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Paramaribo (nicknamed '''Par'bo''') is the Capital of Suriname , located in the Paramaribo District , with a population of roughly 250,000 people. It lies on the Suriname River , approximately 15 Km inland from the Atlantic Ocean . Paramaribo is located at 5°52' North, 55°10' West (), and its Time Zone is UTC-3 . HISTORY The area, a trading post started by the Dutch, was taken by the British in 1630 , and in 1650 the city became the capital of the new English colony. The area changed hands often between the British and Dutch but it was in Dutch hands again in 1667 and under Dutch rule from 1815 until the independence of Suriname in 1975 . The citizens are chiefly of Asian Indian , indigenous, Africa n, and Dutch descent. In January 1821 a Fire in the city centre destroyed over 400 houses and other buildings. A second fire in September 1832 destroyed another 46 houses on the western part of the ''Waterkant''. ECONOMY The city's major exports are Gold , Bauxite , Sugar Cane , Rice , Cacao , Coffee , Rum , and tropical Wood s. Cement and Paint are manufactured in the city. CULTURE Paramaribo is famed for its diverse ethnic makeup, including Hindostanen, Indians, Creoles, Maroons, Javanese, Amerindians, Chinese and Europeans. On Sundays and holidays there is a popular Bird Song competition. Black ''twatwa''s (large-billed seed finch, '' Oryzoborus Crassirostris '') are the most common birds used. This bird is in the CITES - appendix I. FOOTBALL (SOCCER) AND PARAMARIBO Paramaribo is the birthplace of several Football players; Some of them later represented The Netherlands .
POINTS OF INTEREST Paramaribo is centred around the Onafhankelijkheidsplein ( Independence Square), which contains both the Presidential Palace and the National Assembly. Immediately the square is Palm entuin Park. Other notable places are the Surinaams Museum , Numismatisch Museum, Fort Zeelandia (dating from the 17th Century , a market and Canal s that are reminiscent of the Netherlands . There is a wide variety of Dutch colonial buildings in the city including the Cupchiik coliseum. There is a wide variety of religious buildings in the city owing its ethnic diversity. There are two Synagogues , several Mosque's , two Mandir s, a Dutch Reformed Church and a Roman Catholic cathedral ( Roman Catholic St Peter And St Paul Cathedral ) built in 1885 of Wood . It is thought to be the largest wooden building in the Americas , however it is currently closed for repairs and restoration. There are many hotels in the city, the main one being the Torarica Hotel, which also has a Casino and is generally regarded as the best and largest hotel in Suriname. Others include the Ambassador, Combi Inn, De Luifel, Eco-Resort, Fanna Guesthouse, Guesthouse Amice, Hotel Savoie, Krasnapolsky, Lisa's Guesthouse, Solana Guesthouse and YMCA Guesthouse. Suriname has only one cinema, which is located in the capital. TRAVEL Paramaribo is served by the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport and ''Zorg-en-Hoop'' for local flights. Be sure to visit the Wikitravel page of Paramaribo for a short travel guide. SISTER CITIES EXTERNAL LINKS
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