Brokopondo
District capital in Brokopondo District, Suriname
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brokopondo (Eastern Maroon Creole: Bokopondo or Bookopondo)[2] is the capital town of the Brokopondo District, Suriname.[3] It is located on the west shore of the Suriname river, just north of the Afobaka dam, 105 kilometers (65 miles) south-east of Suriname capital city of Paramaribo. Brokopondo can be reached via the Avobakaweg from Paranam to Afobaka.[1]
Brokopondo
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District capital | |
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  Brokopondo Location in Suriname | |
| Coordinates: 5°4′N 54°58′W | |
| Country |  Suriname |
| District | Brokopondo District |
| Resort | Centrum |
| Elevation | 72 m (236 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | est. 2,480 |
| Time zone | UTC-03:00 (SRT) |
Nearby is a granite monument made by sculptor Jo Rens, displaying two men: one standing with a parrot and one sitting and writing. It is meant to symbolize the past and the future. There is also a large beach next to the Suriname river near the city centre.[4] Demographically, the largest ethnic group of Brokopondo are the Maroons.[5]
The Brokopondo Development Plan has designated the town of Brokopondo as one of the two major centres in the region - the other being Brownsweg - with a focus on tourism.[1] There is a large beach next to the Suriname river near the city centre called Anani Beach.[6] Additional developments will be a proper city centre, a bus station, a large hotel with at least 200 beds, and a centre for cultural studies.[1]
Brokopondo is home to a Medische Zending healthcare centre,[7] hotel, school, and police station.[4] In 2014, multi functional centre was opened.[8] On 10 January 2020, a waste incinerator was installed.[9]
A growing concern is the activity of gold prospectors who not only poison the rivers with mercury, but are digging away the edge of the town.[10]
