- Suriname River
The Suriname River is 480 km long and flows through the country of
Suriname . Its sources are located in theGuiana Highlands on the border between the Wilhelmina Mountains and theEilerts de Haan Mountains (where it is known as theGran Rio ). The river flows below the reservoir alongBrokopondo , Berg en Dal, the migrant communitiesKlaaskreek andNieuw-Lombé ,Jodensavanne , Carolina,Ornamibo and Domburg, before reaching the capitalParamaribo on the left bank andMeerzorg on the right bank. At Nieuw-Amsterdam it is joined by the Commewijne and immediately thereafter at the sandspitBraamspunt it flows into theAtlantic 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 theBrokopondo 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.Navigation
For
import andexport , the Suriname is by far the most important river in the country. Not only do all vessels carryingbauxite ,aluminum oxide andaluminum 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 ofSmalkalden andParanam – 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. The wreck has never been removed and remains visible in the middle of the river (geolocation: coord|5|49|05.32|N|55|09|32.84|W|.)Bridges
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 50 km South of Paramaribo, a wooden bridge crosses the river.Recreation
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 thePiranha infested waters. As a result of this and associated recreation facilities, White Beach is a popular weekend destination.Notes
* Translated from Suriname (rivier) article on the
Dutch Wikipedia , version on 24 April 2006
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