Transport in Suriname
Encyclopedia
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n country of Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
has a number of forms of transport.
Railways
- RailwaysRail transportRail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
, total: 166 km single trackSingle track (rail)A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
.- standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
: 80 km gauge in West-Suriname, but not in use. This stretch was constructed as part of the West Suriname PlanWest Suriname PlanThe West Suriname Plan is an economic development plan for the western part of Suriname. As originally conceived, it consists among others of the mining of bauxite in the Bakhuis Mountains, the building of a hydroelectric power plant on the Kabalebo River, and the construction of a harbour and an...
. - narrow gauge: 86 km gauge from Onverdacht to Brownsberg, not in use.
- standard gauge
Highways
- total: 4,530 km
- paved: 1,178 km
- unpaved: 3,352 km (1996 est.)
Driving is on the left.
Road links with adjacent countries
- GuyanaTransport in GuyanaThe transport sector comprises the physical facilities, terminals, fleets and ancillary equipment of all the various modes of transport operating in Guyana, the transport services, transport agencies providing these services, the organizations and people who plan, build, maintain, and operate the...
- yes, ferryFerryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
from Nieuw-NickerieNieuw-NickerieNieuw Nickerie is the third largest city in Suriname with a population estimated at . It is the capital city of the Nickerie district, and the terminus of the East-West Link....
to CorrivertonCorrivertonCorriverton is the most easterly town in Guyana. It lies at the mouth of the Corentyne River, opposite Nieuw Nickerie, Suriname, to which it is linked by ferry from South Drain.... - BrazilTransportation in BrazilTransport infrastructure in Brazil is characterized by strong regional differences and lack of development of the national rail network. Brazil's fast growing economy, and especially the growth in exports, will place increasing demands on the transport networks...
- no - French GuianaTransport in French Guiana-Railways:A short railway is used within the Guiana Space Centre. There are no other railways in Guiana, and no connections to neighbouring countries.-Highways:total:1,817 kmpaved:727 kmunpaved:1,090 km -Waterways:...
- yes, ferry from AlbinaAlbina, SurinameAlbina is a town in eastern Suriname, and is capital of the Marowijne District. The town lies on the west bank of the Marowijne river , which forms the border with French Guiana, directly opposite the French Guianan town of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, to which it is connected by a frequent ferry...
to Saint-Laurent-du-MaroniSaint-Laurent-du-MaroniSaint-Laurent-du-Maroni is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is one of the two sub-prefectures of French Guiana and the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni...
Waterways
1,200 km; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging up to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterwayWaterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
s.
Ports and harbours
- Albina
- MoengoMoengoMoengo is a town in Suriname, located in the Marowijne district, between Paramaribo and the border town Albina. In former times it was a major centre for the mining and storage of bauxite...
- Nieuw-Nickerie
- ParamariboParamariboParamaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
- ParanamParanamParanam is a town in the Para District, Suriname. It is located at around ....
- WageningenWageningen, SurinameWageningen is a community resort and an agricultural place in the Republic of Suriname and located in the coastal area of West Suriname in the Nickerie District, at the harbour of the Nickerie river across the right estuary of the Maratakka river. Wageningen is well known as the rice centre of ...
Merchant marine
- total: 3 ships ( or over) totaling /
- ships by type: (1999 est.)
- cargo shipCargo shipA cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
1 - container shipContainer shipContainer ships are cargo ships that carry all of their load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport.-History:...
1 - petroleum tanker 1
- cargo ship
Unpaved runways
- total: 41
- 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
- 914 to 1,523 m: 5
- under 914 m: 35 (1999 est.)