Brokopondo

Brokopondo is the capital town of the Brokopondo District, Suriname.^[2] It is located on the west shore of the Suriname river, just north of the Afobaka dam, 105 kilometers (65 miles) south-east of Suriname capital city of Paramaribo. Brokopondo can be reached via the Avobakaweg from Paranam to Afobaka.^[1]

Brokopondo
District capital
Brokopondo Location in Suriname
Coordinates: 5°4′N 54°58′W
Country	Suriname
District	Brokopondo District
Resort	Centrum
Elevation	72 m (236 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	est. 2,480

Nearby is a granite monument made by sculptor Jo Rens, displaying two men: one standing with a parrot and one sitting and writing. It is meant to symbolize the past and the future. There is also a large beach next to the Suriname river near the city centre.^[3] Demographically, the largest ethnic group of Brokopondo are the Maroons.^[4]

The Brokopondo Development Plan has designated the town of Brokopondo as one of the two major centres in the region - the other being Brownsweg - with a focus on tourism.^[1] There is a large beach next to the Suriname river near the city centre called Anani Beach.^[5] Additional developments will be a proper city centre, a bus station, a large hotel with at least 200 beds, and a centre for cultural studies.^[1]

Brokopondo is home to a Medische Zending healthcare centre,^[6] hotel, school, and police station.^[3] In 2014, multi functional centre was opened.^[7] On 10 January 2020, a waste incinerator was installed.^[8]

A growing concern is the activity of gold prospectors who not only poison the rivers with mercury, but are digging away the edge of the town.^[9]