SURINAME: Know Suriname

Environment:
Suriname is in northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana. Julianatop at 1,230 meters is the highest mountain in Suriname. Suriname is mostly tropical rainforest, with a great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development. The relatively small population lives mostly along the coast. Environmental issues include deforestation from timber cutting for export, and pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities.

The Central Suriname Nature Reserve was created in 1998 by Conservation International (Conservation International – Suriname) and the government of Suriname. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 for its pristine tropical rainforest ecosystem, and contains 16,000 square kilometres (6,178 sq mi). The regional office for WWF-Guianas is based in the capital city of Paramaribo. STINASU, the Foundation for Nature Conservation in Suriname, founded by a former head of the Nature Conservation Division of the Forestry Department, is funded largely through nature tourism.

IUCN members: Suriname Conservation Foundation

Culture:
Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to rule through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1989, the military overthrew the civilian government, but a democratically-elected government returned to power in 1991.

The Suriname Tourism Foundation is a semi-government organization, established in 1996. IntEnt Suriname is the local branch of the Dutch NGO, involved with SME business development including tourism. TOURS, the Tourism Union of the Republic of Suriname, organizes the annual Suriname Heritage Festival.

World heritage:
Central Suriname Nature Reserve (2000)
Historic Inner City of Paramaribo (2002)
References:

Creating sustainable primate-based tourism: a view from the Central Suriname Nature Reserve by L Kauffman, 2011
Diasporic tourism and investment in Suriname by K Nurse, 2011
Does sustainable tourism offer solutions for the protection of the Amazon rainforest in Suriname? by HA Sijlbing, 2010
Effects of tourism on the behavior and health of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) in Suriname by JL Westin, 2007
Suriname and Sustainable Eco-tourism, Reality Or Mirage?: Research Into the Level of Sustainability of Eco-tourim in Suriname by J Monsato, 2006
The Perceived Image of Suriname as en Ecotourism Destination by EH Koradji, 2006
Assessment of Impact of (eco) tourism in the Nature Conservation Areas of the Foundation for Nature Conservation in Suriname (StiNaSu) by S Wytema, 2005
Tourism Development in Galibi, Suriname by L Beekman, 2005
Development Through Ecotourism in the Interior of Suriname by JR A-Kum, 1996