Sipaliwini is the largest

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

, located in the south. Sipaliwini is the only district that does not have a regional capital, as it is directly administered by the national government in

Paramaribo Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's ...

History

Sipaliwini was created in 1983 and has a

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 37,065 and an

area Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape A shape or figure is a graphics, graphical representation of an obje ...

of The district is nearly 4 times as large as the other 9 districts of Suriname combined; however, most of the Sipaliwini is almost completely covered by rainforest. To create the district, the

Nickerie District Nickerie is a district of Suriname, on the north-west coast. Nickerie's capital city is Nieuw-Nickerie. Another town is Wageningen. The district borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the Surinamese district of Coronie to the east, the Suriname ...

was reduced from to Sipaliwini is the

tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

area inhabited by

Maroons Maroons are descendants of Africans in the Americas who escaped from slavery and formed their own settlements. They often mixed with indigenous peoples, eventually evolving into separate creole cultures such as the Garifuna and the Mascogos. ...

and

indigenous people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

. Various peace treaties starting in 1686 had recognised autonomy for the tribes over their own area; however, a specific delineation of the tribal area had been lacking. The name is of

Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...

origin, refers to the

Sipaliwini River Sipaliwini River is a river of Suriname, the main source of the Courantyne River. It gives its name to the village of Sipaliwini Savanna and to the Sipaliwini District. It flows through the village of Kwamalasamutu. The name translates to thornba ...

, and means "river of stones or rocks". It is thought by

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

s that

hunter-gatherer A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...

s lived in what is today Sipaliwini district during the

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...

period. The region was largely left alone during the

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

period, as the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

that controlled Suriname were fearful of the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, and it was not until the 20th century that development projects began. As of 2004, there are 41

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

s in the areas. An increase in schools is planned, because some children have to travel long distances by foot or boat to neighbouring villages. As of 2004, there are 24 clinics in the district. Medical care is provided by

Medische Zending Medische Zending Primary Health Care Suriname, commonly known as Medische Zending (Dutch for "medical mission") or MZ is a Surinamese charitable organization offering primary healthcare to remote villages in the interior of Suriname. History The ...

.Map of MZ healthcare centres
/ref> In the 1950s,

Operation Grasshopper Operation Grasshopper was a project to look for natural resources in Suriname from the air. For this project, seven airstrips were constructed in the interior of Suriname from 1959 onward. The project was the brainchild of the Minister of Develo ...

established many tiny airstrips in the district in order to make the territory accessible. Sipaliwini district had seen occasional fighting in the late 1960s between Guyanese and Surinamese troops over border disputes in the south-west

Tigri Area The Tigri Area ( nl, Tigri-gebied) is a wooded area that has been disputed by Guyana and Suriname since around 1840. It involves the area between the Upper Corentyne River (also called the New River), the Coeroeni River, and the Kutari River ...

of the

Coeroeni Coeroeni is a resort in Suriname, located in the Sipaliwini District. Its population at the 2012 census was 1,046. The resort is mainly inhabited by indigenous people of the Tiriyó tribe. Kwamalasamutu is the main village of the resort and ho ...

resort.

Nature

Sipaliwini consists of large areas of tropical rain forests, mountains, and savannas. In 1998, the

Central Suriname Nature Reserve The Central Suriname Nature Reserve ( nl, Centraal Suriname Natuurreservaat (CSNR)) is a conservation unit in Suriname. It preserves an area of tropical rainforest. The reserve is in pristine condition. History The Central Suriname Nature Reserv ...

was created by Conservation International and the government of

from the fusion of three existing nature reserves: Ralleighvallen, Tafelberg and

Eilerts de Haangebergte The Eilerts de Haan Mountains ( nl, Eilerts de Haangebergte) are a mountain range in Sipaliwini District, Suriname. It is a southern part of Wilhelmina Mountains and is maximum 986 m high. The mountain range is part of the Central Suriname Nature ...

. It was designated a UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 2000 for its pristine tropical rainforest ecosystem. It is known for its rapids and bird species, including the Guiana Cock of the Rock (''

Rupicola rupicola The Guianan cock-of-the-rock (''Rupicola rupicola'') is a species of cotinga, a passerine bird from South America. It is about in length and weighs about . It is found in tropical rainforests, near its preferred habitat of rocky outcrops. The f ...

'').Nature Reserve of Suriname
Visit Suriname Over 5,000 different plants have been identified, and large mammals like the

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

, giant armadillo, and eight species of primates. A research station is located at the foot of Voltzberg and the area is tourist attraction. The

Sipaliwini Savanna The Sipaliwini Savanna is a protected area and nature reserve in Suriname. The reserve is located to the south of the Sipaliwini River in the far south of the country. The reserve measures 100,000 hectares, and has been a protected area since 1972 ...

Nature Reserve has been established in 1972, and is of

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

, and the second largest in Suriname. The reserve is near pristine and offers a wide variety in flora and fauna.

Administration

Until 2011, Sipaliwini was administered by one district commissioner residing in Paramaribo. In the years since, district commissioners have been appointed for each separate resort.

Resorts

Sipaliwini is divided into 7

resorts A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort' ...

(''ressorten''):

Villages

The district contains 156 villages. All of them except for Stoelmanseiland, Villa Brazil, and Antonio do Brinco are

. *

Abenaston Abenaston is a village in Suriname with a population of about 700 people in 2005. The population consists of Saramaka Maroons. The village was founded at its current location in the early 20th century with the help of the Moravian Church. There ...

* Alalapadu *

Amatopo Amatopo or Amotopo is a Tiriyó village on the Courentyne River in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village lies next to the Amatopo Airstrip and about upstream from the village of Lucie. The Frederik Willem IV Falls and Arapahu Island ...

* Antonio do Brinco *

Apetina Apetina, also known as Pïlëuwimë or Puleowime, is a village in the South Eastern jungle area of Suriname within the Tapanahony resort in the Sipaliwini District. It is located at in the jungle on the small hills along the river Tapanahoni. ...

Apoera Apoera, also Apura, is a town in western Suriname. The village has a population of 777 people as of 2020. It is the final destination of the Southern East-West Link. north-west on the other side of the Courantyne River lies the Guyanese villag ...

Asidonhopo Asidonhopo is a Saramaka village in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. Asidonhopo is the residence of the paramount chief or gaanman of the Saramaca. The succession of gaanman Belfon Aboikoni, who died in June 2014, has not been decided as of 201 ...

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

Bakhuys Bakhuys (also: Bakhuis) is a village in the Kabalebo resort of the Sipaliwini District in Suriname. The village is located near the Bakhuis Mountains. Bakhuis is mainly known for its large bauxite mine which is exploited by Suralco. In 1995, t ...

Benzdorp Benzdorp is a village in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. It is named after the English consul and bullion dealer H.J.W. Benz. Geography The village lies in the jungle of the Tapanahony, Tapanahony resort, near the Lawa River (South America ...

Bitagron Witagron (or Bitagron) is a Kwinti village 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'. Witagron ...

Botopasi Botopasi, also spelled Boto-Pasi, is a Saamaka village in Suriname. The village had a population of about 740 people in 2001. The villages has a school, clinic and a church. The resources of the village are shared with the nearby village of Debi ...

Corneliskondre Corneliskondre is a village in Suriname, located in the Boven Coppename resort of Sipaliwini District. It has a population of 70 as of 2020, and is inhabited by indigenous people of the Kalina tribe. Corneliskondre has been named after Corneli ...

Cottica Cottica Lawa (often called Cottica) is a village in the district of Sipaliwini, Suriname. It is located in the east, along the Marowijne River and the border with French Guiana. The village has a school, and a clinic. History During the 18th c ...

Diitabiki Diitabiki (Sranan Tongo: ''Dritabiki'', Dutch: ''Drietabbetje'') is a Ndyuka village in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. Diitabiki is the residence of the gaanman of the Ndyuka people, since 1950, and the location of the oracle. Name Both ...

Godo Holo Godo Holo (also Godo Olo) is a group of villages in the Tapanahony resort of the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The villages are inhabited by Maroons of the Ndyuka people. Godo Olo is the name for a group of three neighbouring villages: ''San ...

Jaw Jaw Jaw Jaw, also Yaw Yaw, is a village of Saamaka Maroons in the Boven Suriname resort of the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village is located on the Suriname River. Jaw Jaw is a transmigration village built for the inhabitants of Lombé ...

* Kajana *

Kasuela Kasuela (also Cashew Island, Kasjoe Eiland and Casuela) is an indigenous village of the Tiriyó people in the East Berbice-Corentyne region of Guyana. The village has a population of about 80 people. The inhabitants are of the subgroup or the Fro ...

(''disputed'') *

Kawemhakan Kawemhakan, formerly also known as Anapaikë, is a Wayana village in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village lies on the banks of the Lawa River, which forms the border with French Guiana. Name The indigenous name of the village is Ka ...

* Kuruni *

Kwamalasamutu Kwamalasamutu, also Kwamalasamoetoe, is a Tiriyó Amerindian village in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname, and home to the granman (paramount chief) of the northern Trios. Kwamalasamutu is the biggest village of the Tiriyó tribe. History The ...

* Kumakahpan *

Langatabiki Langatabiki (Dutch language, Dutch: ''Langatabbetje'') is a Paramaccan people, Paramacca village in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. Langatabiki is the residence of the granman of the Paramaccan people. Langatabiki is located in the Pamacca re ...

* Lensidede * Lokaloka *

Lucie Lucie is the French and Czech form of the female name Lucia. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Lucie Ahl, British tennis player * Lucie Arnaz, American actress * Lucie Aubrac, member of the French Resistance * Lucie Balthaz ...

* Manlobi *

Moitaki Moitaki is a Ndyuka village in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village is inhabited by the Misidyan clan or ''lo''. The late gaanman Gazon Matodya was born in Moitaki. Moitaki is situated near the Gran Olo rapids between the village of ...

Nieuw Jacobkondre Nieuw Jacobkondre (also Njoeng Jacob Kondre or just Jacobkondre) is a town in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. It is situated on the Saramacca River. The village is inhabited by Matawai people. Overview The village of Jacobkondre was founded ...

* Paloemeu *

Pelelu Tepu Pelelu Tepu is an Amerindian village in the hinterland 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 t ...

Pikin Slee Pikin Slee (also Pikienslee) is a village on the Suriname River in the resort Boven Suriname of the Sipaliwini District. It is home to about 3,000 people, and the second largest village of the Saramaka Maroons, after Aurora. Overview Pikin Slee h ...

* Pïleike *

Poeketi Poeketi or Puketi is a Ndyuka village in Suriname. It lies in Sipaliwini District. On May 15, 2010, a plane crashed near Poeketi. Energy Between 1981 and 1987, electricity was provided by the Puketi hydroelectric power plant. After this powe ...

* Poeloegoedoe *

Poesoegroenoe Poesoegroenoe or Pusugrunu or Psugrunu is a Matawai village in Boven Saramacca, Sipaliwini District, central Suriname. The village lies along the Saramacca River and is the residence of the gaanman of the Matawai maroons. Healthcare Poesoegr ...

Pokigron Pokigron is a town in Suriname located on Brokopondo Reservoir. It is located in the Boven Suriname municipality (resort) in the Sipaliwini District. It has a population of approximately 400 people in 2018. Pokigron is located at the end of a pave ...

Sandlanding Sandlanding is a Tiriyó village in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village lies just south of Apoera, which is mainly inhabited by Arowaks. Most of the villagers originally came from Kwamalasamutu who had settled in Wanapan. Sandlan ...

Snesiekondre Snesiekondre (also: Snesikondre ) is a village of Paramacca Maroons in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village is located at the end of the road connecting Langatabiki to Patamacca and the rest of Suriname. History In 1977, a developmen ...

* Stoelmanseiland * Tutu Kampu * Vier Gebroeders *

Villa Brazil Villa Brazil (also Villa Brasil) is a '' garimpeiros'' (illegal gold prospectors) village in the Boven Saramacca resort of the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. Overview Gold was discovered in the Rosebel area in 1879. More than century after, in ...

* Wanapan *

Washabo Washabo is a town in Suriname, located in the Kabalebo resort of Sipaliwini district. The town lies on a bend in the Corantijn river (Courantyne), on the border with Guyana. Washabo is an indigenous village of the Lokono tribe near Apoera. It has ...

References

External links

{{Authority control Districts of Suriname