GUIANA, Dutch, or Surinam, lies between British and French Guiana, being separated from the former on the W. by the River Corentyn, and from the latter on the E. by the Maroni; on the N. it has the Atlantic, and on the S. Brazil. It lies between N. Lat. 1. 30. and 6., and W. Long. 53. 30. and 57. 30., being about 300 miles in length from N. to S., and 260 in extreme breadth. Area, about 38,500 square miles. In physical geography, climate, productions, &c., it differs but little from British Guiana. The principal river is the Surinam, which flows northward through the centre of the territory, and falls into the Atlantic after a course of nearly 300 miles. It is navigable for large ships for about 4 leagues from its mouth. Along the coast and on the banks of the rivers are many settlements and plantations; and the higher parts of the country are occupied chiefly by the Maroons, the descendants of runaway negroes. In the last century they were very troublesome to the colonists, but they have now adopted more settled habits. Slavery has been recently abolished here by the Dutch government, but, in lieu of compensation, the slaves remain apprenticed and work without wages to their proprietors for twelve years. The colony is ruled by a governor appointed by the crown, and a council elected by the freeholders. Justice is administered by a supreme court, courts of minor jurisdiction, and a court of inheritance and orphans. The receipts in 1850 amounted to L.89,485; the expenditure to L.85,564. On 273 plantations, consisting of 366,548 acres, 48,815 acres were under cultivation. The chief productions are sugar, rum, molasses, coffee, cacao, and cotton. Its chief trade is with Holland. Imports in 1851, L.171,395; exports, L.236,162. At the close of 1850 the colony numbered 61,080 inhabitants—of whom 12,401 were Europeans and creoles, 8000 bush negroes, 1000 Indians, and 39,679 slaves. Of the religious sects, the Moravians amounted to 17,933, and the Jews to about 680. The live stock consisted of 168 horses, 59 mules, 5564 cattle, 3155 sheep, 454 goats, and 4664 hogs. The army consists of 610 men of all arms; and the navy of 11 vessels, chiefly small. Paramaribo, the capital, is situated on the right bank of the Surinam, about 10 miles from its mouth. It is built in the Dutch style, with wide and straight streets planted with orange trees; and the houses are generally two storeys in height, and built of wood. Pop. about
20,000. A little north of the town is the fort of Zeelandia, where the governor resides, and where are also most of the government establishments.