Marowijne District

Marowijne (pronounced /maroveine/) is one of the ten districts into which the republic of Suriname is divided. With an area of 4,627 km² and a population of 16,642 inhabitants, it borders to the north with the Atlantic Ocean, to the east with French Guiana, to the south with the district of Sipaliwini and to the west with Commewijne and Para.

Marowijne was once an area that was difficult to access. With the discovery of gold mines in the country, Albina became the transit point for miners between their workplace and their countries of origin.

In 1916, with the creation of the Surinaamse Bauxiet Maatschappij the exploitation of bauxite mines began, which led to the development of the region, especially the town of Moengo.

Another important event in the history of the district is the war that occurred under the command of Ronnie Brunswijk. The civil confrontation had civil consequences especially in the cities of Moengo and Albina (the latter was largely destroyed). Many inhabitants of the district left the area and this meant a stoppage in regional economic development.

After the end of the civil conflict, the reconstruction of all the places that had been destroyed began, which meant the slow return of the entire population that had previously fled.

Economy

In the Moengo area, bauxite was previously extracted through the Surinaamse Bauxite Maatschappij (currently called Suralco). This operation has now been moved to Coermotibo.

Tourist attractions

• Galibi, famous sea turtle reserve.
• Langamankondre, an indigenous village on the banks of the Marowijne River.

Administrative division

Marowijne is subdivided into 6 resorts:

1. Albina
2. Galibi
3. Moengo
4. Moengotapoe
5. Patamacca
6. Wanhatti