Suriname River
The
Suriname River is 480 km long and flows through the country of
Suriname. Its sources are located in the
Guiana Highlands on the border between the
Wilhelmina Mountains and the
Eilerts de Haange Mountains (where it is known as the
Gran Rio). . The river flows below the reservoir along
Brokopondo,
Berg en Dal, the migrant communities
Klaaskreek and
Nieuw-Lombè,
Jodensavanne,
Carolina,
Ornamibo and
Domburg, before reaching the capital
Paramaribo on the left bank and
Meerzorg on the right bank. At
Nieuw-Amsterdam it is joined by the
Commewijne and immediately thereafter at the sandspit
Braamspunt it flows into the
Atlantic Ocean.
The river has several sets of rapids as well as a few dams, the largest of which is the
Afobakadam. The river's flow is interrupted by the
Brokodo Reservoir, which therefore divides the river into two sections. The upstream section runs almost entirely through the
Sipaliwini district, and the downstream section runs through the
Brokopondo,
Para,
Commewijne,
Wanica and
Paramaribo districts.
|
Suriname River at Leonsberg, Paramaribo |
For
import and
export, the Suriname is by far the most important river in the country. Not only do all vessels carrying
bauxite,
aluminum oxide and
aluminum depart from Suriname via the river, nearly all vessels carrying materials vital for Suriname enter the country at Braamspunt in order to offload their cargoes in the harbours of Paramaribo (immediately south of the city centre), or the harbours of
Smalkalden and
Paranam - approximately 30 km from Paramaribo - which are vital for the aluminum industry. During
the Second World War, the 6,000 tonne
North German Lloyd cargo ship
Goslar was scuttled in the Suriname in order to prevent it from falling into
Allied hands.
In
2000, the
Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge at Paramaribo was officially opened by the President, who had commissioned construction of the bridge and after whom it is named. The bridge permits access to the eastern part of the country. At
Carolina, approximately 50km South of Paramaribo, a wooden bridge crosses the river.
|
Looking downstream at White Beach |
Near Domburg an artificial white sand
beach has been created along the Suriname River. The adjoining strip of water has been protected with nets to allow swimming in the
Piranha infested waters. As a result of this and associated recreation facilities, White Beach is a popular weekend destination.
* Translated from
Suriname (rivier) article on the
Dutch Wikipedia, version on 24 April 2006
