Fun Facts About Suriname - Latin America's Lost Eden!

Welcome to Suriname -- A Tropical Paradise

World-famous Swimmers

Did you know- In September 1988, Anthony Conrad Nesty, a black athlete, pulled off a major shock when he became Olympic champ. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Suriname's swimmer Nesty won one of the most memorable finals in Olympic history when he defeated Matt Biondi (USA) in the men's 100m butterfly final. Until 1984 he was a unknown swimmer in Latin America. However, Nesty's fledgling career received a big boost in the mid-1980s when he studied at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, America. From then onwards, he directed almost all of his energy to become Olympic champion. Despite he won a gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, USA, Nesty was not considered a contender for a medal in the 100 metres butterfly at the 1988 Seoul Games. Twenty years on, by 2008, the Surinamese Olympic Committee honored his achievement by nominating his to carry the national flag at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Without a doubt, Anthony Conrad Nesty is the best male swimmer ever produced by Latin America, ahead of Felipe Muñoz (Mexico), Rafael Vidal (Venezuela), Ricardo Prado (Brazil) and Jorge Delgado Panchana (Ecuador).

Geography

Did you know- Unique among countries in the world, Suriname is located on Caribbean coast of South America, between Guyana on the west, Brazil on the south, French Guiana on the east, and the Atlantic Ocean on the north. With a total area of nearly 63,000 square miles (163,820 km2), Suriname is South America's smallest nation. More than 90 percent of Suriname's territory is covered by rainforests, highest of the world's developing countries.