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Suriname

SurinameISO 3166 (''Dutch language|Dutch: Suriname''; Sranan Tongo: ''Sranan''), officially the '''Republic of Suriname''' (traditionally spelled ''Surinam'' by the English who founded the first colony at Marshall's Creek, along the Suriname River, but the Dutch spelling is more widely accepted), is a country in northern South America. Suriname is one of four non-Spanish language|Spanish-speaking states in South America along with Brazil, Guyana, and French Guiana. Suriname does not border any Hispanophone nations on the South American continent. Suriname was Geographical renaming|formerly known as ''Nederlands Guyana'', ''Netherlands Guiana'' or ''Dutch Guiana''. Suriname is situated between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west. The southern border is shared with Brazil and the northern border is the Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic coast. The southernmost border with French Guiana is disputed along the Maroni River|Marowijne river; while the once-disputed boundary with Guyana was arbitrated by the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea on September 20, 2007. The country is the smallest sovereignty|sovereign state in terms of area and population in South America and is the only Dutch language|Dutch-speaking nation in the Western Hemisphere that is not a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Suriname also has the highest percentage of Muslims in the Western Hemisphere.

History

European exploration of the area began in the 16th century by Dutch, France|French, Spain|Spanish and English explorers. In the 17th century, plantation colonies were established by the Netherlands|Dutch and England|English along the many rivers in the fertile Guyana plains. The earliest documented colony in Guiana was by an Englishman named Marshall called Marshall's Creek, along the Suriname River.Ibid At the Treaty of Breda (1667)|Treaty of Breda, in 1667, the Dutch decided to keep the nascent plantation colony of Suriname conquered from the English, while leaving the small trading post of New Amsterdam in North America, now New York City, in the hands of the English. The Dutch planters relied heavily on African slaves to cultivate the coffee, cocoa, sugar cane and cotton plantations along the rivers. Treatment of the slaves by their owners was notoriously bad, and many slaves escaped the plantations. With the help of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas|native South Americans living in the adjoining rain forests, these runaway slaves established a new and unique culture that was highly successful in its own right. Known collectively in English as the Maroons, and in Dutch as "Bosnegers," (literally meaning "Bush negroes"), they actually established several independent tribes, among them the Saramaka, the Paramaka, the Ndyuka or Aukan, the Kwinti, the Aluku or Boni and the Matawai. The Maroons would often raid the plantations to recruit new members, acquire women, weapons, food and supplies. These attacks were often deadly for the planters and their families, and after several unsuccessful campaigns against the Maroons, the European authorities signed several peace treaties with them in the 19th century, granting the Maroons sovereign status and trade rights. Slavery was abolished by the Netherlands in Suriname in 1863, but the slaves in Suriname were not fully released until 1873, after a mandatory 10 year transition period during which time they were required to work on the plantations for minimal pay and without state sanctioned torture. As soon as they became truly free, the slaves largely abandoned the plantations where they had suffered for several generations, in favor of the city, Paramaribo. As a plantation colony, Suriname was still heavily dependent on manual labor, and to make up for the shortfall, the Dutch brought in contract laborers from the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) and India (through an arrangement with the British). In addition, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, small numbers of mostly men were brought in from China and the Middle East. Although Suriname's population remains relatively small, because of this history it is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse in the world. In 1954, the Dutch placed Suriname under a system of limited self-government, with the Netherlands retaining control of defense and foreign affairs. In 1973, the local government, led by the NPK (a largely Creole, meaning ethnically African or mixed African-European, party) started negotiations with the Dutch government leading towards full independence, which was granted on 25 November 1975. The severance package was very substantial, and a large part of Suriname's economy for the first decade following independence was fueled by foreign aid provided by the Dutch government. The first President of the country was Johan Ferrier, the former governor, with Henck Arron (leader of the Suriname National Party) as Prime Minister. Nearly one third of the population of Suriname at that time emigrated to the Netherlands in the years leading up to independence, as many people feared that the new country would fare worse under independence than it did as an overseas colony of the Netherlands. Suriname's diaspora therefore includes more than a quarter of one million people of Suriname origin living in the Netherlands today, including several recent members of the Dutch national football (soccer) team. On February 25, 1980, a military coup sidelined the democratic government, and with it began a period of economic and social hardship for the country. On 8 December 1982, the military, then under the leadership of Desi Bouterse, rounded up several prominent citizens who were accused of plotting against the government. They were allegedly tortured and certainly killed during the night, and the Netherlands quickly suspended all foreign aid to Suriname after this event. (As of August 2008, Desi Bouterse is currently standing trial in Suriname for his role in these killings.) Elections were held in 1987 and a new constitution was adopted, which among other things allowed the dictator to remain in charge of the army. Dissatisfied with the government, Bouterse summarily dismissed them in 1990, by telephone. This event became popularly known as "the telephone coup". Bouterse's power began to wane after the 1991 elections however, and a brutal civil war between the Suriname army and the Maroons, loyal to the rebel leader Ronnie Brunswijk, further weakened his position during the 1990s. Suriname's democracy gained some strength after the turbulent 1990s, and its economy became more diversified and less dependent on Dutch financial assistance. Bauxite (Aluminum ore) mining continues to be a strong revenue source, but the discovery and exploitation of oil and gold has added substantially to Suriname's economic independence. Agriculture, especially of rice and bananas, remains a strong component of the economy, and ecotourism is providing new economic opportunities. More than 80% of Suriname's land-mass consists of unspoiled rain forest, and with the establishment of the Central Suriname Nature Reserve in 1998, Suriname signaled its commitment to conservation of this precious resource. The Central Suriname Nature Reserve became a World Heritage Site in 2000.

Districts and resorts

This groups are all represented in the old flag of Suriname

Languages

An exceptional variety of languages is spoken in Suriname. Dutch language|Dutch is the official language. It is used mainly in education, government, business and the media. Suriname became the third member of the Dutch Language Union in 2004. Dutch is spoken as a mother tongue by about 60% of the Surinamese, while most others speak it as a second or third language. In the capital Paramaribo it is the main home language in two thirds of the households. Only in the interior of Suriname Dutch is hardly known. Sranan Tongo, a local creole language originally spoken by the Creole population group, is the most widely used language in the streets and often interchangeably with Dutch depending on the formality of the setting. Surinamese Hindi, a dialect of Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri, is the third-most used language, spoken by the descendants of British Asian contract workers. Javanese language|Javanese is spoken by the descendants of Javanese contract workers. The Maroon (people)|Maroon languages, somewhat intelligible with Sranan Tongo, include Saramaka, Paramakans|Paramakan, Ndyuka, ''Aukan'', Kwintis|Kwinti and Matawais|Matawai. Amerindian languages, spoken by Amerindians, include Carib languages|Carib and Arawakan languages|Arawak. Hakka language|Hakka and Cantonese language|Cantonese are spoken by the descendants of the Chinese contract (''koelie'', coolie) workers. Standard Mandarin|Mandarin is spoken by some few recent Chinese immigrants. English language|English, Spanish language|Spanish and Portuguese language|Portuguese are also used. English is used in schools and business purposes, while Spanish and Portuguese are spoken by South American residents (Portuguese for Brazilians) and their descendants and also taught in schools. The public discourse about Suriname's languages is a part of ongoing debates about the country's national identity. While Dutch is perceived as a remnant of colonialism by some, the use of the popular Sranan became associated with nationalist politics after its public use by former dictator Dési Bouterse in the 1980s, and groups descended from runaway slaves like the Maroons resent it. Some propose to change the national language to English, so as to improve links to the Caribbean and North America, or to Spanish, as a nod to Suriname's geography. Here's a useful place with links to learn the language. http://wikitravel.org/en/Suriname#Talk

Culture

Due to the policy of the Dutch Dutch East India Company|East India Company and Dutch West India Company|West India Company, there are many different ethnic groups in Suriname. Ethnicities/races are: East Indian 37%, Surinamese creole 31%, Javanese 15%, Surinamese Maroon 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, other 2%, White 1%.

National celebrations

January 1- New Year's Day
May 1 - Labour Day
June 5 - Immigration of the Indians
July 1 - Emancipation Day (end of slavery)
August 8 - Day of the indigenous people
August 9 - Immigration of the Javanese
November 25 - Independence Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 26 - Second Christmas Day There are several Hindu and Islamic national holidays like Divali (deepavali), Phagwa and Eid-ul-fitre and Eid-ul-adha. These holidays do not have specific dates on the gregorian calendar as they are based on the Hindu and Islamic calendar respectively. Aside from these holidays that are celebrated across the world in Hindu and Islamic countries, there are several holidays which are unique to Suriname. These include the Indian, Javanese and Chinese arrival days. They celebrate the arrival of the first ships with their respective immigrants.

New Year's Eve

New year's eve in Suriname is called Oud jaar which means old year. It is during this period that the Surinamese population goes to the city's commercial district to watch demonstrational fireworks. This is however, a spectacle based on the famous red-firecracker-ribbons. The bigger stores invest in these firecrackers and display them out in the streets. Every year the length of them is compared, and high praises are held for the company that has managed to import the largest ribbon. These celebrations start at 10 in the morning and finish the next day. The day is usually filled with laughter, dance, music, and drinking. When the night starts, the big street parties are already at full capacity. The most popular fiesta is the one that is held at café 't Vat in the main tourist district. The parties there stop between 10 and 11 at night. After which the people go home to light their pagaras (red-firecracker-ribbons) at midnight. After 12, the parties continue and the streets fill again until daybreak.

Landmarks

The Jules Wijdenboschbrug is a bridge over the river Suriname between Paramaribo and Meerzorg in the Commewijne district. The bridge was built during the tenure of President Jules Albert Wijdenbosch (1996-2000) and was completed in 2000. The bridge is 52 metres high, and 1504 metres long. It connects Paramaribo with Commewijne, a connection which previously could only be made by ferry. The purpose of the bridge was to facilitate and promote the development of the eastern part of Suriname. The bridge consists of two lanes and is not accessible to pedestrians. The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is 114 years old. Before it became a cathedral it was a theatre and was owned by La Parra. The theatre was built in 1809 and burned down in 1820. The construction of the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral started on 13 January 1883.

Measurements
161 feet long (51 meters)
48 feet high in the main hall (17 meters)
54 feet wide (18 meters)
162 feet high in the tower up until the bronze cross (53 meters)
This makes the cathedral the biggest and tallest wooden structure on the western hemisphere. The cathedral has space for 340 people and was initially built for free slaves and contract labourers.

Pipe Organ
The pipe organ was constructed in Germany and initially contained 1550 pipes. Many of the pipes have been stolen over the years, leaving the organ with a value of 400 euros. After renovation it is expected to have a value of around 10 million euros. Suriname is the one of the few countries in the world where you can find a Neveh Shalom Synagogue|Synagogue next to a Mosque (another place is Sofia, Bulgaria). The two buildings are located next to each other in the centre of Paramaribo and have been known to share a parking facility during their respective religious rites, should they happen to coincide with one another.

Sports

Some of the greatest football players to represent the Netherlands, such as Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Aron Winter, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Stanley Menzo, Ryan Babel and Fabian Wilnis are of Surinamese descent. Davids in particular has written of his passionate pride in his Surinamese heritage and his love of attending football matches there. There are a number of local heroes in other sports as well, like Primraj Binda, best known as the athlete who dominated the Long-distance track event#10.2C000 meters|10 km for nearly a decade, Steven Vismale and Letitia Vriesde. Another notable track athlete from Suriname was Tommy Asinga. Anthony Nesty is the only person to win a medal (for swimming) for Suriname at the Olympic Games|Olympics. Originally from Trinidad, not Suriname, he now lives in Gainesville, Florida, USA, and is a coach of the University of Florida. Mainly a distance coach and is planning on coaching the Olympics for Suriname in Beijing for 2008.

References

Related Images

- Pagara (Red-firecracker-ribbons)
- The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in Paramaribo
- Synagogue next to a Mosque

Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL

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