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Perhaps because of its small size, many people have never heard of Suriname.  If you have a map of South America in front on you, you will notice that Suriname is located on the northern coast of South America  between Guyana and French Guiana.  The capitol city is Paramaribo.  Suriname is an independant republic governed by a president with his cabinet of ministers, and a national assembly.
What's interesting about Suriname? Well, basically, the people, the food, and the rainforest -- ...not necessarily in that order.  Suriname Coat of Arms

This mother is a descendant of the Maroons,  slaves who ran away from the plantations and established villages in the tropical rainforest.

The People-- Suriname has been called a "World in Minature" because of its multiplicty of cultures.  Not only are there the orginal Amerindian inhabitants, but there are also African Americans, East Indians, Suriname Javanese and a smattering of many other cultures including Guyanese, Brazilian, Dutch and American.  The national language is Dutch, and Sranan Tongo is the informal lingua franca.

The Aukan People -- are the special focus of this website.  They are descended from Africans brought to Suriname to work on the plantations.  They escaped into the rain forests and established villages along the Tapanahony,  Marowijne and Cottica Rivers.  See Aukan People .

The Food-- Yes, Suriname has bananas! But the most popular foods are:  nasi, and bami--similar in popularity to hot dogs and hamburgers in the US.  Nasi is specially flavored fried rice garnished with chicken or other meat.  Bami is fried noodles garnished in the same way.

	The Rainforest -- not surprisingly, rainfall averages about 75 to 100 inches per year and temperatures average about 81 degs. F.  One of the best ways to experience the rainforest in Suriname is to visit Brownsberg , a protected nature reserve.  Visitors can reach Brownsberg by taking a 50 mile bus trip from Paramaribo along the Afokaba Road. Be ready for a rough ride! But the effort is worth it.
	Koemboe Falls (left) is not difficult to reach by trail and during the rainy season the hiker will be rewarded by a rich visual treat for his/her efforts.     Along the well-marked trails, the nature lover will see not only some of the 2,000 varieties of trees, but also howler monkeys, toucans, humming birds, orchids, and water falls. He will hear the screaming piha, but probably not see one.

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