Names of the Maldives. Republic of Maldives
General information
Suriname is located in the northeastern part of the continent, between Guyana (British Guiana) and Cayenne (French Guiana). Sometimes called Dutch Guiana.
The population consists mainly of the descendants of African slaves and immigrants from India and Indonesia, brought into the country after the abolition of slavery. There are a small number of people of European origin and South American Indians, immigrants from China , Lebanon And Brazil.
The economy is underdeveloped, based mainly on agriculture and mining. The standard of living of the population is low.
History of the Jewish community
17th century
Among the group of colonists who established a permanent settlement on the coast of Suriname in 1652 under the leadership of Lord W. Willoughby, there were several Jewish families. After 1654, part of the Jews settled in Suriname, who left the Dutch colonies in Brazil after their capture Portugal.
Jews were also among the settlers from the Netherlands who landed in 1656 on the so-called Wild Coast (part of the sea coast of Suriname), at the mouth of the Pauroma River.
In 1664, a group of Jews expelled from Cayenne (French Guiana) arrived in Suriname, including over 150 people from Livorno who lived there since 1660. At the head of this group was a wealthy merchant and landowner David Nasi (Joseph Nunez de Fonseca), who played a prominent role in organizing the Jewish community of Suriname; his descendants have been in the leadership of this community for many decades.
The role of Jews in the development of the economy of Suriname
Jews, especially immigrants from Brazil and Cayenne, who had experience in growing sugar cane and trading in sugar, highly valued at that time, contributed in the 1650s and 60s. a significant contribution to the development of the economy of Suriname.
With this in mind, the British authorities in August 1665 granted the Jews of Surinam a privilege that guaranteed them equal rights with Christians. civil rights, including the right to hold official office (which was by then not done in any Christian country, including Britain itself), as well as freedom of religion and communal autonomy.
At the beginning of 1667 this privilege was extended: a new decree stated that all Jews who settled in Suriname could, regardless of their origin, become full subjects of the British crown.
Suriname under Dutch rule
In February 1667, Suriname was captured by Dutch troops and became a colony of the Netherlands. The new authorities retained for the Jewish population all the rights that it enjoyed under the British; according to the governor's decree issued in May 1667 and confirmed in April 1668 by the parliament of the province of Zeeland (it formally belonged to Suriname), all Surinamese Jews were considered as natives of the Netherlands.
Despite this, some of the Jews left the colony, along with the British troops, who again briefly occupied it in the autumn of 1667. Ten more Jewish families left Suriname in 1677, taking advantage of the right granted to them by the Treaty of Westminster between Great Britain and the Netherlands of 1674.
Jews who left Suriname moved to British colonies in the region caribbean, first of all on Jamaica.
In 1682 Suriname passed into the possession of the Netherlands West India Company; the governor appointed by her (who was also co-owner of Surinam) in 1684 forbade Jews to work on Sundays and marry in accordance with tradition. But the board of directors of the West India Company, by two ordinances passed in 1685 and 1686, repealed these prohibitions and confirmed that all previous laws concerning the Jews remained in force.
In the last quarter of the 17th century the Jewish population of Suriname gradually increased, primarily due to the influx of emigrants from the Netherlands, as well as from the southwestern regions Germany and Northern France(cm. Alsace). The economic situation of the community improved rapidly, most of whose members were planters and large merchants.
By 1694 there were 94 families in the colony Sephardim and 12 families Ashkenazi- about 570 Jews in total; most of them spoke Portuguese in everyday life. Jews owned over 40 plantations, which employed about 9,000 slaves.
In 1672, a Jewish settlement was formed on a plot of land in the Torrica region, allotted to Jews by the administration of the colony in accordance with the privilege of 1665, in which she began to work synagogue and the Jewish cemetery.
In 1682, the inhabitants of this settlement moved to the lands bought for them by one of the representatives of the Nasi family, 15 km south of Paramaribo ( administrative center colony), in an area where there were many plantations owned by Jews. Soon a large (on the scale of Suriname) locality Yoden-Savannah, where almost exclusively Jews lived.
In 1685 a large synagogue was built in Yoden-Savannah; began to act with her bet din. The Jews of Suriname maintained close spiritual contacts with the community Amsterdam.
18th century
In the 1st half of the 18th century. Jews played an important role in the economic life of Suriname: in 1730 they owned 115 out of 400 plantations in the colony. In the inner regions of Suriname, on the border of undeveloped territories, the influence of Jews - large landowners was extremely great.
They formed their own armed detachments, which repulsed the raids of groups of runaway slaves (the so-called forest blacks, or maroons) on plantations and undertook punitive expeditions against these groups.
In the 2nd half of the 18th century. the number of Jewish planters began to decrease rapidly: by 1791 they owned only 46 plantations out of 600. Many Jews began to settle in Paramaribo; the number of the Jewish population of this city by the middle of the 18th century. reached a thousand people, by the end of the 18th century. - 1.5-2 thousand people (37.5% -50% of the total population).
The Jews who lived in Paramaribo were mainly engaged in trade (including peddling), liberal professions were also common among them.
In 1734, the Jewish community of Surinam, which had previously been united and followed the Sephardic liturgy, split into Sephardic and Ashkenazi. The third group, which was not organized organizationally, but actually existed separately, was made up of mulattoes converted to Judaism - the illegitimate children of Jewish planters from Negro slave women.
Benevolent societies operated under the Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities; in 1785, the Jewish Literary Association arose in Paramaribo, among the founders of which was a descendant of D. Nasi - David de Isaac Kohen Nasi, one of the leaders ("regents") of the Sephardic community. Under the auspices of the association, a cultural and educational institution (“lyceum”) operated, where lecture courses were given on various topics.
19th-20th centuries
Synagogue of Neve Shalom in Paramaribo.
In the 19th century - early 20th century as a result of the prohibition of the slave trade (1819), the abolition of slavery (1863) and the fall in world sugar prices, the economic situation of Suriname gradually deteriorated.
Jews began to leave the colony; among those who left Suriname, Sephardim initially dominated, so that by 1836 the Ashkenazi community for the first time outnumbered the Sephardic one. Dutch has supplanted Portuguese as the spoken language of the Jews of Suriname.
By the beginning of the 20th century approximately 1,500 Jews remained in the colony, by 1923 - 818.
Community at the beginning of the 21st century
In 2003, the Jewish population of Suriname, according to estimates by Israeli demographers, was about 200 people.
In the mid 2000s. There were two Jewish communities in Suriname: Ashkenazi - Neve Shalom and Sephardic - Tzedek Ve Shalom. In the early 2000s due to financial difficulties caused primarily by the relocation of several wealthy Jewish families from Suriname to the Netherlands, USA And Israel, the community was forced to surrender the building of the Tzedek Veshalom synagogue. All ritual objects were transferred to Beit ha-Tfutsot.
The remaining congregation of Neve Shalom had 125 members in 2004.
Notification: The preliminary basis for this article was the articlePhysical and geographical characteristics
Suriname Map
Geographical position
Rainforest Suriname
Suriname is the smallest country in South America by area. The country can be conditionally divided into two parts: north and south. In the north, off the coast of the Atlantic, most of the population lives, the land is cultivated. In the south, there is almost no population, the territory is covered with savannah and tropical rainforests.
Relief
To the south of the coastal strip are the hills of the foothills of the Guiana Plateau, covered with savannah. Soils are mainly composed of sand and clay, therefore they are of little use for agriculture.
The inner southern part of Suriname is occupied by the Guiana Plateau, highest point which is Mount Juliana (1230 m). This region of the country is covered with impenetrable selva and does not play a big role in the economy of Suriname due to the lack of population, but is rich in diverse flora and fauna.
Climate
Hydrography
Ecology
Cutting down valuable tree species for export leads to deforestation. Inland watercourses are heavily polluted during the mining process.
The level of deforestation in Suriname remains one of the lowest among all the countries of the Amazon region.
Political structure
Suriname is a republic in form of government. The head of state and government is the president, who is elected by parliament for a 5-year term (the number of presidential terms is not limited). Since August 2010 - Desi Bouterse.
Parliament - unicameral State Assembly, 51 deputies, elected by the population for a 5-year term.
According to the results of the elections in May 2010:
- Mega-combination (including the National Democratic Party) - 23 deputies
- New Front for Democracy and Development - 14 deputies
- A-combination - 7 deputies
- People's Alliance for Progress - 6 deputies
- Party for Democracy and Development through Unity - 1 MP
Administrative division
Districts of Suriname
Suriname is divided into 10 districts.
| № | county | Administrative center | Square, km² |
Population (2004), pers. |
Density, person/km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brokopondo | Brokopondo | 7364 | 14 215 | 1,93 |
| 2. | Commewijne | Nieuw-Amsterdam | 2353 | 24 649 | 10,48 |
| 3. | Koroni | Totness | 3902 | 2887 | 0,74 |
| 4. | Marowijne | Albina | 4627 | 16 642 | 3,60 |
| 5. | Nickerie | Nieuw Nickerie | 5353 | 36 639 | 6,84 |
| 6. | Pair | Onverwacht | 5393 | 18 749 | 3,48 |
| 7. | Paramaribo | Paramaribo | 183 | 242 946 | 1327,57 |
| 8. | Saramacca | Groningen | 3 636 | 15 980 | 4,39 |
| 9. | sipaliwini | absent | 130 567 | 34 136 | 0,26 |
| 10. | Vanika | Lelydorp | 442 | 85 986 | 194,54 |
| Total | 163 820 | 492 829 | 3,01 |
Story
Before the arrival of Europeans, Suriname was inhabited by Arawak, Carib and Warrau nomadic tribes.
The coastal part of Suriname was discovered by one of the first Spanish expeditions to South America- Alonso de Ojeda and Vicente Pinsona, in 1499. The coast was first mapped in 1500, following the expedition of another Spanish conquistador, Diego Lepe. The country got its name from the river that flows through its territory.
The colonization of Suriname began only in the first half of the 17th century and was carried out by the British. However, in 1667, England transferred Suriname to the Netherlands in exchange for New Amsterdam (the territory of present-day New York). Since then, with the exception of 1799-1802 and 1804-1816, Suriname has been a possession of the Netherlands for three centuries.
At the end of the 17th century, Suriname became the leading supplier of sugar to European countries. For the cultivation of sugar cane in Suriname, a plantation system of economy was created, and Negro slaves from Africa were brought to work on the plantations.
In the second half of the 19th century, Suriname experienced an economic downturn. The main reasons were the establishment in Europe of its own production of sugar from beets and the shortage of labor that arose after the abolition of slavery in 1863, since the liberated blacks left the plantations for the cities. This problem was only solved in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the immigration of more than 60,000 Indians and Indonesians, as well as Chinese, to Suriname.
With the advent of immigrants from Asia, the structure of the economy of Suriname changed dramatically - the plantation economy was replaced by a small-ownership peasant economy. In the 1920s, the development of the industry of Suriname began, the basis of which was the mines for the extraction of bauxite and gold, as well as enterprises for the processing of various types of agricultural products.
Since 1922, the country has officially ceased to be called a colony and has become an Associated Territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
From 1991 to 1996 the country's president was Ronald Venetian. From 1996 to 2000 - Jules Weydenbos and from 2000 to 2010 - again Ronald Venetian. On May 25, 2010, regular parliamentary elections were held, as a result of which the ruling National Democratic Party and its candidate for the presidency, the former ruler Desi Bouterse, won.
Population
Population - 566846 (expected in July 2013).
Annual growth - 1.15%;
Birth rate - 17.1 per 1000 (fertility - 2.04 births per woman);
Mortality - 6.15 per 1000;
The average life expectancy is 69 years for men, 74 years for women.
Infection with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - 1% (in 2009).
Urban population - 69% (2010).
- Creoles 15.7%
- mixed 13.4%
- others 7.6%
- no data 0.6%
Literacy - 92% of men, 87.4% of women.
- Christianity:
- Protestants 23.6%, including:
- other Christians 3.2%
- atheists 7.5%
- others 1.7%
- no data 3.2%
Languages
The following languages are spoken in Suriname: Akurio, Arawak, Waiwai, Warao, Wayana, Eastern Maroon Creole, Guyanese Creole, Dutch (official), Carib, Caribbean Hindustani, Caribbean Javanese, Quinti, Mawayana, Ndyuka Trio Pidgin, Saramaccan, Sikiana, Sranan , trio, hakka. Also immigrated to the country were English, Korean, Dutch Signed, Portuguese and Northern Levantine Arabic.
Economy
The economy of Suriname is based on the extraction of bauxite and the export of aluminum, gold and oil (85% of exports and 25% of the state budget revenue). The offshore oil production program is developing - the state oil company of Suriname in 2004 concluded agreements with several Western oil companies. For the development of bauxite and gold mining, Suriname is assisted by the Netherlands, Hungary, Belgium and the European Fund for Assistance and Development.
GDP per capita in 2009 - 9.5 thousand dollars (112th place in the world).
Service sector - 65% of GDP, 78% of employees.
Industry (25% of GDP, 14% of employees) - mining of bauxite, gold, oil, aluminum production; timber industry, food industry, fish and seafood processing.
Agriculture (10% of GDP, 8% of employees) - rice, bananas, coconuts, peanuts; livestock, poultry.
In Suriname, about half of the arable land is used for rice, with 43 percent of the rice crop being exported (2013) .
International trade
Exports ($1.4 billion in 2006) - aluminum, gold, crude oil, timber, shrimp, fish, rice, bananas.
The main buyers (in 2009) are Canada 35.5%, Belgium 14.9%, USA 10.2%, UAE 9.9%, Norway 4.9%, Netherlands 4.7%.
Import ($1.3 billion in 2006) - manufactured goods, fuel, food.
The main suppliers (in 2009) are the USA 30.8%, the Netherlands 19.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%, China 6.8%, Japan 5.9%.
It is a member of the international organization of ACT countries.
Territorial disputes
The government of Suriname has initiated a territorial dispute with Guyana over the issue of state affiliation sea shelf in the coastal zone. The Government of Guyana set out to conclude a PSA with transnational corporations on granting them the right to drill wells and extract minerals from the seabed, the Government of Suriname, itself wished to be the subject of the PSA, opposed this initiative, applied to the Dutch Archival Service with a request for the provision of archival documents - documentary evidence of ownership disputed territories Suriname as the legal successor of the Dutch colonial possessions.
Transport
Media (mass media)
State TV Company - STVS ( Surinaamse Televisie Stichting- "Suriname Television Fund") includes the TV channel of the same name, the state radio company -
A geographical miracle and an independent state located in equatorial waters indian ocean, 700 km southwest of the island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), is a chain of 2 dozen atolls, which, in turn, consist of 1192 coral islands, of which about 200 are inhabited. About 110 resort islands and new ones open every year.
The area of the Maldives archipelago is more than 90 thousand square kilometers, but the land area is only 298 square kilometers. km.
The time difference with Moscow is +1 hour in summer and +2 hours in winter.
The capital of the Republic of Maldives, a city in which about 2/3 of the total population lives, is located on the island of the same name, as part of the Kaafu atoll, sometimes also called the Male atoll
I will not go into the details of the history and political system Maldives, you can read it all on Wikipedia if you want. It also contains the basic information that you will need on the journey.
Map of the Maldives archipelago with atolls
All 1192 islands are marked on the map and it is quite difficult to understand this diversity, it is more convenient to navigate by the names of the atolls.
What is this card for? Firstly, in order for you to imagine the location in relation to the international airport, possible transfer options. And when independent travel it was easier to make a route. Personally, without such detailed map it was very difficult to navigate. Moreover, the geographical division of the archipelago and the administrative division are quite different.
You can also use google map
The most popular tourist atolls:
- Kaafu (or Male atoll)
- Alifu Alifu (or North Ari Atoll)
- Alifu Dhaalu (or South Ari Atoll)
- baa atoll,
- Lhaviyani atoll
They are popular due to their not great distance from (until January 1, 2017, the airport was called " international Airport named after Ibrahim Nasir
IMHO: The convenience and short transfer time within Kaafu atoll and to the South and North Ari atolls has become a big minus over time. For everyone inhabited islands guesthouses were built and now there is no privacy that distinguishes holidays in the Maldives from other countries, corals died from scooters hovering over them.
Weather in the Maldives
The Maldives archipelago is located on both sides of the equator, so the climate there is equatorial-tropical. Air temperature all year round 30+/- 3 degrees, water temperature 28+/-2 degrees. Nevertheless, there is a seasonality due to the monsoons, though not pronounced.
High season from December to March. At this time, the northeast monsoons blow, as a rule, the weather is dry, sunny, there are practically no winds, and the amount of precipitation is minimal.
Low season from May to October. The southwest monsoon brings intermittent rains, the air temperature rarely rises above 30 degrees, but the heat is felt more strongly due to high humidity. There are waves and storms in the summer months - this must be taken into account when planning
IMHO: Was twice in September. I really wanted to see the rain that the weather forecast promised. Failed. But in the low season, hotels reduce the cost of living by almost 2 times, for the summer and air tickets can be bought much cheaper. So the answer to the question: “When is it better to go to the Maldives?” very ambiguous.
If you really can't wait to tell fortunes on coffee grounds what the weather will be like during your trip, you can use the archive of weather forecasts on Gismeteo. Just keep in mind that the length of the Maldives archipelago from north to south is 820 km, so the sun in Male (Male) may well turn into heavy rain even on, not to mention Haa atoll.
Language and religion.
Despite the fact that freedom of religious belief is enshrined for citizens of the Republic of Maldives in the Constitution of the country, the vast majority of citizens of the country are Sunnis, i.e. adherents of the largest and most traditional Islamic movement.
The importation of alcohol into the territory of the Maldives is strictly prohibited for religious reasons. And, if earlier the alcoholic drinks found in your luggage were seized simply for storage, and absolutely free of charge, now they are simply confiscated ( I will clarify about these changes in November, when I will go myself again, while I personally had to deposit and pick up before departure).
The official language of the Maldives is Dhivehi. Does this mean anything to you? Me too. The main thing is that education there is excellent and the majority of the population speaks English quite tolerably, even residents of remote local islands. Not to mention the island-hotels, where even Russian-speaking staff are often found.
What you need to know when going to the Maldives
- One of the main attractive features of the Maldives is the snow-white fine sand, which is very insidious. Of course, a huge plus is that it reflects the sun's rays and does not heat up. But this is its quality, plus the equatorial location of the archipelago threatens you with instant sunburn, even in cloudy weather. Carry sunscreen with an SPF of at least 50.
2. The national currency is the Maldivian rufiyaa. The official exchange rate is 1$ = 15.47 Rufiyaa. Banks exchange at this rate, sometimes in stores they can give change even at the rate of 1:15.5. But usually everywhere they count at the rate of 1:15.
How many dollars to change to rufiyaa?
If you're going to a resort, not at all. In hotels you can pay by card or dollars. If you are going to a local island, $50 is enough for small purchases in stores. If you plan to eat in a cafe outside of guest houses, change $10 per day.
Hoteliers on local islands accept mostly dollars. But in a cafe it is more profitable to pay in local currency. You can exchange dollars for rufiyaa in Male or at your hotelier. It is convenient and profitable to do this at the bank, at the airport (to the left of the exit from the terminal).
Weekends and holidays
The day off in the Maldives is Friday. Ferries do not run on Fridays, banks and exchange offices do not work, many shops are closed in summer. Be sure to take this into account when buying tickets.
Religious holidays fall on different dates in the Muslim lunar calendar. locals widely celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan - Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Adha, Islamic New Year, national holidays: National holiday of the Republic of Maldives June 4-5, Independence Day-July 26, Victory Day-November 3, Victims Day-November 9, Republic Day-November 11-12. The celebration of Christmas and New Year is more of a tribute to tourists.
Visa and customs
Visa to visit the Maldives archipelago not required for Russian citizens. In 2019, the visa-free stay of Russians in the Maldives was extended to 90 days.