Paramaribo: History

Pre-20th-Century History

The earliest inhabitants of Paramaribo probably arrived around 10,000 years ago. These were nomadic shellfish gatherers who left few traces of their existence. At this time, the inland savanna areas were more heavily populated. During the first millennium AD, more permanent groups occupied the Parbo area. These were cassava farmers and hunters known as the Surinen who later gave Suriname its name.

By the time the first Spaniards landed in 1499, the Carib and Arawak peoples were the dominant Amerindian groups throughout the region. The first European settlement was founded at the behest of the Governor of Barbados in 1651. This group of 1000 or so Englishmen and their slaves built Fort Willoughby at a bend in the Suriname River some 15km (9mi) from the sea. In 1667, the Dutch assumed control of the colony as part of the Treaty of Breda, which also saw New Amsterdam (New York) handed to the British and the Dutch nutmeg monopoly re-established in the East Indies. These colonial maneuverings resulted in the Dutch flag flying over Fort Zeelandia until independence in 1975, aside from two periods of British control during the Napoleonic era. The Dutch colony was lucrative: large sugar plantations were worked by African slaves mainly taken from modern-day Ghana, and coffee, cotton and timber were later exported. The regime was brutal; the oppressive climate, backbreaking work and disease all meant that mortality among slaves was high. Many escaped and formed the Maroon communities that still survive today in Suriname's remote interior. By the time the Dutch abolished this shameful practice in 1863 (one of the last European powers to do so), over 185,000 slaves had been brought to the colony. Paramaribo became a center for white settlement. The impressive Presidential Palace and other buildings that survive from the colonial period are reminders of its wealth. With cheap labor desperately needed, the Dutch looked to British India and their own colony in the East Indies for human resources. Over 70,000 Indians (mainly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) and Javanese workers were contracted for work in Suriname, resulting in the unusual mix of peoples and cultures evident today.

Modern History

Dutch rule continued throughout the early 20th century, with the economy now driven by gold and bauxite mining rather than agriculture. During WWII and in the period following, the first steps were taken towards independence. In 1954, Suriname took control of its internal affairs. Political parties formed along ethnic lines and a series of coalition governments, led by the Creole National Party (NPS) and the United Hindu Party (VHP), were largely in control until full independence from the Netherlands was achieved in 1975. Some 50,000 people subsequently immigrated to the Netherlands, the economy stalled and unemployment grew.

In 1980, a popular coup led by Sergeant Major Desi Bouterse brought a military regime to power. The initially benign regime showed its true face on December 8, 1982 when 15 prominent critics, comprising of lawyers, academics, journalists and soldiers were murdered at Fort Zeelandia. The country struggled as the US and the Netherlands cut off aid. In 1986, an anti-government guerrilla war, led by the largely Maroon-based Jungle Commando, disrupted bauxite mining. This led to vicious reprisals by the Bouterse regime including the Moiwana massacre on November 29, 1986. Many Maroons fled to French Guiana during the fighting. In 1987 a civilian government was elected, but it was deposed by a bloodless coup in 1990. Another civilian government was elected in 1991 and a treaty was signed with the Jungle Commando (the Maroon military) and other armed bands in 1992.

In 1999, strikes and street demonstrations protested economic instability and called for the government to hold elections a year in advance. The elections, held in May 2000, produced little change, though the Netherlands stepped up its aid into Suriname which helped to stabilize the economy. The new president, Ronald Venetiaan, who had previously held the top job, inherited a sliding economy with inflation on the rise and a young nation trying to pick up the pieces after years of turmoil.

Recent History

The Venetiaan government initially steadied the country's currency and developed social programs. However, pressure on the agricultural industry, and illegal trade in drugs and gold, placed pressure on the economy. A long-awaited infrastructure project was finally realized in May 2000 with the opening of the Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge, linking Paramaribo with Meerzorg and eastern parts of the country. Desi Bouterse remained a popular figure in some circles despite an 'in absentia' cocaine-trafficking conviction in the Netherlands and outstanding murder charges.

In 2004, the economic outlook improved with bauxite prices on the up and the Guilder converted into the Suriname dollar. In August 2005, Venetiaan was re-elected with the New Democratic Party and is keeping the internal and external threats facing Suriname in check, including the cross-border dispute with Guyana over oil exploration and the country's role as a transit point in the trans-American cocaine trade.

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