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Surinam

National Flag of Suriname.

The unity of all ethnical groups is represented by one star. The colour (yellow/gold) of the star stands for a golden future.

The red stripe stands for progress and love, the green for hope and fertility, and white for peace and justice.

Coat Of Arms.

The coat of arms of Suriname consists of two Indians holding a shield. Below the Indians and the shield you find the motto `Justitia Pietas Fides' which means `Justice Faith Loyalty'.

The sailing boat at the left part of the shield symbolizes the history of Suriname when slaves were taken to Suriname from Africa. The palm at the right part of the shield stands for the present as well for justice.

The diamond in the middle symbolises a hart. The five-point star within the diamond stands for the five continents the inhabitants from Suriname came from.

Suriname , republic of northeastern South America, bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by French Guiana, on the south by Brazil, and on the west by Guyana. Before 1975 Suriname was a dependency of The Netherlands and was called Dutch Guiana or Netherlands Guiana. Also called Surinam, the country has an area of 163,265 sq km (63,037 sq mi). The capital and only major urban area is Paramaribo.

English, French, and Dutch traders first arrived in Suriname in the mid-17th century. The Dutch gained control of the colony later in the century and began gradually displacing the indigenous people. Using slave labor, the Dutch cultivated sugarcane, which became the major source of income, and large agricultural estates developed. A Dutch governor ruled the colony. In 1949 citizens were allowed to elect a parliament to pass legislation on domestic matters, but the Dutch government continued to control defense and foreign affairs. Shortly after independence in 1975, a military coup overthrew Suriname's democratically elected government. Although democracy was restored in 1987, the military continued to hold the ultimate power in the country through the 1990s.

Because of its long history as an agricultural colony, Suriname has a diverse population representing ethnic groups from four major continents. Very few of the indigenous groups who originally inhabited the area remain. Most people are descendants of African slaves and Asian indentured servants (from India, Indonesia, and China) who were brought to the colony to work as agricultural workers. Although agriculture long formed the backbone of the Suriname economy, the mining of bauxite, an aluminum ore, generated the greatest amount of national income in the late 20th century.

Facts at a Glance

Full country name: Republic of Suriname
Area: 163,270 sq km
Population: 440,000
Capital city: Paramaribo (pop 240,000)
People: 35% East Indian, 32% Afro-Surinamese, 15% Indonesian, and 10% Bush Negroes (descendants of ex-slaves who inhabit the upland forests)
Language: Dutch, and also English, Sranan (an English-based Creole), Hindi, Javanese and Chinese
Religion: 27% Hindu, 25% Protestant, 23% Roman Catholic, 20% Muslim
Government: Republic
President: Ronald Venetiaan

History

The original inhabitants of the Guyanese coast were Carib Indians. Covered by mangroves, the thinly populated, muddy coastline failed to attract Spaniards in search of gold, though they made occasional slave raids. Interior tropical forest peoples such as the Macushi and Tirió also survived in relative isolation.

The English established sugar and tobacco plantations on the west bank of the Suriname River around 1650 and founded the settlement now known as Paramaribo. Two decades later, the Dutch took possession in one of the silliest property deals ever transacted, by swapping New Amsterdam (present-day New York) for the English territory in Suriname. To expand their plantations, the Dutch imported West African slaves. From the mid-18th century, escaped slaves formed Maroon (Bush Negro) settlements in the interior, and retained many African customs. The abolition of slavery led to labour shortages in the early 19th century, and indentured labourers were brought in from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), India, China, Portugal and Lebanon.

Despite limited autonomy, Suriname remained a colony until 1954, when it became a self-governing state; another 20 years passed before it gained independence. A military coup in 1980 brought Desi Bouterse to power. His brutal regime saw that all political opponents were murdered and also carried out a vicious campaign to suppress a rebellion of Bush Negroes. Posing as a Marxist, Bouterse flirted with Cuba (to the alarm of the USA and Brazil) and then with Libya (to the alarm of French Guiana). In 1987 free elections were held and a multiracial government was formed.

Although Bouterse no longer holds power, he staged another coup in 1990 and still lingers in the background as the main opposition leader. Despite leftist rhetoric, Ronald Venetiaan's coalition government has proved amenable to multinationals such as Suralco (a subsidiary of Alcoa) which control the country's lucrative bauxite industry. Venetiaan has also granted gold and timber concessions to North American and Asian companies in Suriname. Attempts to push through economic reforms continue to be hampered by political infighting and a populace to whom widespread poverty seems a poor tradeoff for happy accountants.

Culture

Suriname's ethnic mix is reflected in the religious allegiances of its people. The most important Christian denominations are Roman Catholic and Moravian Brethren, but many Christian groups also practise traditional African beliefs such as obeah and winti. About 80% of the East Indian population are Muslim.

Although Dutch is the official language, the vernacular Sranan (also known as Surinaams), an English-based creole, is widely spoken. Hindi, Javanese, Chinese, Djuka and Saramaccan (both English-based creoles) and various Amerindian languages are also spoken.

The develop of a strong national arts scene has been hampered by the fact that many of the country's intelligentsia live abroad (mostly in the Netherlands), partly because of greater economic opportunities and partly because of military repression. However, gamelan offers an insight into the cultural life of the Indonesian community; sculpture and carvings express the values of the Amerindian and Bush Negro populations.

Suriname's food is an exotic mix of East Indian, Indian, Creole and Chinese cuisines; the cheapest eateries are warungs, Javanese food stalls serving fried noodle and rice dishes.

Places of Interest

Paramaribo

Suriname's capital Paramaribo (often abbreviated to 'Parbo') is a curious hybrid of northern Europe and tropical America. Imposing brick buildings overlook grassy squares and wooden houses crowd narrow streets, but towering palms shade some areas and mangroves still hug the riverside. Mosques and synagogues sit side by side, while Javanese vendors peddle satay and Dutch-speaking Creoles guzzle beer at sidewalk cafés. Central Paramaribo's focus is the Onafhankelijksplein (Unity Square), fronting the Presidential Palace. Immediately behind the palace is the Palmentuin, an attractive park with tall palms inhabited by tropical birds. To the east is Fort Zeelandia, a 17-century riverside fortification used for the detention and torture of political prisoners after the coup of 1980. The main market is found on the riverside boulevard, Waterkrant, and ferries for Meerzog, on the other side of the river, leave from nearby.

Brownsberg Nature Park

This park comprises an area of montane tropical rainforest overlooking one of the world's largest reservoirs, the W J van Blommestein Meer, about one and a half hours from Paramaribo by car. Guided tours are available and include a short walk on the Mazaroni plateau, which gives fine views of the reservoir to the east, and a longer hike which involves a steep descent into a canyon with small but attractive waterfalls

Albina

Albina is a small, run-down village on the Marowijne River, the border with French Guiana. With permission from the Carib Indians (and a hired canoe), it is possible to visit the nearby Galibi Nature Reserve, where Ridley, green and leatherback turtles nest in June and July. Albina has no accommodation but it may be possible to find a bed in a private house or sling a hammock in the park

Facts for the Traveler

Visas: Virtually all visitors require a visa in advance. There are Surninamese embassies in neighbouring countries, the Netherlands, Germany and the US.
Health risks: malaria, rabies, typhoid, dengue fever, cholera
Currency: Surinamese gilder
Relative costs:

cheap meal: US$2
restaurant meal: US$5
cheap room: US$2
mid-range hotel room: US$10

Time: three hours behind GMT
Weights & measures: officially metric but, in practice, imperial measurements are used
Tourism: 29,000 visitors in 1993