Archived Articles

Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.

He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.

In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.

Global Real Estate Project
News Index

Directories
  Int'l Realty
  US Realty

Ideal location for a new Jurassic movie

If Hollywood decides to produce a new movie about the dinosaurs, the producers would certainly consider Suriname among the best locations for the action. The country has everything to bring the observer into the ages millions of years ago. The major difficulty before the movie team to get the work done will be the lack of transport infrastructure in the most parts of the country. The human presence in Suriname is concentrated mainly along the Atlantic Ocean coast, with the capital city of Paramaribo comprising the half of the entire population.

Almost five hundred years after the Europeans explored the coastline for the first time, many internal areas of the country remain so little explored as if we still are in the Jurassic period. You can travel there only by plane or by boat. When the UN says that 85% of all the animals and plants on our planet are still unknown for the science, it perhaps takes into account the rain forests' habitats of Suriname.

This country in the past was ruled by the Dutch so the official language is the Dutch. Their colonial heritage can be traced in the urban architecture of the capital city. There is also a small English colonial heritage that mainly appears in the left-side traffic moves*. Suriname offers a vast mixture of ethnic groups, religious believes and languages and thus differs significantly from the rest of Latin America, except perhaps from some Caribbean islands.

The bauxite was and still is the main industry in Suriname but recently the tourism has begun quickly to catch up. Even if the country is among the poorest on the globe, the life for the tourists there isn't free. For the budget travelers the daily costs can reach $25. As for the people looking for a little comfort the expenditures could reach and exceed $50 per day. The tourists should be advised prior to entering the country that their beloved credit cards aren't widely accepted outside the major hotels and that the ATMs aren't available either**.

The country offers a system of natural parks and reserves that attract tourists but beyond that the country doesn't welcome the international retirees. The local population retains some suspicion of foreigners in general and of Americans in particular so perhaps it isn't a good idea to plan relocating permanently there. Going to Suriname for more than tourism still makes headlines even if in fact it's not a permanent relocation but only a voluntary work under a Peace Corps program.

Given the natural treasures of Suriname, some day it will become a paradise for the western expatriates. Being one of the last virgin places on earth, it's just a matter of time to be "discovered".

-----
* - A little-known fact is that the British turned over Suriname, formerly known as Dutch Guiana, to the Netherlands in exchange for the city of New Amsterdam, later called New York.

** - According to some observers the ATMs are available at limited numbers but it's better not to take any chances.

Suriname profile:

• Area: 163,270 sq km
• Population: 436,494 (July 2002 est.)
• Net migration rate: -8.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
• Life expectancy at birth: 71.9 years
• Ethnic groups:
  • Hindustani 37%
  • Creole 31%
  • Javanese 15%
  • "Maroons" 10%
  • Amerindian 2%
  • Chinese 2%
  • white 1%
  • other 2%
• Religions:
  • Hindu 27.4%
  • Muslim 19.6%
  • Roman Catholic 22.8%
  • Protestant 25.2%
  • indigenous beliefs 5%
• Languages: Dutch (official), English (widely spoken)
• GDP per capita: purchasing power parity $3,500 (2000 est.)
• Main industries: bauxite and gold mining
• Main trading partners: US, EU, Japan.
• Internet users: 14,500 (2002)

(Source: CIA - The World Factbook 2002)

--------------------

See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Suriname.