Nieuw-Koffiekamp is a village in the resort of Brownsweg in the Brokopondo District of Suriname. It is a transmigration village built for the inhabitants of Koffiekamp which was flooded by the Brokopondo Reservoir after the construction of the Afobaka Dam.[3]
Nieuw-Koffiekamp | |
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Village | |
Nieuw-Koffiekamp | |
Coordinates: 5°4′31″N 55°12′44″W | |
Country | Suriname |
District | Brokopondo District |
Resort | Brownsweg |
Government | |
• Captain | Hermanus Shalwijk (2019)[1] |
Population | |
• Total | 300 |
Time zone | UTC-3 (AST) |
The transmigration village of Nieuw-Koffiekamp was founded in 1964, because the village of Koffiekamp was going to be flooded by the Brokopondo Reservoir. Koffiekamp was a federation of three settlements of the Ndyuka maroons: Maipa-ondo of the Misidjan lo (clan) founded in 1793, Baka Mbuju of the Njanfai lo, and Maria Hartmann founded Koffiekamp in 1851 as a mission of the Moravian Church.[4] The population was estimated at 500 inhabitants.[5]
Nieuw-Koffiekamp contains a school and a medical centre. It has access to the electricity grid.[6] The village is connected to the road network.[2]: 21 The number of inhabitants of the village varies greatly. The official figure in 2017 was 300, however the village council estimated the population at around 500.[2]: 20
The economy is mainly based on gold mining. Most of the villagers used to work at the Roma Pit. In 1994 the concession was awarded to Iamgold.[7] In mid-2010, the company started to exploit the mine and removed the goldprospectors from the mine. The people were given a new area which contained significantly less gold.[8] After protests, a contract was signed with Iamgold in 2017 which permitted the villagers to remain in the Roma Pit.[9][7]
Resorts and places in Brokopondo District, Suriname | |
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Brownsweg | |
Centrum |
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Klaaskreek |
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Kwakoegron | |
Marshallkreek | |
Sarakreek | |
Italic denotes the capital *Abandonned settlement |