Villa Brazil | |
|---|---|
Gold mining village | |
  Villa Brazil Location in Suriname | |
| Coordinates: 5°00′30″N55°31′28″W / 5.00843°N 55.52441°W Coordinates: 5°00′30″N55°31′28″W / 5.00843°N 55.52441°W | |
| Country |  Suriname |
| District | Sipaliwini District |
| Resort | Boven Saramacca |
Villa Brazil (also Villa Brasil [1] ) is a garimpeiros (illegal gold prospectors) village in the Boven Saramacca resort of the Sipaliwini District of Suriname.
Gold was discovered in the Rosebel area in 1879. More than century after, in 2004, a commercial exploitation started at the Rosebel Gold Mines. [2] Illegal gold miners started to exploit the Matawai area near Nieuw Jacobkondre. [1] Villa Brazil was founded illegally by Brazilian gold miners, and contains dwellings for the gold miners and several commercial shops. [3]
The village has become known as an area with a high rate of crime. [4] [3] [1] Complaints of the nearby villagers who had rely on a police station in Kwakoegron have resulted the establishment of a police station in Nieuw Jacobkondre in 2014. [1] Concerning morbidity, malaria is prevalent in the village. [5] In late 2020, Villa Brazil was at the centre of a COVID-19 outbreak. [6]
The gold mining is performed by building of sluice boxes. Mercury is poured over the dirt with bare hands. [7] The method leaves much gold undetected, and therefore some miners are using metal detectors. [8] The mercury pollution in the area is both an environment problem, and a health hazard. [9] Most of the gold gets transported to the North of Paramaribo where the gold buyers are located. [9] In 2021, a badge system was introduced, which requires gold miners to be registered, and gold buyers to track the source of the gold. [10]
The economy of Suriname was largely dependent upon the exports of aluminium oxide and small amounts of aluminium produced from bauxite mined in the country. However, after the departure of Alcoa, the economy depended on the exports of crude oil and gold. Suriname was ranked the 124th safest investment destination in the world in the March 2011 Euromoney Country Risk rankings.
Sipaliwini is the largest district of Suriname, 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.
Gold mining is the extraction of gold resources by mining. Historically, mining gold from alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning. However, with the expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on the surface, has led to more complex extraction processes such as pit mining and gold cyanidation. In the 20th and 21st centuries, most volume of mining was done by large corporations, however the value of gold has led to millions of small, artisanal miners in many parts of the Global South.
Paranam is a town in the Para District, Suriname. Paranam was created in 1938 for a bauxite factory. In 1965, an aluminium smelter was added. The factories closed down in 2017.
Nieuw Jacobkondre is a town in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. It is situated on the Saramacca River. The village is inhabited by Matawai people.
Heidoti is a village in Boven Saramacca municipality (resort) in Sipaliwini District in Suriname. Heidoti is home to Maroons of the Kwinti tribe.
Prostitution in Suriname is illegal but widespread and the laws are rarely enforced. Human trafficking and Child prostitution are problems in the country. Prostitutes are known locally as "motyo". UNAIDS estimate there to be 2,228 prostitutes in the country.
Boven Saramacca is a resort in Suriname, located in the Sipaliwini District. Its population at the 2012 census was 1,427. The dominant geographical feature of this resort is the Saramacca River. The resort is mainly inhabited by Maroons of the Matawai tribe.
Ronnie Brunswijk is a Surinamese politician, businessman, footballer, convicted drug trafficker, former rebel leader, and the current Vice President of Suriname. Brunswijk served in the early 1980s as the personal bodyguard of Dési Bouterse, who overthrew the government in 1980 in a military coup. Brunswijk was discharged after asking for a raise, and denied back pay. In 1985, Brunswijk formed the Surinamese Liberation Army, better known as the Jungle Commando.
Brazil – Suriname relations refer to the bilateral relations between the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Republic of Suriname. Diplomatic relations were established on 3 March 1976. Brazil has an embassy in Paramaribo since the independence of Suriname on 25 November 1975. Suriname has an embassy in Brasília since 1976, and a consulate in Belém since 2012.
Brownsberg Nature Park is a nature park located in Suriname. The site measures 12,000 ha and is located in the district of Brokopondo around 130 km south from the capital city Paramaribo. The 500 meter high Brownsberg is the central point of the park. The site is located near the Brokopondo Reservoir. The park is managed by STINASU. Often the people of Suriname use the word Brownsberg as simple variant of Brownsberg Nature Park. Local people also write it as Bruijnsberg, pronounced as Braynsberg.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Suriname was caused by Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Suriname on 13 March 2020. The case was a person who travelled from the Netherlands the previous week. On 3 April 2020, one person died. On 3 May 2020, all nine cases had recovered. On 18 May, an eleventh case was identified.
Antonio do Brinco, also Albina 2, is a garimpeiros village in the Tapanahony resort of the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village is located on the Lawa River, and is next to Peruano, and opposite Maripasoula in French Guiana. The village is named after Antonio with the earring who constructed the first commercial building.
Diana Marilva Pokie is a Surinamese politician. She was the assembly member from Brokopondo for the Brotherhood and Unity in Politics (BEP) before she was expelled. She returned to the assembly as the Brokopondo member representing the General Liberation and Development Party (ABOP) party. She became the first female vice-chairman of that party in 2019. On 16 July 2020, Pokie became Minister of Land and Forest Management. On 3 August 2021, Pokie was replaced by Dinotha Vorswijk.
The Boven Coesewijne Nature Reserve is a protected area and nature reserve in Suriname. The reserve is located along the headwaters of the Coesewijne River. It is important for the brown sand and white sand savannahs located within the reserve.
Manlobi is a village of Ndyuka Maroons in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village is located on an island in the Tapanahony River.
The Brinckheuvel Nature Reserve is a protected area and nature reserve in Suriname. The reserve is located on the Saramacca River, and is the most southern savannah of the Savannah Belt. The Mindrineti River flows through the reserve. The reserve measures 6,000 hectares, and has been a protected area since 1961.
Snesiekondre 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.
Squatting in Suriname is the occupation of unused land or derelict buildings without the permission of the owner. Maroons and indigenous peoples such as Tiriyó Amerindians have squatted buildings and illegal gold prospectors have occupied land.
Asongo Alalaparu also Ashongo Alalaparoe was a Granman of the indigenous Tiriyó people in Suriname. He led the Tiriyó from 1997 to 2021 from his residence in Kwamalasamutu. During his rule, the Tiriyó established new small villages in the interior of Suriname.