Volume 17, No. 1, 2020
Gold Resource Potential Of Suriname (South America): A Geological Study
Dr. Jaydeep Nikam
Abstract
Suriname is located in northern South America and borders the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guyana and French Guiana. It covers an area of 163,820 km2 and its total population is 597,927 according to 2018 estimates. The country experiences temperate and moderate climatic conditions. Suriname is an emerging major gold producer and area of resource development. The country is in an active, modern gold rush by both small scale miners and international mining companies. The economy is a based on a mixture of the bauxite industry (Alcoa and BHP) and, more recently, the gold industry, other natural resources, government managed businesses, a developing middle class and new business development, an emerging eco-tourist industry, and a hidden economy of small scale mining, funds from families overseas, and illegal activities. Suriname has a small, ethical diverse population of about 480,000 people, with most of the inhabitants living along the coastal region and almost one-half residing in the capital city of Paramaribo. The ethnic make-up includes: East Indians, Creoles Indonesian, Chinese, Lebanese, Maroons and Amerindians. Many Brazilians have moved into the country illegally for small scale mining and related activities. Dutch is the official language, but the local language is the Sranan Tongo. Asians tend to use their native languages among themselves and English is widely spoken and understood. The interior is largely undeveloped except along major drainages where Maroon villages are located and in areas of small scale mining. Timber and gold mining are the major cash producing industries in the interior. The land is owned by the government who issue mineral concessions for exploration and mining. There is little evidence of government in the interior for schools, health, police or infrastructure.
Pages: 652-658
Keywords: Gold Resource, Geological Study, Suriname (South America), Gold Mining.