thousand Indians, in 1891–1939 – 33 thousand Indonesians. The descendants of these migrants now make up the majority of Suriname's population. During World War II, there were many American soldiers in Suriname, and with them came capital for servicing US military bases.
For a long time, Suriname was governed by a governor appointed by the mother country. Under him, there were two councils, elected by local electors and approved by the Dutch authorities. In 1866 these councils were replaced by parliament, but the governor retained the right to veto any decisions of this body. Initially, there were strict property and educational qualifications for participation in elections, but as they were softened, planters began to enter parliament, and after 1900 the majority in it were already made up of representatives of the upper and middle strata of Creole society. However, the electorate did not exceed 2% of the population until 1949, when universal suffrage was introduced.
In 1954, Suriname gained autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. At the same time, the metropolis still appointed the governor and controlled the country's defense and foreign policy, and the Surinamese elected the parliament and government.
After 1949, Creoles gained great influence in parties organized along ethnic lines. They created a coalition with the Indonesians, who also supported the independence of Suriname, won the 1973 elections and formed a government led by Prime Minister Henk Arron, leader of the National Party of Suriname (SNP). Negotiations with the Netherlands were successful, and on November 25, 1975, the independence of Suriname was proclaimed. Following this approx. 40 thousand Surinamese of Asian origin emigrated to the Netherlands. The former metropolis pledged to provide financial assistance to the young state in the amount of $1.5 billion over 15 years. Before independence, two more political parties emerged in Suriname: the Indian Progressive Reform Party and the Indonesian Party of National Unity and Solidarity.
Arron, re-elected in 1977, was accused of corruption and removed from his post in 1980 in a military coup carried out by a group of army officers led by Lieutenant Colonel Desi Bouterse. The National Military Council came to power, which by February 1982 dissolved parliament, revoked the constitution and dismissed the last representative of the civilian government, President Henk Chin Ah Sen. The latter, along with thousands of Surinamese, emigrated to the Netherlands, where, in order to fight the dictatorial regime, he formed the Movement for the Liberation of Suriname. The political crisis was supplemented by an economic one, caused by the fall in world prices for bauxite. Economic losses were only partially compensated by remittances from emigrants to their homeland.
After the military tortured and killed 15 prominent citizens of the country, the Netherlands stopped financial assistance to Suriname. Under domestic and international pressure, the National Military Council in 1985 authorized the formation of a new parliament and lifted the ban on political parties. After this, Arron joined the National Military Council, renamed the Supreme Council.
In July 1986, with the support of the Movement for the Liberation of Suriname, several hundred lightly armed “forest blacks” rebelled in the south and east of the country. Led by Ronnie Brunswijk, Bouterse's former personal bodyguard, they formed the Suriname Liberation Army, dedicated to restoring constitutional order in the country. Over the course of several months, they destabilized bauxite mines and oil refineries. Bouterse accused, among others, the Dutch government and Surinamese emigrants of aiding the rebels, which led to the severance of diplomatic relations between Suriname and the Netherlands in early 1987. The Surinamese army tried to suppress the uprising with brutal measures, often violating the rights of its own citizens and foreigners. This policy caused widespread discontent, and the population demanded reforms. In a referendum in September 1987, 93% of voters voted for the new constitution.
In the parliamentary elections in November 1987, representatives of the Bouterse party received only three parliamentary seats out of 51, while the multi-ethnic Front for Struggle for Democracy and Development received 40 seats. In January 1988, businessman of Indian origin Ramsevak Shankar became president, and Arron became vice president and prime minister. Bouterse retained some power as head of the five-member Military Council. Shankar's policy was aimed at improving relations with the Netherlands and the United States. The Netherlands again began to provide assistance to Suriname, promising to pay $721 million over 7-8 years. Bauxite mining has resumed.
However, in December 1990, the military removed the civilian government and dissolved the National Assembly. Under pressure from the world community, the military was forced in May 1991 to hold elections with the participation of international observers. In these elections, a coalition called the New Front for Democracy, which included three traditional ethnic parties, the Front for Democracy and Development and the Suriname Labor Party, won 30 votes in parliament. In September, the candidate of the National Party of Suriname, Ronald R. Venetian, assumed the presidency; The leader of the Indian Progressive Reform Party, Yul R. Ayodia, became vice president and prime minister. Colonel Bouterse remained commander-in-chief of the army.
In August 1992, Venetian reached peace agreements with the rebels of the Suriname Liberation Army. Bouterse was replaced as commander-in-chief by Artie Gorre. In the first half of the 1990s, Suriname, along with some other Latin American countries, embarked on the path of liberal economic reforms. Venetian managed to curb inflation and improve relations with the Netherlands, which increased financial assistance to Suriname and investment in the economy. However, opposition from trade unions and the collapse of the New Front coalition led to Venetian's defeat in the May 1996 elections. Desi Bouterse's People's Democratic Party won more seats in the National Assembly than any other party (16 out of 51), and in coalition with the Indian and Indonesian parties and a number of small parties approved their candidate Weidenbosch as president. At the same time, the coalition turned out to be quite weak, and the new government was unable to enact its legislative program in 1997–1998. Bouterse stood behind Weidenbosch. Under him, Suriname became the main transit point for drugs on the way from Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia to the Netherlands and the United States. The police were headed by Bouterse's closest associate, Colonel Etienne Burenveen, who was convicted in Miami in the 1980s and served five years in prison for trafficking cocaine. Another Bouterse employee, Henk Goodschalk, became head of the Central Bank of Suriname. In August 1998, at the request of the Dutch government, Interpol issued an arrest warrant for Bouterse on charges of drug trafficking and financial fraud. President Jules Weidenbosch is making many serious economic and political mistakes and leading Suriname to a state of complete instability. Accusations of corruption against this president are not without foundation.
Suriname in the 21st century
The New Front won the elections held on May 25, 2000. In August 2000, Ronald Venetian was elected President of Suriname for the second time. He was to restore economic stability and increase foreign investment in the country. Jules Adjodia became Prime Minister.
Ronald Venetian inherited from his predecessor a devalued currency, high inflation, a collapsing health care system and a bloated bureaucracy. Urgent and extraordinary measures were taken to curb inflation and stabilize the exchange rate. The government of Ronald Venetian managed to reduce public spending and stabilize the banana industry with the help of international loans.
In August 2005, Ronald Venetian was re-elected president of Suriname. Although neither Venetian nor his new political rival Rabindra Parmessar received enough votes in Parliament to become president, Ronald Venetian's candidacy was left to the discretion of regional bodies. 560 deputies out of 879 voted for him.
In the south and washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north.
Suriname is the smallest country by area South America. The country can be roughly divided into two parts: north and south. In the north, off the Atlantic coast, most of the population lives and the land is cultivated. In the south there is almost no population, the territory is covered with savannah and impenetrable tropical rain forests.
The rivers in the country are rich in water, but have rapids. Navigation on them for large and medium-sized vessels is possible only at the mouths. Small vessels can travel up to 300 km upstream on some rivers, connecting
hard to reach hinterland with the coast.
The Suriname River is one of the main rivers of the country (flows into Atlantic Ocean). Its source is located in the Guiana Highlands near the Wilhelmina Mountains. The length of the river is 480 km. There are several rapids and dams on it. The Brokopondo Reservoir, created in 1964 to provide electricity for bauxite factories, divides the river into two parts.
Climate
Located near the equator, Suriname has a hot and humid climate. The air temperature practically does not change from season to season (within 2 °C), the average annual value in Paramaribo is +26 °C.
There are two rainy seasons in the year: from December to early February and from late April to mid-August. On average, 2000-2500 mm of precipitation falls during 200 rainy days a year.
Strong trade winds.
Population
Population of Suriname- 487 thousand people (2010).
Urban population – 75%.
Literacy – 92% of men, 87% of women.
Average life expectancy is 66 years for men, 73 years for women.
Infection with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is 2.4% (in 2007).
Ethno-racial composition:
Indians - 37%Creoles (mostly mulattoes) – 31%
Indonesians – 15%
Maroons (“forest blacks”) – 10%
Indians - 2%
Chinese – 2%
White – 1%
Others – 2%
Christians (Protestants and Catholics) - 40.7%, Hindus - 19.9%, Muslims - 13.5%, others 15%.
Languages:
Dutch (official), English (colloquial), Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, commonly called taki-taki, common among creoles and most young people), Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu), Javanese and Portuguese. Last changes: 05/09/2013Money
Surinamese dollar(SRD, S$) - equal to 100 cents. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 dollars and coins in denominations of 250, 100, 25, 10, 5 and 1 cent.
On January 1, 2004, the Surinamese dollar, pegged to the US dollar, replaced the previously used Surinamese guilder.
Although the Surinamese dollar is considered the only legal tender in the country, coins in guilders can still be found in circulation (their current denomination should be calculated based on the proportion of 1000 guilders to 1 Surinamese dollar), which are exchanged at the offices of the country's Central Bank.
Almost all stores and establishments accept US dollars at the regular rate; many stores even list prices in both Surinamese and American dollars.
Banks are open on weekdays from 7.00 to 14.00. You can exchange currency at banks and exchange offices.
It is not recommended to change currency on the street (there is a high risk of fraud), as well as in hotels, where the rate is usually much lower than at exchange offices.
Credit cards are accepted at most restaurants, hotels and stores (American Express, MasterCard and Visa). ATMs are quite widespread in the capital - they can be found both in banks and in post offices in the central regions.
Travel checks can be cashed at banks.
Communications
Internet domain: .sr
International telephone code countries - 597
There are no intercity codes used; all telephones have an end-to-end six-digit numbering system.
Landline communications
Pay phones with direct access to international lines are easy to find only in the capital. They work using prepaid cards, which are purchased at kiosks, most stores and post offices. A call to the countries of the Caribbean region will cost about $1.5 per minute, to Europe – about $3.
From remote settlements, you can usually call abroad only from the post office, through an operator.
How to call
To call Suriname from Russia, you need to dial: 8 – dial tone – 10 – 597 – subscriber number.
To call from Suriname to Russia, you need to dial: 00 – 7 – area code – subscriber number.
cellular
Cellular communications standard GSM 900/1800 covers for the most part only the territory of the capital and its environs.
Roaming with local operators Telesur (GSM 900/1800) and Digicel Suriname (GSM 850 and 900/1800) is available to subscribers of the largest Russian operators.
Internet
There are internet cafes in Paramaribo, Lelydorp, Nieuw Nickerie and many smaller populated areas(usually they are located in post office and library buildings).
Shopping
Shops are usually open from Monday to Friday from 7.30 to 16.30, on Saturdays from 7.30 to 13.00. On Wednesdays and Fridays, many stores have reduced opening hours, and during Carnival and other national or religious holidays almost all shops are closed.
Where to stay
There are hotels (4-3*) and hostels in Paramaribo. It is difficult to find a hotel in other cities.
When traveling to the jungle, tourists can stay in guest houses, where instead of beds, guests have hammocks (this is a rather exotic type of overnight stay, but also rather unhygienic, since there are no washing machines in the forest).
Sea and beaches
People don’t go to Suriname for a beach holiday. The beaches here are sandy, wild and long.
Story
The coastal part of Suriname was discovered by one of the first Spanish expeditions to South America - Alonso de Ojeda and Vicente Pinzon, in 1499. The coast was first mapped in 1500, following the expedition of another Spanish conquistador, Diego Lepe. The country got its name from the river flowing through its territory.
Colonization of Suriname began only in the first half of the 17th century and was carried out by the British. However, in 1667, England transferred Suriname to the Netherlands in exchange for New Amsterdam (the territory of present-day New York). Since then, with the exception of 1799–1802 and 1804–1816, Suriname has been a possession of the Netherlands for three centuries.
At the end of the 17th century, Suriname became the leading supplier of sugar to European countries. To cultivate sugar cane in Suriname, a plantation farming system was created; black slaves were brought from Africa to work on the plantations.
In the second half of the 19th century, Suriname experienced an economic decline. The main reasons were the establishment of Europe's own production of sugar from beets and the labor shortage that arose after the abolition of slavery in 1863, as freed blacks left the plantations for the cities. This problem was solved only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the immigration of more than 60 thousand Indians and Indonesians, as well as Chinese, to Suriname.
With the advent of immigrants from Asia, the structure of Suriname's economy changed dramatically - the plantation economy was replaced by a small-scale peasant economy. In the 1920s, the development of industry in Suriname began, the basis of which was the mines for the extraction of bauxite and gold, as well as enterprises for the processing of various types of agricultural products.
Since 1922, the country officially ceased to be called a colony and became an annexed territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
In 1954 it gained autonomy (only defense and foreign affairs remained under the jurisdiction of the Netherlands), and on November 25, 1975 it became the independent republic of Suriname.
On February 25, 1980, a military coup was carried out in Suriname. It was organized by 34-year-old Staff Sergeant Desi Bouterse (coach of the Army basketball team), with the help of 15 other sergeants. Bouterse began to rule Suriname as a dictator, the head of the National Military Council he created (appropriating military rank lieutenant colonel - the highest in the Surinamese army). He dissolved parliament, abolished the constitution, introduced a state of emergency in the country and created a special tribunal that tried the cases of members of the previous government and entrepreneurs.
Bouterse proclaimed a “program for the moral recovery of the Surinamese nation.” Several figures from the previous government were executed. In response, the Netherlands stopped providing financial assistance to Suriname. Meanwhile, Bouterse began to nationalize Suriname's industry. After this, great economic difficulties arose in Suriname (production production decreased sharply), strikes and protests among the population began.
In 1986, Suriname began guerrilla warfare against the Bouterse regime. It was organized by Ronnie Brunswijk, one of the 15 sergeants who participated in the coup led by Bouterse. Brunswijk was not promoted in rank after the coup, so he, being a maroon (“forest black”), accused the Bouterse (mulatto Creole) regime of racism and created a guerrilla army from the “forest blacks” that was active in the east of Suriname.
In 1987, Bouterse agreed to the restoration of the constitution and the holding of elections, on the condition that he remained head armed forces Suriname.
In 1990, Bouterse again overthrew the elected government, but in 1991 he allowed new elections to be held and ceased to be the ruler of Suriname. Since then, Suriname has been governed by coalition governments. The economic situation in Suriname has improved as a result of economic diversification and oil development.
From 1991 to 1996, Ronald Venetian was the country's president. From 1996 to 2000 - Jules Weidenbos and from 2000 to 2010 - again Ronald Venetian. On May 25, 2010, the next parliamentary elections were held, as a result of which the ruling National Democratic Party and its candidate for the presidency, former ruler Desi Bouterse, won.
Tap water usually chlorinated and safe to drink, but bottled water is recommended, especially during the first days of stay.
Drinking water in the province is largely contaminated and is not recommended for consumption.
Fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed and peeled.
The flora and fauna of the local forests also contain many living creatures that are dangerous to health, so it is recommended to visit them only with an experienced guide. Also required in this case are repellents, thick clothing that covers the entire body as much as possible, strong shoes and protective insect nets (the presence and integrity of the latter should also be checked in hotels).
Typical local hazards include high levels solar radiation(protective creams, wide-brimmed hats and light clothing made from natural fabrics are recommended) and high humidity (special measures are required to protect photographic and video equipment from moisture).
How to get there
There are no direct flights between Russia and Suriname. From Moscow you can get here from airlines with a transfer in Amsterdam. The airline also flies from Amsterdam to Suriname.
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is the country's main air gateway. Located 45 km south of Paramaribo.
- a state in northeastern South America. It borders on French Guiana in the east, Brazil in the south, and Guyana in the west. In the north it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.
The name of the country comes from the ethnonym of the local Indian tribe - Surin.
Official name: Republic of Suriname
Capital: Paramaribo
The area of the land: 163.3 thousand sq. km
Total Population: 487 thousand people
Administrative division: The state is divided into 10 districts.
Form of government: Republic.
Head of State: President, elected for a term of 5 years.
Population composition: 37% are Indians, 31% are Creoles, 15% are Javanese, 2% are Maroons, 2% are Chinese, 2% are Europeans.
Official language: Dutch. Sranan Tongo (the most common language of international communication, based on English with borrowings from many languages - the so-called “Bastard English”), Hindi, Javanese, Chinese.
Religion: 47% are Christians, 27% are Hindus, 20% are Muslims.
Internet domain: .sr
Mains voltage: ~127 V, 60 Hz
Country dialing code: +597
Climate
Subequatorial, hot and constantly humid. The average air temperature is about +26°C and varies little throughout the year. Even at night the temperature rarely drops below +24°C, and in the dry season it can reach +36°C in the shade. Constant northeastern trade winds bring some coolness, but this is felt only in the coastal zone.
Precipitation is 2300-3000 mm per year, and about 200 days a year are rainy. The rainy season usually lasts from November to January and from May to July (during this time the rains often cause severe flooding). Although Suriname lies outside the hurricane zone, during the rainy season there are frequent heavy downpours with “shibibushi” winds (literally “forest broom”, such rains actually often tear off almost all the foliage from trees), during which up to 300 mm of water falls in a few hours.
Geography
The Republic of Suriname is located in the northeastern part of South America. In the east it borders with French Guiana, in the south with Brazil, in the west with Guyana, and in the north it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.
Almost the entire territory of Suriname is a marshy coastal plain of about 80 km. wide, bordered by the Central Plateau. In the south are the mountains of the Guiana Plateau, covered with dense subequatorial forest. The total area of the country is 163.3 thousand square meters. km.
The country is crossed by four large rivers flowing in a northern direction: the Corentayne, along which part of the border with Guyana passes; Coppename, Gran Rio, Suriname and Marowijne (the latter forms the border with French Guiana).
For agriculture and transportation of goods, the rivers Kottika and Commewijne, which flow into the Suriname River near its mouth, the Saramacca, which flows into the Coppename also near the mouth, and the Nickerie, a tributary of the Corenteign, are also of great importance.
Because of the rapids, ships can only move within the coastal lowlands, so until recently the southern regions of the country were practically isolated from the outside world.
Flora and fauna
Vegetable world
The Guiana Plateau is composed of ancient crystalline rocks. The surface is largely covered with tropical rainforest.
The country has a very diverse flora. There are forests in mountainous areas and on hills. Here you can find oak, pine and birch groves, white acacias, poplars, willows, as well as a riot of scarlet poppies.
The coastline is home to evergreen trees and shrubs, pine and alpine pines, mastic trees, palm trees, holm and cork oaks, cypress trees, cacti and agaves, plantations of cultivated plants: almonds, olives, citrus fruits, pomegranates.
In the Alps, hornbeam, chestnut, ash, and beech grow in broad-leaved forests. Among the fruit trees there are vineyards, crops of rye, potatoes, high in the mountains there are coniferous-beech forests: fir, different kinds spruce and pine trees, as well as alpine meadows.
Animal world
Among the representatives of the animal world, monkeys, jaguar, puma, tapir, anteater, small deer, armadillo, crocodile, a large number of birds, and snakes live on the territory of Suriname. The country's landmark is the endemic Suriname frog.
Attractions
- Brownsberg National Park
- Museum of Suriname
- Nickerie
- Jules Weidenbosch Bridge
Banks and currency
Surinamese dollar (SRD, S$), equal to 100 cents. On January 1, 2004, the Surinamese dollar, pegged to the US dollar, replaced the previously used Surinamese guilder. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 dollars and coins in denominations of 250, 100, 25, 10, 5 and 1 cent.
Although the Surinamese dollar is considered the only legal tender in the country, coins in guilders can still be found in circulation (their current denomination should be calculated based on the proportion of 1000 guilders to 1 Surinamese dollar), which are exchanged at the offices of the country's Central Bank. You can also pay in US dollars almost everywhere.
Banks are open on weekdays from 7.00 to 14.00.
You can exchange currency at banks and exchange offices. It is not recommended to change currency on the street (there is a high risk of fraud), as well as in hotels, where the rate is usually much lower than in exchange offices or banks. Currency exchange in many provincial banks often takes a lot of time and requires a number of documents. Almost all stores and establishments accept US dollars at the regular rate; many stores even list prices in both Surinamese and American dollars, although this is illegal.
Credit cards are accepted in most restaurants, almost all hotels and many stores (American Express is the most widely accepted, MasterCard and Visa slightly less). ATM ATMs are quite widespread in the capital - they can be found both in banks and in post offices in central regions.
Travel checks can be cashed at banks. To avoid additional costs due to exchange rate fluctuations, it is recommended to take checks in euros (they are accepted at all hotels and only at the official rate) or US dollars.
Useful information for tourists
In restaurants, it is customary to tip approximately 10% of the bill (note that waiters are a poorly paid category of staff, so if you can afford to tip, the quality of service will be better and the friendliness of the staff will be sincere).
Taxi drivers do not require tips, although you can round up the fare for convenience or negotiate it (and especially the type of currency) in advance.
Shopping at markets, especially handicrafts, will be accompanied by mandatory bargaining; it is also possible to bargain in hotels, but only in the off-season or for long stays.
It is prohibited to export without special permission objects and things of historical and artistic value, especially those found at the bottom of the sea, non-canned meat products, products made from sea turtle shells and feathers and skins of tropical birds and animals.