The Republic of Suriname is one of the trio of small countries on the northeast coast of South America, fronting the Atlantic, known before Independence as Dutch Guiana. Its neighbour to the east is French Guiana and to the west Guyana (formerly British Guyana). To the south it shares a frontier with Brazil.

A Dutch colony between 1814 and 1975, after being argued over by British and Dutch for several years, it originally reached Dutch hands in 1667 when the Breda Peace Treaty gave New York to Britain and Suriname to the Netherlands. Along with many other reminders, the Dutch have left their trade mark in the very large dykes that they built here.

Today this is the country where explorers come in order to take expeditions into the rainforest. Eco tourism here is in its infancy but growing rapidly and the hotel and accommodation industry in Paramaribo makes a significant contribution to the economy. It is still possible to enjoy virgin rain forest without the infringement of the evidence of tourists. There are just a couple of runways in the heart of the mighty forests, and visitors are provided with basic lodges in which to stay.

The main exports are bauxite and aluminium, along with rice, bananas, shellfish, sugar cane, gold, cacao, coffee, rum, some of the timber from tropical trees, and fish.

Currency is the Surinamese dollar (SRD) For the latest exchange rates please go to www.xe.com

Dutch is widely spoken, together with a Creole language called Sranang Tongo which incorporates words of pigeon English, but in all, some 17 different languages are to be heard in this astonishingly multicultural country of 500,000 souls drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The majority of the population lives in the cultivated coastal northern region, with 250,000 choosing to live in Paramaribo City.

It is very hot and humid here, seldom less than 80 degrees (27c) all year round. There are two dry and two wet seasons.

Paramaribo is the capital, the main port and where the international airport is to be found. This is Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport situated some 45 kilometres south of the city at Zanderij. This airport was of military significance when the US entered World War II, and it was restored to the Dutch and to its civil status after the war. For current visa requirements please go to www.projectvisa.com

What to see and do here? Anyone coming here is likely to be either working (or sampling working ship life as a passenger) on a cargo ship, bringing out the bauxite, or arriving here as an eco tourist. The city itself is sleepy and somewhat shabby with some of its colonial architecture sadly neglected, but a variety of places of worship should be explored – the stunning catholic cathedral which used to be a theatre, the elegant mosque, numerous churches and a wonderful synagogue. The waterfront has been preserved and it was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 2002.

The daily market is busy and colourful, featuring mainly fish, shrimps and cooking spice on sale, and you can take in the Helston Monument on your way there. The handsome Ministry buildings that you see in the city are reminders of colonial times.

You drive on the left hand side of the road here and the motorist is respected. A very elegant bridge has been built over the Coppename River.

A surprising number of world class footballers played their first games here in Suriname, going on to play internationally for the Netherlands.

The jungle is of course the attraction for visitors and eco tourism initiatives are admirably in place to the extent that currently 12.5% of the country is designated as a national park, river or lake conservation area. Probably the favourite is Central Suriname Nature Reserve on the Coppename River which shows the visitor a totally unspoiled landscape, as does Wia Wia Reserve on the same river. Further upriver also on the Coppename, the Raleigh Falls are as spectacular as any elsewhere. Heading south towards Brazil the tropical rainforest gives way to savannah. The mountain range is crowned with Julianatop, at 4,220 feet.

On the river, the wildlife you will see is mainly bird and monkey, although the Amazonian crocodile, the nearly six feet long, black caiman, is regularly and somewhat chillingly visible, usually doing nothing more sinister than having a nap on the riverbank. They are most plentiful on the canoe excursion to the Grandam Rapids. You will certainly hear plenty of animal and bird sounds, but it is rare that visitors catch a glimpse of the timid jungle inhabitants. You may meet indigenous Amerindians on your travels, but just like the animals, they are quiet and reserved and rather shy of establishing contact with visitors.

For more information about Suriname please visit http://www.suriname-tourism.org/