Brazilians in Suriname form a large community consisting mostly of miners. The number of Brazilians in the country is estimated at 40,000, nearly 10 percent of the population.[1]
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 40,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Albina · Paramaribo | |
| Languages | |
| Portuguese · Sranan Tongo | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Brazilian diaspora |
Settlement
Suriname's low population density and abundant natural resources have attracted numerous migrants from neighboring Brazil.[2] Over the past decade or so, as many as 40,000 Brazilians, mostly illegal immigrants, have moved to Suriname, a country with fewer than half a million citizens. Many Brazilians in Suriname work as small-scale gold miners, particularly in the town of Albina, which has become a base for nomadic gold prospectors.[3]
Albina riots
Gold mining in Albina is typically environmentally destructive and it has resulted in clashes between the miners and indigenous peoples.
In late December 2009, a series of riots occurred when local maroon inhabitants attacked Brazilian, Chinese, Colombian and Peruvian gold diggers after a man was allegedly stabbed to death by a Brazilian.[4] The Brazilian government sent a diplomatic mission on December 27, 2009, to attend the Brazilian victims.[5] Five Brazilians returned to Brazil on December 27 on an airplane of the Brazilian Air Force.[6] On December 28, an airplane with capacity for 40 people was sent to the city with the purpose of rescuing more Brazilians.[6]