Sipaliwini District
Encyclopedia
Sipaliwini is the largest district of Suriname
, located in the south. Sipaliwini does not have a regional capital as it is directly administered by the national government in Paramaribo
. The main villages in the district are Apetina
, Apoera
, Bakhuys, Bitagron
, Pokigron
, Kajana
, Kamp 52, Pelelu Tepu
, Cottica
, Anapaike
, Benzdorp
, Kwamalasamutu
, Nieuw Jacobkondre
, Aurora
, Botopasi, Goddo
, Djumu and Pontoetoe
.
Sipaliwini has a population
of 29,210 and an area
of 130,567 km². The district is larger than the other 9 districts of Suriname put together; however, most of the Sipaliwini is unused (it was specifically stated when the district was formed that it would encompass the unused land in Suriname's south) except for the north and the west.
It is thought by archaeologists that hunter-gatherer
s lived in what is today Sipaliwini district during the Paleolithic
period.
The region was largely left alone during the colonial
period, as the Dutch
that controlled Suriname were fearful of the Portuguese
in Brazil
, and it was not until the 20th century that development projects began.
Sipaliwini district has seen occasional fighting between Guyanese
and Surinamese troops over border disputes in the south-west.
Sipaliwini is divided into 6 resorts (ressorten):
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
, located in the south. Sipaliwini does not have a regional capital as it is directly administered by the national government in Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
. The main villages in the district are Apetina
Apetina
Apetina is a village in the South Eastern area of Suriname. It is located at . Apetina is located on the small hills along the river Tapanahoni. Just in the jungle. Remarkable points are the Tebu Mountain, about 347 m high, nearby the Tapanahoni River. And the Man Gandafutu waterfall. The...
, Apoera
Apoera
Apoera, also Apura, is a town in western Suriname. It is the final destination of the Southern East-West Link. north-west on the other side of the Courantyne River lies the Guyanese village of Orealla...
, Bakhuys, Bitagron
Bitagron
Bitagron or Witagron is a town in Suriname on the Coppename River at the crossing of the Southern East-West Link from Paramaribo to Apoera in West-Suriname.In the local language Bitagron means 'Land of my forefathers'....
, Pokigron
Pokigron
Pokigron is a town in Suriname located on Brokopondo Reservoir. It is located in the Boven Suriname municipality in the Sipaliwini District. It has a population of approximately 500 people....
, Kajana
Kajana, Suriname
Kajana is a town in Sipaliwini District, Suriname. This small town lies on the Gaan-lio , together with the Pikin Lio these rivers together form the Suriname River. Kajana has about 200 inhabitats, which consist of 3 families...
, Kamp 52, Pelelu Tepu
Pelelu Tepu
Pelelu Tepu is a small Amerindian village in the interior of Suriname. Also known as "Pe'reru Tepu", the village is typically referred to simply as "Tepu," which mean "high" in the Indian Tiriyó language. The village is located on Tepu hill, on the Tapanahoni River...
, Cottica
Cottica
Cottica is a town in the district of Sipaliwini, Suriname. It is located on the border with French Guiana. The Marowijne River flows through the town....
, Anapaike
Anapaike
Anapaike is an indigenous village in Suriname. It is located on the bank of the Lawa river, which forms the border with the French overseas province named La Guyane. Anapaike is the name of the first tribal chief of the Wayana people. The geographical name of the village is the indigenous word...
, Benzdorp
Benzdorp
Benzdorp is a town in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. On April 3, 2008, an airplane operated by Blue Wing Airlines crashed upon landing at Lawa Antino Airport near Benzdorp....
, Kwamalasamutu
Kwamalasamutu
Kwamalasamutu, also Kwamalasamoetoe, is a Tiriyó Indian village in southern Suriname , and home to the Paramount Chief of the northern Trios. It also serves as field Headquarters for the Amazon Conservation Team's northeast Amazon projects. Ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin has been working here since 1982....
, Nieuw Jacobkondre
Nieuw Jacobkondre
Nieuw Jacobkondre is a town in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. It is situated on the Saramacca River....
, Aurora
Aurora, Suriname
Aurora is a town in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname, located at the Suriname River....
, Botopasi, Goddo
Goddo, Suriname
Goddo is a town in Suriname....
, Djumu and Pontoetoe
Pontoetoe
Pontoetoe is a village in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname, situated on the banks of the Tapanahony River....
.
Sipaliwini has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 29,210 and an area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of 130,567 km². The district is larger than the other 9 districts of Suriname put together; however, most of the Sipaliwini is unused (it was specifically stated when the district was formed that it would encompass the unused land in Suriname's south) except for the north and the west.
It is thought by archaeologists that hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
s lived in what is today Sipaliwini district during the Paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
period.
The region was largely left alone during the colonial
Colonisation
Colonization occurs whenever any one or more species populate an area. The term, which is derived from the Latin colere, "to inhabit, cultivate, frequent, practice, tend, guard, respect", originally related to humans. However, 19th century biogeographers dominated the term to describe the...
period, as the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
that controlled Suriname were fearful of the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and it was not until the 20th century that development projects began.
Sipaliwini district has seen occasional fighting between Guyanese
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
and Surinamese troops over border disputes in the south-west.
Resorts
- Boven CoppenameBoven CoppenameBoven Coppename is a resort in Suriname, located in the Sipaliwini District. Its population at the 2004 census was 595....
- Boven SaramaccaBoven SaramaccaBoven Saramacca is a resort in Suriname, located in the Sipaliwini District. Its population at the 2004 census was 1,537.The dominant geographical feature of this resort is the Saramacca River.-Settlements:* Akoelitatajeprati* Asoenoebo* Atereboto* Balin...
- Boven SurinameBoven SurinameBoven Suriname is a resort in Suriname, located in the Sipaliwini District. Its population at the 2004 census was 15,057....
- CoeroeniCoeroeniCoeroeni is a resort in Suriname, located in the Sipaliwini District. Its population at the 2004 census was 1,299. Kwamalasamutu is the main village of the resort....
- KabaleboKabaleboKabalebo is a resort in Suriname, located in the Sipaliwini District. Its population at the 2004 census was 1,843.-References:...
- TapanahonyTapanahonyTapanahony is a resort in Suriname, located in the Sipaliwini District. Its population at the 2004 census was 13,805....