February 1821, 2008
A long time ago, when I was still very young, my parents took my brother and me to my grandparents. They had a TV, but we didn’t have one at home. On TV, my favorite program was “International Panorama”. The footage of reports about the unemployed and the dispersal of demonstrations inevitably included details of material culture that attracted me so much (in fact, nothing has changed with age).
A long time ago, when I was very little, my parents would occasionally leave my brother and me with our grandparents. They had a TV, and we didn’t have one at home. My favorite TV show back then was International Panorama. The reports about unemployment and protest crackdowns around the world would inevitably end up offering glimpses of material culture, which is precisely what appealed to me so much (in fact, nothing has changed with age).
One of the reports was dedicated to Suriname. The only thing I remember, besides the name of the country, is that there are telephone booths in Suriname yellow color. Information that seemed impractical at first glance remained in the memory for a couple of decades.
One of the stories was about Suriname. The only thing I remembered from it, aside from the country’s name, was that the phone booths in Suriname are yellow. This information, hardly useful on the face of it, remained lodged in my memory for several decades.
And here I am in Suriname.
And here I am in Suriname.
What a joy it is to step into childhood memories. These half-booths here, by the way, are also hung two and three on one pole.
What a joy it is to relive your childhood memories. These half-booths are also installed two or three to a pole here, by the way.
Incredibly, the capital of Suriname turned out to be the city of Paramaribo. These two words were never connected in consciousness. "Paramaribo city of the morning dawn."
Incredibly enough, Suriname’s capital turned out to be Paramaribo. I had never connected those two words in my head before. But I knew Paramaribo from an old Russian song. “Paramaribo, city of the dawn...”
Until 1975, Suriname was called Dutch Guiana (and Guyana British). Accordingly, when the Netherlands was occupied by Germany in May 1940, the Dutch colonies began to expropriate all German property and arrest Germans.
There are lots and lots of historical buildings here. So the entire inner city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site (like Bruges).
It's interesting to see how the same buildings look in the hands of different owners.
It’s interesting to see how the exact same buildings look under different owners.
No parking sign, abbreviation NP (niet parkeren).
A sign prohibiting parking (NP stands for “niet parkeren”).
Another sign of a local spill - an uncle with a briefcase running after a girl. The rest are the same as in Europe.
Another homegrown sign: an adult man with a briefcase chasing a little girl. The rest of the signs are like in Europe.
Previously, all signs and traffic lights were attached to striped poles (a couple of such rarities remain in the city).
All the signs and traffic lights used to be mounted on striped posts (a few of these rare specimens can still be found in the city).
Now everything is attached to soulless metal pipes. The same photo shows concrete pillars, Suriname's favorite type of physical obstacle.
Nowadays, everything is mounted on soulless metal poles. Also notice the concrete bollards: Suriname’s favorite type of physical obstacle.
These concrete things come in a wide variety of shapes and colors.
These concrete impediments vary quite widely in shape and color.
But let's get back to striping. I managed to catch a rare period in the life of any city - in Paramaribo they are replacing old traffic lights with new ones (in Moscow, by the way, since the beginning of 2008, all traffic lights in the center have also been changed). The old model still works, hanging on a striped pole.
But back to the stripes. I was lucky to catch Paramaribo at a rare moment in the life of any city: the old traffic lights were in the process of being replaced with new ones (Moscow, by the way, has also been replacing all its downtown traffic lights since the beginning of 2008). The old model, mounted on a striped post, is still functioning.
But the old model has already been turned off and will soon be taken to a landfill.
And here’s an old light that has already been disconnected and is waiting to be taken to the scrap heap.
There are 100 cents in one Surinamese dollar. What is the name of the 100 cent coin? The answer is further in the text.
One Surinamese dollar contains 100 cents. What is a coin worth 100 cents called? The answer will follow later in the text.
Some streets are crooked, so special insulated traffic switches are provided for electrical wires.
Some of the streets are crooked, so they have special insulated pivot points for the power lines.
But the most interesting thing is the Surinamese system of crossing wires over street intersections. You won't find anything like this anywhere else.
But even more interesting is the Surinamese system for wires crossing above a street intersection. You won't see this anywhere else.
In Suriname, a coin worth 100 cents is called 100 cents.
In Suriname, a coin with a value of 100 cents is called “100 cents.”
Some suburban posts have special canopies attached around the perimeter, the purpose of which none of the locals could explain. So that the snake doesn't crawl in? Dont clear.
Some utility poles in the countryside have special skirts around their perimeter. None of the locals were able to explain their purpose to me. To prevent snakes from crawling up? Unclear.
Box for sending letters:
A post box for outgoing mail:
Boxes for receiving letters in almost every house have their own unusual shape.
Letterboxes for receiving mail almost always have unique and unusual shapes.
Garbage in bags is placed on high stands to make it easier for garbage collectors to pick up (as in Chile).
Garbage bags are put out on tall stands so that they’re easier for the collectors to pick up (just like in Chile).
There are taxi advertisements on every pole. You might assume that these are all taxi companies, but in fact they’re individual drivers. It’s just that they all come up with names for themselves.
The buses here are not as wildly painted as in India, but they are definitely painted.
The buses here aren’t as insanely decorated as in India, but they’re always decorated nonetheless.
The license plates are all the same - four numbers and two letters indicating the type of transport (bus, taxi, private owner, etc.). The letters are always raised, and sometimes there are even inspection stickers underneath them. But usually these stickers hang on the windshield.
Plate numbers all follow the same pattern: four numbers plus two letters indicating the type of vehicle (bus, taxi, private car and so on). The letters are always raised, and sometimes you’ll even see vehicle inspection stickers under them. But usually these stickers are on the windshield.
A folksy advertisement for sardines in tomato sauce. There’s something very reminiscent of home in this billboard.
Surinamese are terribly worried that the Chinese are taking over trade. Even poor George IV got a few cheekbones.
Surinamers are incredibly concerned that the Chinese are taking over their commerce. Even poor George IV ended up with some telling cheekbones.
They tell creepy stories, about how their own person was denied a lease, but the Chinese were allowed.
People share horror stories about how one of their own was turned down for a lease, but a Chinese person got approved.
The Chinese, interestingly, make signs for their stores in Chinese and English, but ignore Dutch.
Interestingly, the Chinese write their shop signs in Chinese and English, but completely ignore Dutch.
In case of attacks of xenophobia and kleptomania, some Chinese grocery stores are fenced inside with a cage.
In case of possible bouts of xenophobia and kleptomania, some Chinese grocery stores are protected with cages inside.
Surinamese village is an amazing combination of civilization and primitiveness. One half of the residents have slate roofs, the other half have straw.
A Surinamese village is a surprising combination of the modern and the primitive. Half the homes have corrugated fiber cement roofing, the other half have straw.
To begin, the visitor must go to the elder’s tent, bow and give five dollars as a sign of respect and compensation for the filming.
The first thing a visitor needs to do is go to the elder’s tent and pay his respects—in the amount of five dollars, which also goes towards compensation for photography.
At the same time, the very first villagers (with beer and cigarettes) will declare that they cannot be photographed, because what if I print the photo in a calendar and sell it at every kiosk?
However, the very first villagers you encounter (with beer and cigarettes) will declare that you’re not allowed to photograph them, because what if you publish the photo in a calendar and sell it in every kiosk?
The local population is confident that a white man shoots for profit, so they demand money for each frame.
The locals are convinced that white people take photos for profit, so they demand money for every shot.
At the next house there is an old man in rubber boots and a topless old woman.
Outside the next house is an old man in rubber boots and a topless old woman.
A guy runs out from around the corner with a paint roller, rolling around in the slush.
A boy runs out from around the corner, dragging a paint roller through the mud.
At the very far end of the village, among chickens and vines, there is a special house (the toilet does not count). Absolutely all village women who are currently menstruating are required to stay in this house.
At the very far end of the village, amongst chickens and vines, is a special house (not counting the outhouse). All the women in the village who are currently menstruating have to remain inside this house.
Not a single village woman can break this tradition.
Suriname is located on the mainland of South America and the occupied territory of Suriname is 163,270. The population of Suriname is 524,000 people. The capital of Suriname is located in the city of Paramaribo. The form of government of Suriname is the Republic. Dutch is spoken in Suriname. Who does Suriname border on: Guyana, Brazil.The Republic of Suriname is a country in the northeast of South America with an area of 163 thousand square kilometers. The supreme ruler is the president.
The name of the country comes from the name of the Surinen people - in honor of the local settlers. This is a unique cultural corner, striking in its ethnic diversity. There are many cultural elements from the New and Old Worlds represented here. The population is good-natured and friendly; in some ways it is even melancholic. Community is welcomed here, which is probably why there are a huge number of clan families, great respect for one’s roots, for the church, while religious fanaticism is excluded. There is a diversity of faiths in the country, despite this, representatives of one or another faith respect their neighbors who adhere to other faiths. Despite the fact that Dutch is considered the official language, the majority of the population speaks the so-called “Taki-Taki” language, which is a distorted English language.
The currency of Suriname is the Surinamese dollar. The country's economy is developing thanks to bauxite mining and the growth of the oil industry; considerable attention is also paid to agriculture, but it is not yet sufficiently developed. The capital, Paramaribo, is practically the only major city, as well as the main seaport.
The country has a unique nature; there are many national parks and reserves. The most famous of them are the Central Nature Reserve of Suriname, the Raleigh Falls-Folzberg Nature Reserve, the Brownsberg National Park, and the Galibi Nature Reserve. There are unique species of animals and plants here, but you need to choose a good guide and stock up on protective equipment, since many species of animals can be hazardous to health.
The country is located close to the equator, which results in a fairly hot climate with rainy seasons.
Throughout its long history, Suriname has been a colony of various countries. Therefore, the main holiday of the country is Independence Day, which is celebrated on November 25, dedicated to the liberation of the country from colonial oppression in 1975. In addition to this holiday, many other holidays are celebrated, for example, Christmas, New Year, Easter, Labor Day, Abolition Day and so on, and there are also a wide variety of colorful festivals that take place throughout the year. Many holidays and festivals have a religious basis.
The main ingredient of Surinamese dishes is rice, and the drink is coffee. Tourists should know that in cafes and restaurants in Suriname it is customary to leave a tip of 10% of the order amount.
Treating each other politely on the street and greeting even strangers is considered one of the manifestations of local traditions.
This is not to say that the crime rate in the country is low. While rural areas can be quite safe, in cities, especially at night, the level of street crime remains high.
The vast area of beaches on the Atlantic coast is not suitable for use, as they do not have developed infrastructure.
The country is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest independent state on the South American continent.
Republic of Suriname.
The name of the country comes from the ethnonym of the local Indian tribe - Surin.
Capital of Suriname. Paramaribo.
Area of Suriname. 163265 km2.
Population of Suriname. 434 thousand people
Location of Suriname. Suriname is a country in the northeast. In the east it borders with French Guiana, in the south - with, in the west - with. In the north it is washed.
Administrative divisions of Suriname. The state is divided into 10 districts.
Form of government of Suriname. Republic.
Head of State of Suriname. President, elected for a term of 5 years.
Highest legislative body of Suriname. National Assembly (unicameral parliament).
Higher executive agency Suriname. Government.
Major cities of Suriname. Apart from the capital, there are no large cities.
Official language of Suriname. .
Religion of Suriname. 47% are Christians, 27% are Hindus, 20% are Muslims.
Ethnic composition of Suriname. 37% are Indians, 31% are Creoles, 15% are Javanese, 2% are Maroons, 2% are Chinese, 2% are .
Currency of Suriname. Surinamese guilder = 100 cents.
Suriname. , hot and constantly humid. The average annual temperature is +26 °C and varies little throughout the year. About 200 days a year are rainy, the rainy season usually lasts from April to July, a shorter rainy period in December-January, heavy rains are frequent during the rainy season. Precipitation is 2300-3000 mm per year. The driest period, favorable for visiting the country, lasts from early February to late April and from mid-August to early December.
Flora of Suriname. More than 90% of the state's territory is covered with evergreens. Mangroves grow along the coast.
Fauna of Suriname. 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.
and lakes of Suriname. The largest rivers are the Maroni, Corenteign, and Koppeneim.
Sights of Suriname. In Paramaribo there is a museum with exhibits of archaeology, culture and natural history.
Helpful 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.
The coast was discovered by X. Columbus in 1499. In 1551, Dutch merchants founded a trading post on the banks of the river. Suriname. From the end of the 16th century. - alternate possession of Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands (under an agreement with Great Britain, in exchange for New Amsterdam - the territory of modern New York). Since 1866 – Dutch Guiana
; from November 25, 1975 – independent Republic of Suriname
; the head of state is the president; Legislative power belongs to the National assembly.
OK. occupies half of the territory in the north Guiana lowland, partially swampy, with polders along the coast, protected from ocean flooding by dams and drainage canals. To the south - Guiana Plateau
(Wilhemina town, 1280 m). The climate is subequatorial, hot and constantly humid. Wed.-Mon. temperatures 26–28 °C. Precipitation is 2000–3000 mm per year or more. The rainiest period is in April – August; the driest is in September - November. Main rivers: Corentayne
, Maroni (both borderline). Almost 90% of the territory is occupied by humid impenetrable equatorial forests (selva) with valuable tree species; on the coastal lowlands. – savannas, b.ch. burned for plantations; along the coast there are mangroves.
Population 434 thousand people. (2001); motley national composition (from the middle of the 17th century, African slaves were imported; after the abolition of slavery in 1863, workers from India, China, Indonesia and other countries): Indo-Pakistanis 37%; Creoles 31%; Indonesians 15%; Africans 10%; Indians (mainly Caribs) 3%, Chinese and Europeans (2% each). Official language – Dutch. City dwellers 49% (1995). The basis of the farm is bauxite mining. Production of alumina and aluminum. Food, oil refinery, tab., leather footwear, text., woodworking. industry Main rural households crops: rice (over 2/3 of arable land), sugar. cane, citrus fruits, coffee, cocoa, bananas, coconut palm. Mol.-meat live; fishing and shrimping; harvesting valuable wood species, collecting gutta-percha from balata trees. Seaports: Paramaribo and Mungo. Intl. airport. Cash unit – Surinamese guilder.
Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Ekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of academician. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .
Republic of Suriname, a state on the northeastern coast of South America. Until 1975, Suriname was a colony of the Netherlands and was called Dutch Guiana. In the west it borders with Guyana, in the south with Brazil, in the east with French Guiana, and in the north it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. 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). The capital and only large city is 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 northerly direction: the Corenteign, along which part of the border with Guyana passes, Coppename, Gran Rio, 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 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. 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 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. 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 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. 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.
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 the real executive branch 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 the 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 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 the mining and processing of bauxite, Suriname produces drinks, 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, USA, EU, World Bank and 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 since then 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 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 defense and foreign policy country, and the Surinamese elected 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 New front for Democracy, which included three traditional ethnic parties, the Front for Democracy and Development and the Suriname Labor Party. 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.
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SURINAME
REPUBLIC OF SURINAME
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 Atlantic Ocean. The area of the country is 163265 km2. Suriname consists of a marshy coastal plain about 80 km wide and a central plateau. In the south there are mountains covered with dense forest. The main rivers of the country are the Maroni, Kurantin and Koppeneim.
The country's population (1998 estimate) is about 428,000 people, with an average population density of about 2.6 people per km2. Ethnic groups: Indians - 37%, Creoles - 31%, Indonesians (Javanese) - 15%, Maroons (descendants of runaway slaves) - 10%, Indians - 3%, Chinese - 2%, Europeans - 1%. Language: Dutch (state), Saran-Tonga (taki-taki), English. Religion: Christians - 47%, Hindus - 27%, Muslims - 20%. Capital and largest city: Paramaribo (180,000 people). State structure- republic. The head of state is President Roland Venetian (in office since September 16, 1991). The head of government is Prime Minister Jules Adjodia (in office since September 16, 1991). The currency is the Surinamese guilder. Average life expectancy (as of 1998): 68 years for men, 73 years for women. The birth rate (per 1000 people) is 22.5. The mortality rate (per 1000 people) is 5.8.
Before the arrival of Europeans, Suriname was inhabited by the Arawak, Carib and Warraw tribes. The first Europeans were the Dutch in 1581. In 1922, Suriname (at that time Dutch Guiana) became part of the Netherlands, and in 1954 received the status of an equal member of the kingdom. On November 25, 1975, Suriname gained independence, after which about 40 thousand people emigrated to Holland. The country is a member of the UN, WHO, ILO, FAO, IMF, and World Bank. Organization of American States.
The climate of the country is tropical and humid. The average annual temperature is about 27° C. The rainy season lasts from December to April, during which time rains often cause floods.
Attractions include a museum with exhibits on archaeology, culture and natural history in Paramaribo.
Encyclopedia: cities and countries. 2008 .
General information
Suriname is located in the northeastern part of the continent, between Guyana (Brtanian Guiana) and Cayenne (French Guiana). Sometimes called Dutch Guiana.
The population consists mainly of descendants of African slaves and immigrants from India and Indonesia brought into the country after the abolition of slavery. There are a small number of people of European descent and South American Indians, immigrants from China, Lebanon and Brazil.
The economy is poorly developed, based mainly on agriculture and mining. The standard of living of the population is low.
History of the Jewish Community
17th century
The group of colonists who created a permanent settlement on the coast of Suriname in 1652 under the leadership of Lord W. Willoughby included several Jewish families. After 1654, some of the Jews who left the Dutch colonies in Brazil after their capture by Portugal settled in Suriname.
Jews were also among the settlers from the Netherlands who landed in 1656 on the so-called Wild Coast (part of the sea coast of Suriname), at the mouth of the Pauroma River.
In 1664, a group of Jews expelled from Cayenne (French Guiana), including over 150 immigrants from Livorno, who had lived there since 1660, arrived in Suriname. This group was led by a wealthy merchant and landowner, David Nasi (Joseph Nunez de Fonseca) , who played a prominent role in organizing the Jewish community of Suriname; his descendants were part of the leadership of this community for many decades.
The role of Jews in the development of the economy of Suriname
Jews, especially immigrants from Brazil and Cayenne, who had experience in growing sugar cane and trading in sugar, which was highly valued at that time, contributed in the 1650s and 60s. significant contribution to the development of the Surinamese economy.
Taking this into account, the British authorities in August 1665 granted the Jews of Suriname a privilege that guaranteed them equal civil rights with Christians, including the right to hold official positions (which had not yet been done in any Christian country, including Great Britain itself), as well as freedom religion and communal autonomy.
Early in 1667 this privilege was extended: a new decree stated that all Jews settled in Suriname could, regardless of their origin, become full subjects of the British crown.
Suriname under Dutch rule
In February 1667, Suriname was captured by Dutch troops and it became a colony of the Netherlands. The new authorities retained for the Jewish population all the rights that it enjoyed under the British; According to the decree of the governor, issued in May 1667 and confirmed in April 1668 by the parliament of the province of Zeeland (which formally belonged to Suriname), all Surinamese Jews were considered as natives of the Netherlands.
Despite this, some Jews left the colony along with British troops, who briefly reoccupied it in the fall of 1667. Ten more Jewish families left Suriname in 1677, taking advantage of the right granted to them by the Treaty of Westminster between Great Britain and the Netherlands of 1674.
Jews who left Suriname resettled in British colonies in the Caribbean region, most notably Jamaica.
In 1682, Suriname came into the possession of the Netherlands West India Company; the governor she appointed (who was also a co-owner of Suriname) in 1684 forbade Jews from working on Sundays and from marrying according to tradition. But the board of directors of the West India Company, by two resolutions adopted in 1685 and 1686, abolished these prohibitions and confirmed that all previous laws regarding the Jews remained in force.
In the last quarter of the 17th century. The Jewish population of Suriname gradually increased, primarily due to the influx of emigrants from the Netherlands, as well as from the southwestern regions of Germany and Northern France (see Alsace). The economic situation of the community was rapidly improving, the majority of whose members were planters and large merchants.
By 1694, there were 94 Sephardi families and 12 Ashkenazi families in the colony—a total of approximately 570 Jews; most of of them spoke in everyday life Portuguese. Jews owned over 40 plantations, which employed about 9,000 slaves.
In 1672, on a plot of land in the Torrika area, allocated to Jews by the administration of the colony in accordance with the privilege of 1665, a Jewish settlement was formed, in which a synagogue began to operate and a Jewish cemetery was opened.
In 1682, the inhabitants of this settlement moved to land purchased for them by one of the representatives of the Nasi family, 15 km south of Paramaribo (the administrative center of the colony), in an area where there were many plantations owned by Jews. Soon a large (on the scale of Suriname) settlement of Joden-Savanne arose here, where almost exclusively Jews lived.
In 1685 a large synagogue was built in Yoden Savannah; Bet Din began to operate under her. The Jews of Suriname maintained close spiritual contacts with the community of Amsterdam.
18th century
In the 1st half of the 18th century. Jews played an important role in the economic life of Suriname: in 1730 they owned 115 of the colony's 400 plantations. In the interior regions of Suriname, on the border of undeveloped territories, the influence of Jewish large landowners was extremely great.
They formed their own armed detachments that repelled raids by groups of fugitive slaves (the so-called forest blacks, or maroons) on plantations and undertook punitive expeditions against these groups.
In the 2nd half of the 18th century. the number of Jewish planters began to rapidly decrease: by 1791, they owned only 46 plantations out of 600. Many Jews began to settle in Paramaribo; the size of the Jewish population of this city by the mid-18th century. reached a thousand people by the end of the 18th century. - 1.5–2 thousand people (37.5%-50% of the total population).
The Jews who lived in Paramaribo were mainly engaged in trade (including peddling); liberal professions were also common among them.
In 1734, the Jewish community of Suriname, which had previously been united and followed the Sephardic liturgy, split into Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities. The third group, which was not formalized organizationally, but actually existed separately, consisted of mulattoes converted to Judaism - the illegitimate children of Jewish planters from black slaves.
Charitable societies operated under the Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities; in 1785, the Jewish Literary Association arose in Paramaribo, among the founders of which was a descendant of D. Nasi - David de Isaac Cohen Nasi, one of the leaders (“regents”) of the Sephardic community. Under the auspices of the association, a cultural and educational institution (“lyceum”) operated, where courses of lectures were given on various topics.
19-20 centuries
Synagogue Neve Shalom in Paramaribo.
In the 19th century – early 20th century As a result of the prohibition of the slave trade (1819), the abolition of slavery (1863) and the fall in world sugar prices, the economic situation of Suriname gradually worsened.
Jews began to leave the colony; those leaving Suriname were initially dominated by Sephardim, so that by 1836 the Ashkenazi community outnumbered the Sephardi community for the first time. Dutch replaced Portuguese as the spoken language of the Jews of Suriname.
By the beginning of the 20th century. approximately 1,500 Jews remained in the colony, by 1923 - 818.
Community at the beginning of the 21st century
In 2003, the Jewish population of Suriname, according to estimates by Israeli demographers, was about 200 people.
In the mid-2000s. There were two Jewish communities in Suriname: Ashkenazi - Neve Shalom and Sephardic - Tzedek ve-Shalom. In the early 2000s. Due to financial difficulties caused primarily by the relocation of several wealthy Jewish families from Suriname to the Netherlands, the United States and Israel, the community was forced to surrender the building of the Tzedek ve-Shalom synagogue. All ritual objects were transferred to Beit HaTfutsot.
The remaining Neve Shalom congregation numbered 125 in 2004.
Notification: The preliminary basis for this article was the article
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