Paramaribo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Paramaribo | |
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| Nickname(s): Par'bo | |
  Paramaribo
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| Coordinates: 5°52′N 55°10′W / 5.867°N 55.167°W | |
| Country |  Suriname |
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| District | Paramaribo District |
| Population | |
| - Estimate ({{{pop_est_as_of}}}) | 242,946 |
| Time zone | ART (UTC-3) |
Paramaribo (nickname: Par′bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people. The historic inner city of Paramaribo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002.
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[edit] History
The area, a trading post started by the Dutch, was taken by the English in 1630, and in 1650 the city became the capital of the new English colony. The area changed hands often between the English and Dutch but it was in Dutch hands again in 1667 and under Dutch rule from 1815 until the independence of Suriname in 1975.
In January 1821, a fire in the city centre destroyed over 400 houses and other buildings.
A second fire in September 1832 destroyed another 46 houses on the western part of the Waterkant.
The citizens are chiefly of Asian Indian, indigenous, African, and Dutch descent.
[edit] Geography
The city is located on the Suriname River, approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) inland from the Atlantic Ocean, in the Paramaribo district.
[edit] Demographics
| Historic Inner City of Paramaribo* | |
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| State Party | Suriname |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv |
| Reference | 940 |
| Region** | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2002 (26th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of the population of Suriname.
Paramaribo is famed for its diverse ethnic makeup, including Creoles, Hindustani, East Indians, Maroons, Javanese, Native Americans, Chinese, and Europeans (primarily of Dutch and English descent).
[edit] Economy
The city's major exports are gold, bauxite, sugar cane, rice, cacao, coffee, rum, and tropical woods. Cement and paint are manufactured in the city.
[edit] Transport
Paramaribo is served by the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport and Zorg en Hoop Airport for local flights.
[edit] Culture
On Sundays and holidays there is a popular bird song competition. Black twatwas are the most common birds used. This bird is in the CITES- appendix I.
Suriname has only one cinema, which is located in the capital.
[edit] Notable landmarks
[edit] Sports
Paramaribo is the birthplace of several football players; some of them later represented the Netherlands:
- Aron Winter
- Clarence Seedorf
- Edgar Davids
- Fabian Wilnis
- Henk Fräser
- Jerry de Jong
- Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
- Maarten Atmodikoro
- Mark de Vries
- Regi Blinker
- Romeo Castelen
- Stanley Menzo
- Ulrich van Gobbel
- Mitchell Tjin-fooh
Other sports such as tennis, golf, and basketball are also commonly played in Suriname.
[edit] Sister cities
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Paramaribo |
- Map of Paramaribo
- Google satellite view of Paramaribo
- Page with some basic information and images
- Audio interview with Paramaribo resident about life in Paramaribo
- Image gallery
- Paramaribo photo gallery
- Photo gallery
- High resolution image of old print of Paramaribo
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