LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Suriname
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Suriname's earliest inhabitants were the Surinen Indians, after whom the country is named. By the 16th century they had been supplanted by other South American Indians. Spain explored Suriname in 1593, but by 1602 the Dutch began to settle the land, followed by the English. The English transferred sovereignty to the Dutch in 1667 (the Treaty of Breda) in exchange for New Amsterdam (New York). Colonization was confined to a narrow coastal strip, and until the abolition of slavery in 1863, African slaves furnished the labor for the coffee and sugarcane plantations. Escaped African slaves fled into the interior, reconstituted their western African culture, and came to be called “Bush Negroes” by the Dutch.
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Suriname is a small country, situated on the north-east coast of South America. To the west is Guyana and to the east is French Guiana. A former Dutch colony, Suriname holds many remnants of those days. Until 1499 the sole inhabitants were Amerindians. During the 16th century French, English and Dutch settlers moved in. In 1664 a large group of mainly Portuguese Jews came from Brazil and started their sugarcane plantations at Jodensavanne. In 1667 the Dutch swapped New Amsterdam, nowadays known as New York for the English territory in Suriname. In 1863 slavery was abolished, and indentured laborers were shipped in from India and Indonesia.
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Explorations is proud to offer this outstanding exploratory adventure that highlights some of the very best that Suriname has to offer the natural history traveler. Approximately 80% of Suriname is covered by dense tropical rainforest, more than in all of Central America. It is one of the least disturbed and least explored countries on the planet and is host to an abundant diversity of flora and fauna. Species such as blue poison dart frog and the cock-of-the rock have attracted scientists from all over the world. Formerly named Dutch Guyana, Suriname was one of the first countries in South America to establish a nature reserve system. To help us explore this rich natural history, in addition to resident naturalists, your escorts include Gary Michael, Curator of Birds at the Louisville Zoo and travel writer Carolyn Proctor, a former Peace Corp volunteer in Suriname and producer of Wild Birds of Paramaribo and Monkeys of Suriname.
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Cock-of-the-rock with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT) - Located on the northern coast of South America, Suriname has a fine nature reserve system operated by their forestry service (STINASU). Several areas have simple facilities that can accommodate groups. For those willing to accept rustic accommodations and a little adventure along the way, there are sure to be many rewards. A hallmark feature of the Suriname trip has always been the opportunity to visit a display ground of the fabled Guianan Cock-of-the-rock. During peak periods, more than 50 males have been reported at this display in what is, unquestionably, one of the great spectacles of the continent.
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Suriname is densely forested, and increased interest in large-scale commercial logging and mining in Suriname's interior have raised environmental concerns. The U.S. Forest Service, the Smithsonian, and numerous non-governmental environmental organizations have promoted technical cooperation with Suriname's government to prevent destruction of the country's tropical rain forest, one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. U.S. experts have worked closely with local natural resource officials to encourage sustainable development of the interior and alternatives such as ecotourism. On December 1, 2000, UNESCO designated the 1.6-million hectare Central Suriname Nature Reserve a World Heritage site. Suriname's tourism sector remains a minor part of the economy, and tourist infrastructure is limited (in 2004, some 145,000 foreign tourists visited Suriname).
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The Central Suriname Nature Reserve represents an example of undisturbed tropical rain forest incorporating three existing protected areas. Suriname is globally and regionally significant in terms of the extent of its tropical forest cover. Approximately 90% of the country's total area is forested, more forest cover than that in all of Central America; ... it is one of the most forested countries in the world. The huge area of the CSNR (approximately the size of the state of New Jersey, USA) ensures that one of the most biologically diverse areas of the world is maintained.
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