SURINAME
(Suriname)
General information
Official name - Republic of Suriname (Dutch Republiek Suriname, English Republic of Suriname). Located in the northeastern part of South America. Area 163.3 thousand km 2, population 419.7 thousand people. (2001). Official language- Dutch. The capital is Paramaribo (200 thousand people). Public holiday - Independence Day November 25 (since 1975). The monetary unit is the Surinamese guilder (florin) (equal to 100 cents).
Member of the UN (since 1975), OAS (since 1977), LNPP (since 1979), member of the Non-Aligned Movement (since 1979), CARICOM (since 1995), ACG (since 1995), etc.
Geography
The north borders on Guyana in the west, French Guiana in the east, Brazil in the south, and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north. The length of the coastline is 386 km. The northern half of the north is occupied by the Guiana Lowland, which is partially swampy, and the southern half is occupied by the Guiana Plateau, which reaches a height of 1230 m in the Wilhelmina Mountains (Mount Juliana). Main rivers - Corentayne (border with Guyana), Coppename, Suriname, Maroni (border with French Guiana) - high water, rapids, navigable only in the lower reaches. Vegetation in the northern lowland part of the country there is savannah; in the southern part and on the plateau there are tropical rainforests with valuable tree species (karapa, virola, etc.), and along the coast there are mangroves. Forests occupy St. 85% of the country's territory is inhabited by monkeys, jaguars, pumas, tapirs; many birds. Among the amphibians is the endemic pipa frog of Suriname. The rivers are home to electric rays, piranhas, arapaima and many other fish. Although a small state in territory, S. nevertheless has enormous biodiversity. The subsoil is rich in bauxite (explored reserves - 8 billion tons), which are the best in quality in the world. Already mastered Place of Birth are depleted, while others are located in inaccessible interior regions of the country. There are known deposits of iron, niobium, tin, tantalum, gold, platinum, and diamond ores. Water resources are significant. Climate
- tropical, humid, trade winds soften the effects of heat and humidity. Average monthly temperature is +26-28°C, precipitation - 2000-3000 mm per year.
Population increased from 355 thousand in 1980 to 402 thousand in 1990, amounting to 417 thousand people in 2000. Low growth rates (in 2003 - 0.37%) are caused by the complicated political situation after the declaration of independence in 1975, the periodic aggravation of the economic situation and the mass emigration of Surinamese, mainly to the former metropolis. Infant mortality 19.4 people. per 1000 newborns (2003). Life expectancy is 69.2 years. The share of the urban population is 75%. The illiteracy level has traditionally been low since autonomy - less than 6%.
IN ethnically S.'s population is distinguished by great diversity and an unusual ethnocultural combination, which is due to the peculiarities of Dutch colonization, the importation of African slaves at its beginning, and subsequently contract labor from India and Indonesia. 35% of the population is of Indian origin, 32% are Afro-Surinamese, 15% are Indonesians (mainly Javanese), 10% are Maroons (“forest blacks”, descendants of Africans who fled from brutal exploitation inland), 2% are Indians, 2% - Europeans, 2% - Chinese, etc. The majority of the population lives along the Atlantic coast.
The official language is Dutch, English is widely spoken, the local language is Sranan Tongo (another name is Surinamese or Taki-taki), Hindustani (Hindi dialect), Javanese. Different ethnic groups adhere to different religions - Hinduism, Islam, Christianity (Catholics, Moravians, Lutherans, etc.), Judaism, etc.
Story
Before the advent of Europeans, the territory of modern North was inhabited by tribes of Arawaks and Caribs. This part of the continent was first explored in 1499 by the Spanish navigator Alonso de Ojeda. In 1551, Dutch merchants founded a small trading post on the banks of the S. Vkon. 16th century S. was captured by Spanish and, in 1630, by English colonialists. Under the peace treaty of 1667, Great Britain ceded territory to the Netherlands in exchange for New Amsterdam (present-day New York). Until the end 18th century S. was ruled by a Dutch governor. In 1799, S. was again captured by Great Britain, but in 1802 it was transferred to the Netherlands, which was secured by the Treaty of London of 1814. In 1866, S. received the status of a colony of the Netherlands under the name Dutch Guiana. The colony was governed by a political council, transformed into the Colonial States in 1866. After the abolition of slavery in 1863, the Dutch began to import labor from India, Indonesia, China, and other countries, which led to the formation of an ethnically diverse society in North America. In 1922, the status of C was changed, receiving the official name of “annexed territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.” In 1954 S. achieved autonomy.
On November 25, 1975 it was proclaimed an independent republic. On February 25, 1980, as a result of a coup led by non-commissioned officer D. Bouterse, power passed to the National Military Council, parliament was dissolved, and the Constitution was suspended. However, as a result of external pressure and the aggravation of the internal situation, the military was forced to agree to hold free elections in 1987, the adoption of a new Constitution and the transition of the country to a civilian form of government.
In the elections in November 1987, the Front for Democracy and Development won, consisting of the National Party C, the Progressive Reform Party and the Union of Indonesian Peasants. R. Shankar was elected president, and H. Arron, vice-president, faced serious problems on the way to the consolidation of Surinamese society. On December 24, 1990, army officers led by Bouterse again forced the resignation of the president and vice president elected in 1987. But under pressure from the United States, other states, the OAS and international organizations, the government formed by the military held new elections on May 25, 1991. The New Front coalition won the majority of seats in the National Assembly.
In the May 1996 elections, the National Democratic Party, founded in 1987 by Bouters, won greatest number seats (16 out of 51) in the National Assembly, and in September of the same year, with the support of the Party for National Unity and Solidarity, which emerged from the New Front for Democracy, and other smaller parties, it was able to achieve the election of one of its leaders, Jules Weidenbos, as president of the country. Internal discord in the coalition complicated the adoption of legislative acts in the National Assembly, which affected the effectiveness of government actions in the face of deteriorating economic conditions. After mass protests in May 1999 due to rising inflation (up to 70% per year) and unemployment (up to 20%), on December 8, 1999, the president accepted the resignation of the government and called early elections.
In the elections in May 2000, the ruling bloc suffered a crushing defeat; the New Front coalition again came to power, coming up with a platform for strengthening the Surinamese economy. R. Venetian was elected president in August 2000, as in 1991, and J. Adjodia was elected vice-president.
Government and political system
S. is a unitary presidential-parliamentary republic based on a constitutional-democratic form of government. The Constitution of 1987 is in force. administratively The country is divided into 10 districts, headed by a district commissioner appointed by the president of the country. Big cities : Paramaribo, Nieuw Nickerie, Mungo.
Legislature belongs to the unicameral National Assembly of 51 deputies, elected by universal direct and secret suffrage for a period of 5 years. Executive power carried out by the president, who appoints the government. The government is headed by the vice president, who is also the prime minister. The President and Vice-President are elected by the National Assembly by a qualified majority of 2/3 votes or, if the required number of votes cannot be obtained by the People's Assembly, by a simple majority for a period of 5 years. The People's Assembly consists of deputies of the National Assembly, members of regional councils and departmental councils.
Head of State - R. Venetian. Vice President and Prime Minister - J. Adjodia. The Chairman of the National Assembly is M. Dwalapersad.
In S. it has developed multi-party system Even before the declaration of independence, parties were built mainly along ethnic lines. The leading role is played by the National Party of S. (NPS). Its leader, Henk Arron, head of the coalition government, achieved the declaration of independence of S. in November 1975. After the elections in May 2000, the majority of parliamentary mandates (33 out of 51) were received by the New Front for Democracy coalition consisting of the NPS, the Progressive Reform Party, Perjaja Luhur and Suriname party of labor.
Civil society is represented by trade unions (Progressive Trade Union Federation C-47, Progressive labor organization, Trade Union Council C).
Armed forces WITH. - National Army with small naval and air force units, a civilian police corps.
S. has unresolved disputes with French Guiana and Guyana. The issue of delimiting the territorial sea between North and Guyana has not been resolved.
S. has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (diplomatic relations between S. and the USSR were established on November 25, 1975).
Economy
The basis of the economy is bauxite mining industry, controlled by American and Dutch capital. Alumina exports are provided by St. 70% of foreign exchange earnings. GDP is equal to 989 million dollars, 2.2 thousand dollars per capita (2002). The GDP growth rate was 1.2% in 2002 and 3.5% in 2003, and in per capita terms - 0.4 and 2.7%, respectively. GDP structure: agriculture 11.3%, industry 21.4% (including manufacturing 7.7%), services 67.3%. The economically active population is more than 100 thousand people, unemployment is 14%. In addition to bauxite (3.6 million tons), gold is mined, and oil production is becoming a promising industry (over 10 thousand barrels per day). Electricity production 1.4 billion kWh. Basic crops : rice, bananas, coconut, peanuts, livestock farming is developed. Exports ($577 million, 2003) are dominated by bauxite, alumina, and aluminum; rice, shrimp, bananas, fruits, vegetables, and wood are also exported. Imports ($763 million, 2003) consist of machinery, equipment, industrial goods, oil and food. Main trading partners: USA, Netherlands and other EU countries, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago. The length of roads is 4.5 thousand km, of which 1.2 thousand are paved; railways 166 km, 46 airfields, the largest airport is in the capital.
As a result of the government's stabilization measures, the economic situation has noticeably improved: the rate of economic growth has increased, inflation has decreased from 77% at the end. 1990s up to 20% in 2003, the state budget the national currency is balanced, strengthened (in order to increase consumer and investor confidence, the government announced the introduction of a new national currency in January 2004 - the Surinamese dollar, equal to 1,000 former guilders; at the end of 2003, 1 US dollar was equal to 2,800 guilders). According to the Human Development Index, S. ranks 77th in the world (2003).
Education and culture
The National Training Center is the University of Paramaribo, which operates pedagogical institutes. Gives a special flavor to the culture many ethnocultural origins . Huge influence on the development national culture rendered by the classic of Surinamese literature Anton de Kom.
Encyclopedia of the countries of the world. - M.: NPO "Economics", RAS, department of social sciences. Chief Editor: ON THE. Simony; Editorial Board: V.L. Makarov, A.D. Nekipelov, E.M. Primakov. 2004 .
Synonyms:See what "SURINAM" is in other dictionaries:
Suriname- Republic of Suriname, state in the northeast south. America. Former possession of the Netherlands Dutch Guiana was proclaimed an independent republic in 1975 and took the name Suriname after the name of the river. Suriname (flows into the Atlantic Ocean), on which... ... Geographical encyclopedia
Suriname- (Republic of Suriname), a state in the northeast of South America, washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north. Area 163.3 thousand km2. Population 405 thousand people, mainly Surinamese (Surinamese-Creoles) and Surinamo-Indo-Pakistanis. Official... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Suriname- Guiana Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Suriname noun, number of synonyms: 2 country (281) ... Synonym dictionary
SURINAME- (Suriname), Republic of Suriname (Republiek Suriname), state military in the northeast of the south. America. Pl. 163.3 t. km2. Us. 350 t.h. (1982). The capital of Paramaribo (150 volumes, 1981). Before the declaration of independence in 1975, Northern territory was owned by the Netherlands. The basis of the economy... ... Demographic Encyclopedic Dictionary
Suriname- Republic of Suriname (Suriname, Republiek Suriname), state in the N.B. South. America. Pl. 163.3 thousand km2 (1985). Hac. 357 thousand people (1988, assessment). Capital of Paramaribo. B adm. regarding C. is divided into 9 districts. Official Dutch language... ... Geological encyclopedia
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. In addition to the capital, major cities No.
Official language of Suriname. .
Religion of Suriname. 47% are Christians, 27% are Hindus, 20% are Muslims.
Ethnic composition 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, live on the territory of Suriname, a large number of birds, snakes. The country's landmark is the endemic Suriname frog.
and lakes of Suriname. The largest rivers are the Maroni, Corentein, and Coppeneim.
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.
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. The main role in the economy of Suriname is played by the mining industry, 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 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. Watersheds stand out against the general smoothed background mountain ranges and ridges, especially the Wilhelmina Mountains with the country's highest point, 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 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 navigate within the coastal lowlands, so until recently southern regions countries 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 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 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 schools. 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 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 the Second World War, there were many American soldiers, along with them, capital appeared 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, together with thousands of Surinamese, emigrated to the Netherlands, where, in order to combat dictatorial regime 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.
Physiographic characteristics
Suriname Map
Geographical position
Suriname rainforest
Suriname is the smallest country in South America by area. 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 lands are cultivated. In the south there is almost no population, the territory is covered with savannah and tropical rain forests.
Relief
To the south of the coastal strip are the hills of the foothills of the Guiana Plateau, covered with savanna. The soils mainly consist of sand and clay, and are therefore unsuitable for agriculture.
The interior southern part of Suriname is occupied by the Guiana Plateau, the highest point of which is Mount Juliana (1230 m). This area of the country is covered with impenetrable jungle and does not play a major role in the economy of Suriname due to the lack of population, but is rich in diverse flora and fauna.
are depleted, while others are located in inaccessible interior regions of the country. There are known deposits of iron, niobium, tin, tantalum, gold, platinum, and diamond ores. Water resources are significant.
Hydrography
Ecology
Cutting down valuable tree species for export leads to deforestation. Inland watercourses are heavily polluted during mining operations.
Suriname's deforestation rate remains one of the lowest of all countries in the Amazon region.
Political structure
Suriname's form of government is a republic. The head of state and government is the president, elected by parliament for a 5-year term (the number of presidential terms is not limited). Since August 2010 - Desi Bouterse.
Parliament is a unicameral State Assembly, 51 deputies, elected by the population for a 5-year term.
According to the election results in May 2010:
- Mega-combination (including the National Democratic Party) - 23 deputies
- New Front for Democracy and Development - 14 deputies
- A-combination - 7 deputies
- People's Alliance for Progress - 6 deputies
- Party for Democracy and Development through Unity - 1 deputy
Administrative division
Districts of Suriname
Suriname is divided into 10 districts.
| № | District | Administrative center | Square, km² |
Population (2004), pers. |
Density, people/km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brokopondo | Brokopondo | 7364 | 14 215 | 1,93 |
| 2. | Kommewijne | Nieuw-Amsterdam | 2353 | 24 649 | 10,48 |
| 3. | Koroni | Totness | 3902 | 2887 | 0,74 |
| 4. | Marowijne | Albina | 4627 | 16 642 | 3,60 |
| 5. | Nickerie | Nieuw Nickerie | 5353 | 36 639 | 6,84 |
| 6. | Pair | Onverwacht | 5393 | 18 749 | 3,48 |
| 7. | Paramaribo | Paramaribo | 183 | 242 946 | 1327,57 |
| 8. | Saramacca | Groningen | 3 636 | 15 980 | 4,39 |
| 9. | Sipaliwini | absent | 130 567 | 34 136 | 0,26 |
| 10. | Vanika | Lelydorp | 442 | 85 986 | 194,54 |
| Total | 163 820 | 492 829 | 3,01 |
Story
Before the arrival of Europeans, Suriname was inhabited by nomadic Arawak, Carib and Warraw tribes.
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 received its name from the river flowing through its territory.
The 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 only solved in late XIX- at the beginning of the 20th century, more than 60 thousand Indians and Indonesians, as well as Chinese, immigrated to Suriname.
With the advent of immigrants from Asia, the structure of the Surinamese economy changed dramatically - to replace plantation farming small-scale peasant farming has arrived. 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 processing plants various types agricultural products.
Since 1922, the country officially ceased to be called a colony and became an annexed territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
From 1991 to 1996, the country's president was Ronald Venetian. 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.
- tropical, humid, trade winds soften the effects of heat and humidity. Average monthly temperature is +26-28°C, precipitation - 2000-3000 mm per year.
Population - 566846 (expected in July 2013).
Annual growth - 1.15%;
Birth rate - 17.1 per 1000 (fertility - 2.04 births per woman);
Mortality - 6.15 per 1000;
Average life expectancy is 69 years for men, 74 years for women.
Infection with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is 1% (in 2009).
Urban population - 69% (2010).
- Creoles 15.7%
- mixed 13.4%
- others 7.6%
- no data 0.6%
Literacy - 92% of men, 87.4% of women.
- Christianity:
- Protestants 23.6%, including:
- other Christians 3.2%
- atheists 7.5%
- others 1.7%
- no data 3.2%
Languages
The following languages are spoken in Suriname: Acurio, Arawak, Waiwai, Warao, Wayana, East Maroon Creole, Guyanese Creole, Dutch (official), Caribbean, Caribbean Hindustani, Caribbean Javanese, Quinti, Mawayana, Ndyuka Trio Pidgin, Saramaccan, Sikiana, Sranan , trio, hakka. Also immigrating to the country are English, Korean, Dutch Sign Language, Portuguese and North Levantine Arabic.
Economy
Suriname's economy is based on bauxite mining and the export of aluminum, gold and oil (85% of exports and 25% of state budget revenues). An offshore oil production program is developing - the state oil company of Suriname entered into agreements with several Western oil companies in 2004. To develop bauxite and gold mining, Suriname is receiving assistance from the Netherlands, Hungary, Belgium and the European Fund for Assistance and Development.
GDP per capita in 2009 was $9.5 thousand (112th place in the world).
The service sector accounts for 65% of GDP, 78% of workers.
Industry (25% of GDP, 14% of employees) - mining of bauxite, gold, oil, aluminum production; forestry industry, food industry, fish and seafood processing.
Agriculture (10% of GDP, 8% of workers) - rice, bananas, coconuts, peanuts; livestock, poultry.
In Suriname, about half of Suriname's arable land is used for rice, with 43 percent of the rice harvest exported (2013).
International trade
Exports ($1.4 billion in 2006) - aluminum, gold, crude oil, timber, shrimp, fish, rice, bananas.
The main buyers (in 2009) are Canada 35.5%, Belgium 14.9%, USA 10.2%, UAE 9.9%, Norway 4.9%, Netherlands 4.7%.
Imports ($1.3 billion in 2006) - industrial goods, fuel, food.
The main suppliers (in 2009) are the USA 30.8%, the Netherlands 19.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%, China 6.8%, Japan 5.9%.
Included in international organization ACP countries.
Territorial disputes
The government of Suriname has initiated a territorial dispute with Guyana over the issue of state ownership of the sea shelf in the coastal zone. The government of Guyana intended to conclude a PSA with transnational corporations to grant them the right to drill wells and extract minerals from the seabed, the government of Suriname, itself wishing to act as a subject of the PSA, opposed this initiative and turned to the Dutch Archives Service with a request for archival documents - documentary evidence of ownership disputed territories to Suriname, as the legal successor of the Dutch colonial possessions.
Transport
Media (mass media)
State television company - STVS ( Surinaamse Televisie Stichting- “Suriname Television Foundation”) includes a television channel of the same name, a state radio company -
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 them spoke Portuguese in everyday life. 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 lands purchased for them by one of the representatives of the Nasi family, 15 km south of Paramaribo ( administrative center colony), in an area where there were many plantations owned by Jews. Soon a large (on the scale of Suriname) arose here locality Joden-Savannah, 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 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 has replaced Portuguese as a spoken language 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