Paramaribo, population 222,843 (1996), is the capital of Suriname. The city is located on the Suriname River , approximately 15 km inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Bauxite, sugar cane, rice, cacao, coffee, rum, and tropical woods are exported from Paramaribo. The city manufactures cement, paint, and beer.
The area was settled 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 was under Dutch rule from 1815 until the independence of Suriname in 1975. The citizens are chiefly of Asian Indian, indigenous, African, and Dutch descent.
Paramaribo has a museum, a cathedral, forts and canals that are reminiscent of the Netherlands.
In January 1821 a fire in the city center destroyed over 400 houses and other buildings.
A second fire in September 1832 destroyed another 46 houses on the western part of the 'Waterkant'.
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