SURINAME
Once home to agricultural labourers from the Dutch East Indies, India, China and the Middle East, Suriname’s relatively small population is probably the most ethnically and culturally diverse in the Caribbean.
Suriname is situated between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west and shares its southern border with Brazil. The indigenous Surinen people who gave the country its name were the area’s earliest known inhabitants, but by the 16th century, they had been driven out by the Laka Laka Maloi and Carib tribes. In the 17th century, the Dutch and English established plantation colonies along the many rivers of the fertile Guyana plains. Although it has two wet seasons, Suriname lies on the equator and so has a very hot tropical climate. There’s only one thing for it – enjoy a rum in the shade with your neighbours.
Suriname is home to…
- Suriname Alcoholic Beverages N.V., Paramaribo, makers of Borgoe 8 Years Old Gran Reserve.