Paramaribo

Paramaribo (also called Parbo) is the capital of Suriname. The city is located in the Paramaribo district, on the banks of the Suriname River, approximately 15 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean coast. The city's population is around 250,000, but the metropolitan area is home to nearly 400,000. Its inhabitants often refer to it as Par'bo. The President of the Republic of Suriname lives in the presidential palace, which is next to the national parliament.

History

Paramaribo seen from the riverbed that bears its same name.

Johannes Nicolas Helstone monument in the Plaza.

The first Europeans to colonize were the Dutch in 1603 who opened a trading post in the area. However, in 1630 Paramaribo was taken by the British and in 1650 it became the capital of the new British colony.

The area changed hands several times between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, being in Dutch hands from 1667 to 1799 and from 1815 to 1975, the year in which Suriname achieved independence from its metropolis. The majority of the city's inhabitants are of Indian, indigenous, African and Dutch origin.

In January 1821 a fire in the center of the city destroyed more than 400 houses and buildings. Another fire, this one in September 1832, destroyed forty-six houses in the western part of the Waterkant.

In November 1975, Paramaribo was the center of the independence act that would lead Johan Ferrier to exercise the first magistracy of Suriname, living in the presidential palace.

In 1980 Paramaribo suffered great looting and was the site of many deaths due to the coup against Ferrier by the Army Commander, Dési Bouterse, this fact was called the revolution of the sergeants. Later, in the center of the city, more than 400 houses were burned, but with the support of the government they managed to recover them. In 1982 the riots returned that lasted until 1986, when President L.F. Ramdat Misier calms the serious social situation in the country. Again in 1988 the people returned to the streets to loot, which led to the resignation of his position by the President of the Republic, Ramdat Misier. The congress calls for free elections and Ransewak Shankar is elected president.

In 1990 the people demonstrated in the streets of Paramaribo demanding the resignation of President Shankar, later the congress dismissed him, instituted a provisional government and called for free elections, in which Ronald Venetiaan won. In 2006, the rioters returned to Paramaribo, looting shops, but hours later the military controlled the situation and asked the population to calm down.

Geography

Paramaribo View from Space

Paramaribo is located on the Suriname River, approximately 15 km inland from the Atlantic Ocean, in the district of Paramaribo.

The evolution of Paramaribo can be seen in the following images.

• Paramaribo Evolution
• 

  Paramaribo about 1737.

• 

  Paramaribo in 1821. The area devastated by the city fire of that year is indicated in brown.

• 

  Paramaribo around 1876.

• 

  Map of Paramaribo of around 1916-1917

Climate

Paramaribo has an equatorial climate, under the Köppen climate classification. The city does not have a true dry season, all 12 months of the year averaging more than 60mm of rainfall, but the city does not experience noticeably wetter and drier periods throughout the year. September to November is the "driest" of the year in Paramaribo. As with many cities with this climate, temperatures are relatively constant throughout the year, with average highs of 31°C and average lows of 22°C. Paramaribo, on average, sees about 2,200 mm of rain each year.

Average Paramaribo climate parameters
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	33	34	35	37	37	36	37	37	36	37	36	36	37
Average temperature (°C)	30	30	30	31	30	31	31	32	33	33	32	30	31
Average temperature (°C)	26	26	26	27	27	27	27	27	28	28	27	26	27
Temp. medium (°C)	22	22	22	22	23	22	22	23	23	23	23	22	22
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	17	17	17	18	19	20	20	15	21	20	21	18	15
Total precipitation (mm)	200	140	150	210	290	290	230	170	90	90	120	180	2220
Source: Weatherbase

Demographics

Paramaribo has a population of approximately 265,953 people, more than half the population of Suriname.

Paramaribo is famous for its diverse ethnic composition, including Creoles, East Indians, Maroons, Javanese, Native Americans, Mestizos, Levantines, Chinese, Brazilians, and Europeans (mainly of Dutch, Portuguese, and British descent). The city also has one of the oldest Muslim and Jewish communities in the Western Hemisphere.

Economy

Paramaribo exports bauxite, sugar cane, rice, cocoa, coffee, rum, and tropical timber. Cement, paint and beer are made in the city.

Culture

Paramaribo is famous for its ethnic and cultural diversity, which includes Indians, Caribbeans, Maroons, Javanese, Creoles, Amerindians, Chinese and Europeans, mainly Dutch and British.

On Sundays and holidays there is a bird singing competition. The Oryzoborus crassirostris is the most commonly used bird.^{[citation needed]}

Communications

The Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge, built by President Jules Wijdenbosch in 1996.

In the southwest area of the city is the Zorg En Aro regional airport, which connects with most of the national state capitals. The international airport is located 40 km from the city and connects the city with Amsterdam, Willemstad, Oranjestad, Port of Spain, Georgetown, Belem and Caracas.

Paramaribo is the transportation hub for all of Suriname. To the west begins the highway that passes through the towns of Groningen, Totness and New Nickerie. To the east is the Jules Wijdenbosch bridge, inaugurated in 1999, which leads from the business area of Paramaribo to the town of Meerzorg, passing between New Amsterdam, Moengo and Albina.

Port Jules Sedney is the main freight port. The old port of Waterkant is used by ferries.

Historical center

The center of Paramaribo is Independence Square or Onafhankelijkheidsplein, in Dutch, where both the presidential palace and the National Assembly are located. Next to the square is the Palmentuin Park or Parque de las Palmeras.

Paramaribo Cathedral.

Other highlights include the Surinamese Museum (Surinaams Museum), the Numismatics Museum (Numismatisch Museum) and the 18th-century Fort Zeelandia XVII. Also noteworthy is a market and a series of channels reminiscent of the Netherlands. There are a variety of Dutch colonial buildings in the city, including the Cupchiik coliseum.

The historic center of this colonial city established in the 17th and 18th centuries was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.. The original architecture of the buildings and street plan have been largely kept intact and preserved.

Religious buildings abound in the city due to its ethnic diversity. There are two synagogues, several mosques, two Hindu temples, a Dutch Reformed church, and a Catholic cathedral dedicated to St. Peter and Paul built from wood in 1885. It is believed to be the largest wooden building in America.

There are many hotels in the city. The Torarica Hotel is the most important, and has a casino and is considered the best and largest hotel in the country. Other major hotels include the Ambassador, Combi Inn, De Luifel, Eco-Resort, Fanna Guesthouse, Guesthouse Amice, Hotel Savoie, Krasnapolsky, Lisa's Guesthouse, Solana Guesthouse, and YMCA Guesthouse. In Paramaribo is the only movie theater in the country.

Keizerstraat Mosque

The mosque is the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Lahore Movement for the Propagation of Islam in the city of Paramaribo. It is located in the Keizerstraat, next to the Neve Shalom Synagogue.

Paramaribo's Muslim community was established in 1929. Its first mosque, a rectangular wooden building with minarets, was completed in 1932; the current one was completed in 1984.

Neve Shalom Synagogue

Synagogue Neve Shalom.

The Neve Shalom Synagogue was built in 1719 by Ashkenazi Jews and rebuilt and expanded to its current size in the 1830s. This wooden construction is the only synagogue active today in Paramaribo, serving the entire Surinamese Jewish community, and is a notable landmark of the city. The Aron Kodesh (Sacred Ark), the Bima (stage) and the pews are made of beautiful wood. The synagogue has several valuable Torahs, hundreds of years old.

A very particular feature of the synagogue is its sandy floor. According to tradition, the sand is a reminder of the 40 years of the Hebrews in the desert after the exodus from Egypt.

Education

Paramaribo's institution of higher learning is the Anton de Kom University of Suriname, the country's only university.

Health

Paramaribo is home to four hospitals, the Paramaribo Academic Hospital, the Lands Hospitaal, the Sint Vincentius Hospital and the Diakonessenhuis.

Twinned cities

• Antwerp (Belgium)
• Bogotá, Colombia
• Cuzco (Peru)
• Hangzhou, People ' s Republic of China
• Panama (Panama)
• Rosario (Argentina)
• Willemstad (Curazao) Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Yogyakarta (Indonesia)
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Cúcuta (Colombia)

Notable people related to Paramaribo

• François Levaillant (1753-1824), ornithologist
• Henry Lucien de Vries (1909-1987), businessman and politician
• Henri Frans de Ziel (1916-1976), writer
• Erwin de Vries (1929-2018), painter and sculptor
• Ronald Venetiaan (1936-), president of Suriname
• Astrid Roemer (1947-), woman of letters
• Henk Fraser (1966-), footballer
• Aron Winter (1967-), football player
• Sylvana Simons (1971-), dancer, radio and television presenter and Dutch politics
• Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (1972-), footballer
• Romana Vrede (1972-), Dutch actress
• Haïdy Aron (1973-), athlete
• Edgar Davids (1973-), football player
• Remy Bonjasky (1976-), kickboxing boxer
• Clarence Seedorf (1976-), footballer
• Chuckie (1978-), DJ et music producer house
• Jairzinho Rozenstruik (1988-), sportsman of mixed martial arts