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Suriname The beating heart of the Amazon
In listing Suriname as one of the top 10 places in the world to visit in 2010 Lonely Planet explains:“South America’s smallest country, both in area and population, is easily one of its most diverse.”
The facts on Suriname and its diversity are easy to find, even though different sites have slightly different population breakdowns. You’ll find the basics below, but first a caveat.
Exactly because of its diversity, facts and statistics won’t really prepare you for a visit to the ‘Beating Heart of the Amazon.’ More than most places, Suriname can only be understood in the experiencing of it.
Try a fine wine. The only way to understand the alchemy that produced its unique flavor is to taste in its entirety – in the right atmosphere, at the right time, and at the right temperature. Are we comparing a country to a fine wine? In some ways, yes.
The facts are simple:
The Facts:
Geography: 156,000 sq km of land with an additional 7,820 sq km of water, or about 5 % of the country. Located 2-5 degrees north of the equator; hot tropical climate moderated by trade winds.
Population: In 2007, estimated at just under 500,000 and about 350,000 in Holland. About 90% of the population lives along the coastline, most in Paramaribo.
Ethnicity: Hindustani (27%); Creoles, descendants of African slaves and Europeans, mostly Dutch (18%); Javanese (15%); Maroons, descendants of runaway slaves (15%); mixed (12.5%); Amer-Indians (<4%); Chinese (<2%); Brazilians, including many illegal gold miners (10%); and a smattering of Dutch and Jews. Read more
Religion: No one religion predominates. Christianity, Hinduism, Islam are all practiced.
Languages: Almost too numerous to list, but in addition to five distinct Amer-Indian languages and another five Maroon languages, there is Dutch spoken by the majority of people and technically the official language, English, widely spoken and understood, Hindi-Urdu, Javanese, Portuguese, and the lingua franca of Suriname -- Sranan Tongo. With so many different languages, some consider this the only sure way to communicate.
The Soul of Suriname
Suriname is more than a compilation of its diversity. It is the magic of the Amazon Rainforest. It is the legacy of colonialism. It is the tragedy of a lengthy civil war that left huge swaths of the country in tatters. It is the struggle of a developing nation to cope with the tug-of-war between modernity and tradition. It is the see-saw of growth and stability, preservation and quick money.
In this small, quiet, pleasant country battles rage for control of land, resources, the future, for ownership and rights, and for the soul of the land itself – the Amazon Rainforest.
When you come for a visit, keep an eye out for the many pieces that form the mosaic of Suriname.
In1958 ‘operation grasshopper’ began. It created 7 airports in the interior to facilitate mining and exploration. It makes it possible for eco-tourists to charter a flight to the most remote areas of Suriname. There are also some scheduled flights you could check as well.
Whether you go by bus, boat or Cessna, a trip into the Rainforest is an experience you will always remember.