Surama
| Surama | |
|---|---|
| Amerindian village | |
 Surama
|
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| Coordinates: 4°8′13″N 59°4′6″W / 4.13694°N 59.06833°WCoordinates: 4°8′13″N 59°4′6″W / 4.13694°N 59.06833°W | |
| Country | Guyana |
| Region | Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region 9) |
| Founded | 1970s |
| Founded by | Fred and Theo Allicock |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.95 km2 (5.00 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 500 |
| • Density | 39/km2 (100/sq mi) |
Surama is an Amerindian village in the North Rupununi area and the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region (or Region 9) of Guyana, with a population of approximately 304 people. The village is primarily inhabited by Makushi people.
The area of land in which Surama is located has been inhabited sporadically for many years. An established cattle-trail ran through the area in the early twentieth century, and Surama was an important stopping-point on that trail. As the cattle-trail dwindled, however, so did the number of inhabitants in the area, and by the 1970s Surama was completely deserted. The modern village of Surama was founded in the 1970s by two brothers, Fred and Theo Allicock.
Following the construction of the Linden-Lethem road in the mid to late 1970s, Surama and surrounding areas became more accessible to the general public. In 1996, Surama received its first tourists, and the money they gave the community to pay for their stay funded the construction of Surama's first guest-lodge. Since that time the village has become a leader in community-based, eco-tourism in Guyana. In 2011, Surama Eco-Lodge was listed by the National Geographic as one of the "best hotels in Colombia, Guyana and Venezuela"; and in the same year it was the joint winner of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Award, along with Harrison's Cave in Barbados.
Surama village extends across 12.95 squared kilometres (5 square miles) of land, and is located in a valley on the border of the Guyanese rainforest and the North Rupununi savannahs. It is bounded by Iwokrama Forest protected area, the Burro-Burro River, and the Pacaraima Mountains. Surama Mountain lies to the East of the village.
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