Suriname

Due to the mix of population groups, the Surinamese culture is very diverse. With an estimated 17 bllion dollars in assets, Verizon is exploring a sale or spin-off of the business unit to finance its expansion in wireless and high-speed Internet services.^[7]. Main article: Culture of Suriname. It had an operating revenue of $3.6 billion in 2004 and employs 7,300 nationwide.^[6]. There is also a significant Surinamese population in the Netherlands. The web sites receives 17 million unique visitors a month. The vast majority of people (about 90%) live in Paramaribo or on the coast. The yellow page business for Verzion known as Superpages is a Texas-based sales, publishing and related services for 1,200 directory titles with a circulation of about 121 million copies in 41 states.

Additionally, English and Spanish are also widely used, especially at tourist-oriented facilities or shops. Verizon calls this "FiOS Internet".^[5]. Also, the original Carib and Arawak Amerindians of Suriname speak their own languages, as do the Maroons; Aucan (n'Djuga or Ndjukas) and Saramaccan. Verizon recently began offering FTTP (Fiber to the Premises) to some subscribers. The Surinamese also speak their own languages: Sranang Tongo (also known as Surinaams), Javanese, Indonesian, and others. Verizon provides DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Internet service in many areas where it offers phone service. Dutch is the official language of Suriname. Verizon provides standard POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) service as well as VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) and Fiber line services.

Christianity is dominant among Creoles and Maroons. The merger was completed January 6, 2006. Most of the Hindustani are Hindu, but Islam and Christianity are also practised by them. This not only renders the company, effectively, a regional phone company, but also forces it to pay usage fees to a long-haul carrier such as MCI to complete calls for its customers whenever those calls go outside the Verizon "footprint." That need is obviated by the MCI acquisition. Because of the great number of ethnic groups in the country, there is no one main religion. While it is the largest telecommunications company in the world, the bulk of Verizon's profitable business is concentrated in the eastern United States. They previously operated an autonomous region of Suriname called the "Jodensavanne.". However, the real benefit to Verizon is the acquisition of long-haul lines.

A small Jewish community composed of several families, descendants of Sephardim who had earlier fled from Iberia to the Netherlands, also inhabit the country. Media coverage has focused on several ways in which that acquisition, once completed, will benefit Verizon, including economies of scale derived from a potential productivity boost to be achieved via the elimination of thousands of jobs at the combined company, and access to the large base of business customers currently served by MCI. The remainder is formed by Chinese, Europeans, and Brazilian immigrant workers that have arrived in Suriname in recent times. On February 14, 2005, Verizon agreed to acquire MCI, formerly WorldCom, after SBC Communications agreed to acquire AT&T just a few weeks earlier. Amerindians form 3 % of the population (some say as low as 1 %), the main groups being the Akuriyo, Arawak, Carib, Tirío and Wayana. In 2005, Verizon sold off GTE's former telephone operations in Hawaii to The Carlyle Group, This operation is now known as Hawaiian Telcom. Maroons (descendants of escaped African slaves) make up 10 % and are divided into five main groups: Aucans, Kwinti, Matawi, Paramaccans and Saramaccans. In 2002, Verizon sold GTE's former telephone operations in 4 states: Missouri, Arkansas and Alabama operations were sold to CenturyTel, and Kentucky operations were sold to Alltel.

The Creoles, mixed white and black, form about 31 %, while the Javanese ("imported" from the former Dutch East Indies) make up 15 %. Verizon also owns 50% of Gibraltar NYNEX Communications and part of Vodafone Italia. They are descendants of 19th century immigrants from India. (TELPRI). East Indians (known locally as Hindustanis) form the largest group at 37 % of the population. Verizon also serves international customers in the Dominican Republic through Verizon Dominicana, Venezuela through CANTV, and Puerto Rico through Telecomunicaciones de Puerto Rico, Inc. Suriname's population of 438,144 (July 2005 est.) is made up of several distinct ethnic groups. Due to the rigorous climate and high costs, GTE Alaska was sold to Alaska Power and Telephone Company rather than be merged with Verizon.

Main article: Demographics of Suriname. It also provides service to secondary markets (mostly from its acquisition of GTE) in:. Suriname joined Caricom in 1995. The primary states that it provides service to include:. Suriname's economic prospects for the medium term will depend on renewed commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. Verizon serves customers throughout much of the United States. The government sought to cover this deficit through monetary expansion, which led to a dramatic increase in inflation and exchange rate depreciation. As of 2003, it has more than 203,000 employees.

Rampant government expenditures, poor tax collection, a bloated civil service, and reduced foreign aid in 1999 contributed to the fiscal deficit, estimated at 11% of GDP. It also has more than 16 million long distance customers. Economic growth slowed in 1998, with decline in the mining, construction, and utility sectors. Verizon shares were made a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average on April 8, 2004.^[4] Verizon currently has 140.3 million land lines in service. By the end of 1997, the allocation of new Dutch development funds was frozen as Surinamese Government relations with the Netherlands deteriorated. Note this section refers to land lines only, as Verizon Wireless operates nationwide.. Tax revenues fell as old taxes lapsed and the government failed to implement new tax alternatives. Genuity was formerly the Internet division of GTE Corp and spun off in 2000.^[2] Level 3 Communications acquired the bankrupt ISP in 2002 for only $137 million; a bargain-basement price the $616 million that a pre-Bell Atlantic-merger GTE paid for Genuity (then BBN Planet) paid in 1997.^[3].

After assuming power in the fall of 1996, the Wijdenbosch government ended the structural adjustment program of the previous government, claiming it was unfair to the poorer elements of society. Verizon then became the majority owner (55%) of Verizon Wireless. The Surinamese economy is very dependent on other countries, with its main trade partners being the Netherlands, the United States and countries in the Caribbean. GTE's wireless operations became part of Verizon Wireless—creating what was initially the nation's largest wireless company before Cingular Wireless acquired AT&T Wireless in 2004—when the Bell Atlantic–GTE merger closed nearly three months later. About a quarter of the people work in the agricultural sector. This wireless joint venture received regulatory approval in six months, and began operations as Verizon Wireless on April 4, 2000, kicking off the new "Verizon" brand name. Other main export products include sugar, and Suriname has some oil and gold reserves. wireless assets (Bell Atlantic Mobile (which was previously called Bell Atlantic-NYNEX Mobile by 1997), AirTouch Cellular, PrimeCo Personal Communications and AirTouch Paging).

The economy of Suriname is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for more than 15 % of GDP and 70 % of export earnings. Meanwhile, on September 21, 1999, Bell Atlantic and UK-based Vodafone AirTouch Plc (now Vodafone Group Plc) announced that they had agreed to create a new wireless business with a national footprint, a single brand and a common digital technology—composed of Bell Atlantic's and Vodafone's U.S. Main article: Economy of Suriname. Verizon began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under its new "VZ" symbol on Monday, July 3, 2000. In all 12% of the country's land area are national parks. Fractional shares resulting from the exchange of GTE stock into Verizon Communications shares were sold at a price of $55.00 per share. There are many national parks in the country: Galibi National Reserve, Coppename Manding National Park and Wia Wia NR along the coast, Brownsberg NR, Raleighvallen/Voltzeberg NR, Tafelberg NR and Eilerts de Haan NP in the centre and the Sipaliwani NR on the Brazilian border. The merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, to form Verizon Communications, became effective on June 30, 2000, with an exchange ratio of 1.22 shares of Verizon Communications Common Stock for each share of GTE Common Stock owned.

In the upper Coppename River watershed, the Central Suriname Nature Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site cited for its unspoiled rainforest biodiversity. The Bell Atlantic-GTE merger, priced at more than $52 billion at the time of the announcement, closed nearly two years later, following analysis and approvals by Bell Atlantic and GTE shareowners, 27 state regulatory commissions and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and clearance from the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) and various international agencies. It was created in 1964 by the Afobakka dam (Brokopondo project), built to provide hydro power for the bauxite industry (which consumes about 75% of the output) and for domestic consumption. The mergers that formed Verizon were among the largest mergers in United States business history, culminating in a definitive merger agreement, dated July 27, 1998, between Bell Atlantic, based in New York City since the merger with NYNEX in 1996, and GTE, which was in the process of moving its headquarters from Stamford, Connecticut, to Irving, Texas. van Blommestein Meer, one of the largest reservoir lakes in the world. Its former Canadian subsidiaries have combined with the former Alberta Government Telephones (AGT) to create TELUS, the second largest telecommunications carrier in Canada. Located in the northeast portion of the country is the Professor Doctor Engineer W.J. GTE operated in Canada via controlling interest in subsidiary companies such as BC TEL and Quebec Tel.

The year has two wet seasons, from December to early February and from late April to mid-August. GTE provided local telephone service in a large number of areas of the U.S. Lying near the equator, Suriname has a tropical climate, and temperatures do not vary a lot throughout the year. They also owned Automatic Electric, a telephone equipment supplier similar in many ways to Western Electric. Other mountains include Tafelberg (1026 m), Mount Kasikasima (718 m), Goliathberg (358 m) and Voltzberg (240 m). It would later merge with the second largest independent, Continental Telephone (ConTel). Julianatop is the highest mountain in the country at 1286 m above sea level. General Telephone and Electronics (GTE) was the largest of the "independent" telephone companies during the days of the Bell System.

There are two main mountain ranges in Suriname: the Bakhuil Mountains and the Van Asch Van Wijck Mountains. parent company's merger with Verizon, before being dropped in 2002 in favor of Gibtelecom, although it is still used colloquially in Gibraltar. The southern part consists of tropical rainforest and sparsely inhabited savanna along the border with Brazil, covering about 80% of Suriname's land surface. The NYNEX name was retained after the U.S. The northern, lowland coastal area (roughly above the line Albina-Paranam-Wageningen) has been cultivated, and most of the population lives here. In Gibraltar, NYNEX had a 50 per cent stake in a joint venture with the Government of Gibraltar, called Gibraltar NYNEX Communications, also known as GNC or GibNYNEX. Situated on the Guiana Shield, the country can be divided into two main geographic regions. NYNEX also operated cable TV services in some parts of the UK, although these were later sold to Cable & Wireless, which subsequently sold these to NTL.

Suriname is the smallest independent country in South America. NYNEX was created as one of the original Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) in 1984 and it owned New York Telephone and New England Telephone. Main article: Geography of Suriname. NYNEX was consolidated into this name by 1997. Suriname is divided into ten districts:. when it merged, it moved its corporate headquarters from Philadelphia to New York City. Main article: Districts of Suriname. Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia as well as Washington, DC.

Suriname is a full & participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). states of New Jersey, New York. If no candidate achieves such a majority, the president is elected by the People's Assembly, a 869-member institute consisting of the National Assembly and regional representatives. Until its then Chairman and CEO, Raymond Smith orchestrated its merger with NYNEX in 1996, Bell Atlantic operated in the U.S. The National Assembly elects the head of the executive branch, the president, by a two-third majority. Bell Atlantic's original roster of Operating Companies was Bell of Pennsylvania, New Jersey Bell, Diamond State, and Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Companies. These members are elected every five years. The origins of this company began as Bell Atlantic, and was created as one of the original Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) in 1984.

The government's legislative branch is the National Assembly, consisting of 51 members. . Suriname is a democracy based on the 1987 constitution.
. Main article: Politics of Suriname. The name is a portmanteau of the Latin word veritas (meaning truth) and the English word horizon. A military regime led by Dési Bouterse ruled the country in the 1980s, until democracy was re-established in 1988. Prior to its transformation into Verizon, Bell Atlantic had merged with another Regional Bell Operating Company, NYNEX, in 1997.

After becoming an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1954, independence was granted in 1975. Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) is a New York City-based Baby Bell formed when Bell Atlantic, one of the Regional Bell Operating Companies, bought GTE, formerly the largest independent local-exchange telephone company in the United States in 2000. Though Dutch traders had established several colonies in the Guyanas region before around 1600, the Dutch did not gain full control of what is now Suriname until the Treaty of Breda, which marked end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. Wisconsin. Main article: History of Suriname. Washington. . Texas.

The most southern parts of the borders with Guyana and French Guiana are disputed (upper Corantijn and Marowijne rivers—the map shows the Guyana and French Guiana versions of the border). South Carolina. The southern border is shared with Brazil and the northern border is the Atlantic coast. Puerto Rico. The Republic of Suriname, more commonly known as Suriname or Surinam, (formerly known as Netherlands Guiana and Dutch Guiana) is a country in northern South America, in between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west. Oregon. Michiel van Kempen, Een geschiedenis van de Surinaamse literatuur. Breda: De Geus, 2003, (2 vols.). Ohio.

Amsterdam: KIT Publishers, 2003. North Carolina. Laura Samsom Rous and Hans Samsom, Tree of forgetfulness / Boom der vergetelheid / L'arbre de l'oubli / A bon fu frigiti. Nevada. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002. Michigan. ed. Indiana.

2nd. Illinois. Richard Price, First Time: The Historical Vision of an Afro-American People. Idaho. Rosemarijn Hoefte and Peter Meel (eds.), Twentieth-century Suriname: continuities and discontinuities in a new world society. Kingston: Ian Randle/Leiden: KITLV Press, 2001. Florida. Amsterdam: Brasa Publishers, 1999. California.

Roy Tjin and Els Schellekens, The Guide to Suriname. West Virginia. Dew, The trouble in Suriname, 1975-1993. Westport, C.T.: Praeger, 1994. Virginia. Edward M. Vermont. New York: Viking Penguin, 1993. Rhode Island.

Mark Plotkin, Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: an ethnobotanist searches for new medicines in the Amazon rain forest. Pennsylvania. Amsterdam: Voetnoot, 1992. New York. Michel Szulc-Krzyzanowski (photography), Michiel van Kempen (text), Deep rooted words; ten storytellers and writers from Surinam (South America). English translation by Sam Garrett. New Jersey. Chicago, Ill., [etc.] : The University of Chicago Press, 1991. New Hampshire.

Bilby, Two Evenings in Saramaka: Afro-American Tale-telling in the Surinam Rain Forest. Massachusetts. Richard Price and Sally Price; with musical transcriptions by Kenneth M. Maryland. London [etc.]: Pinter, 1987. Maine. Chin and Hans Buddingh, Suriname: Politics, Economics & Society. District of Columbia.

Henk E. Delaware. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1971. northeastern Connecticut. van Yperen. van Lier, Frontier society: a social analysis of the history of Surinam. Translated [from the Dutch] by M.J.L.

R.A.J. London: Deutsch, 1962. Naipaul, The Middle Passage; impressions of five societies: British, French and Dutch, in the West Indies and South America. V.S.

Transportation in Suriname. Military of Suriname. List of cities in Suriname. Foreign relations of Suriname.

Chapter 19 of Voltaire's classic Candide is set in Suriname. The 1962 film The Spiral Road, directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Rock Hudson, was filmed in Suriname (then Dutch Guiana). Music of Suriname. Islam in Suriname.

Hinduism in Suriname. Wanica. Sipaliwini. Saramacca.

Paramaribo. Para. Nickerie. Marowijne.

Coronie. Commewijne. Brokopondo.