Sports

Some of the greatest football players to represent the Netherlands, such as Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Aron Winter, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Stanley Menzo, Ryan Babel and Fabian Wilnis are of Surinamese descent. Davids in particular has written of his passionate pride in his Surinamese heritage and his love of attending football matches there. There are a number of local heroes in other sports as well, like Primraj Binda, best known as the athlete who dominated the 10 km for nearly a decade, Steven Vismale and Letitia Vriesde. Another notable track athlete from Suriname was Tommy Asinga.

Anthony Nesty is the only person to win a medal (for swimming) for Suriname at the Olympics. Originally from Trinidad, not Suriname, he now lives in Gainesville, Florida, USA, and is a coach of the University of Florida. Mainly a distance coach and is planning on coaching the Olympics for Suriname in Beijing for 2008.

MMA and Kickboxing champion Melvin Manhoef was born in Suriname.

New Year’s Eve

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

Arrival

Germans, Austrians and Swiss nationals need a visa and a minimum of 6 months valid passport. Children with photo ID cards will be accepted. The possession of an onward or return ticket is mandatory. Visa in Europe, the Surinamesiche Consulate General in Amsterdam. There is the possibility of a “Visa on Arrival” in Suriname at the Foreign Ministry to berantragen. This visa is for single entry on a pre-determined flight and is also valid for arrival only by air. The process is somewhat complicated, but it works if his travel plan exactly may determine.

Climate

Lying on the equator, Suriname has a very hot tropical climate, and temperatures do not vary a lot throughout the year. The year has two wet seasons, from April to August and from November to February. It also has two dry seasons, from August to November and February to April.

Located in the northeast portion of the country is the Brokopondo Reservoir, one of the largest reservoir lakes in the world. It was created in 1964 by the Afobakka dam (the Brokopondo Project), built to provide hydropower for the bauxite industry (which consumes about 75% of the output) and for domestic consumption.

Geography

Suriname is the smallest independent country in South America. Situated on the Guiana Shield, the country can be divided into two main geographic regions. The northern, lowland coastal area (roughly above the line Albina-Paranam-Wageningen) has been cultivated, and most of the population lives here. The southern part consists of tropical rainforest and sparsely inhabited savanna along the border with Brazil, covering about 80% of Suriname’s land surface.

There are two main mountain ranges in Suriname: the Bakhuys Mountains and the Van Asch Van Wijck Mountains. Julianatop is the highest mountain in the country at 1,286 metres (4,219 ft) above sea level. Other mountains include Tafelberg (1,026 m; 3,366 ft), Mount Kasikasima (718 m; 2,356 ft), Goliathberg (358 m; 1,174 ft) and Voltzberg (240 m; 787 ft).

When to Go

Suriname’s dry seasons, from early February to late April and from mid-August to early December, are the best times for a visit. From March to July, several species of sea turtles come ashore to nest at Wia Wia and Galibi reserves – truly a sight to behold. Most travelers visit July through August, when prices slightly inflate.

Paramaribo

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.

Suriname

Suriname officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by the English who founded the first colony at Marshall’s Creek^[2], along the Suriname River, but lately the Dutch spelling is more widely accepted; in Sranan Tongo Sranan), is a country in northern South America.

Suriname was formerly known as Nederlands Guyana, Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana. Suriname is situated between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west. The southern border is shared with Brazil and the northern border is the Atlantic coast. The southernmost border with French Guiana is disputed along the Marowijne river; while the once-disputed boundary with Guyana was arbitrated by the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea on September 20, 2007. The country is the smallest sovereign state in terms of area and population in South America.