Everything about Paramaribo totally explained
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.
History
The area, a trading post started by the Dutch, was taken by the
British in
1630, and in
1650 the city became the capital of the new English colony. The area changed hands often between the British and Dutch but it was in Dutch hands again in 1667 and under Dutch rule from
1815 until the independence of Suriname in
1975. The citizens are chiefly of
Asian Indian, indigenous,
African, and
Dutch descent.
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.
Geography
Suriname River, approximately 15
km inland from the
Atlantic Ocean, in the
Paramaribo district.
Paramaribo is centred around the
Onafhankelijkheidsplein (
Independence Square), which contains both the Presidential Palace and the National Assembly.
Immediately the square is
Palmentuin Park. Other notable places are the Surinaams
museum, Numismatisch Museum,
Fort Zeelandia (dating from the
17th century, a market and
canals that are reminiscent of the
Netherlands. There is a wide variety of Dutch colonial buildings in the city including the Cupchiik coliseum.
There is a wide variety of religious buildings in the city owing its ethnic diversity. There are two
synagogues, several
mosques, two
mandirs, a Dutch Reformed
church and a Roman Catholic cathedral (
Roman Catholic St Peter and St Paul Cathedral) built in
1885 of
wood. It is thought to be the largest wooden building the
Americas, however it's currently closed for repairs and restoration.
Demographics
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 Hindustani, East Indians,
Creoles,
Maroons,
Javanese,
Native Americans, Chinese, and Europeans (primarily of Dutch and English descent).
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.
There are many hotels in the city, the main one being the Torarica Hotel, which also has a
casino and is generally regarded as the best and largest hotel in Suriname. Others include the Ambassador, Combi Inn, De Luifel, Eco-Resort, Fanna Guesthouse, Guesthouse Amice, Hotel Savoie, Krasnapolsky, Lisa's Guesthouse, Solana Guesthouse and YMCA Guesthouse.
Transport
Paramaribo is served by the
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport and
Zorg-en-Hoop for local flights.
Culture
On Sundays and holidays there's a popular
bird song competition. Black
twatwas (large-billed seed finch,
Oryzoborus crassirostris) 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.
Sports
Paramaribo is the birthplace of several
football players; Some of them later represented
The Netherlands:
Other sports like soccer, tennis, golf, and basketball are also common sports played in Suriname.
Sister cities
Antwerp, Belgium
Hangzhou, ChinaFurther Information
Get more info on 'Paramaribo'.
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