The city is located on the Suriname River, approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) inland from the Atlantic Ocean, in the Paramaribo district.

• Evolution of Paramaribo
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  Paramaribo around 1737.
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  Paramaribo in 1821. Indicated in brown is the area devastated by the city fire of that year.
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  Paramaribo around 1876.
• 
  Paramaribo around 1916-1917

The name Paramaribo is probably a corruption of the name of an Indian village, Parmirbo. This was the location of the first Dutch settlement, a trading post established by Nicolaes Baliestel and Dirck Claeszoon van Sanen in 1613. English and French traders also tried to establish settlements in Suriname, including a French post established in 1644 near present-day Paramaribo.

When someday comes you'll need to get in.

When someday comes you'll need to be able to get around.