Pad van Wanica For centuries the
Pad van Wanica (Wanica path) has been the only road that leads Paramaribo to the south. The establishment of the road is unknown, but it is speculated that the original inhabitants formed the path. After the road was established parcels were issued on either side. The oldest part of this road is the northern part, which is closest to Paramaribo. The land issued there date from the early 18th century, with plantation names such as: Hermitage, Zorg en Hoop, Flora, Duisburg, Onverwacht, Goede Verwachting, Ephraimszegen, Nieuw Weergevonden, etc. Around 1790, a new series of land grants were given that ended on the south of the path, starting with
Braamshoop and ending with
Halfhideslust followed by
Klein Nieuwzorg. These new grounds were used almost exclusively as timber grounds.
Kofi Djompo Lelydorp was originally called
Kofi Djompo but was renamed by
Cornelis Lely (the
Dutch governor of Suriname in 1905) and since then it is known as
Lelydorp. Lely was responsible for many large water construction projects in the Netherlands. The original name
Kofi Djompo is said to refer to a
maroon rebel leader called Kofi, who escaped by jumping over a creek. Kofi means "born on Friday" (
Kofi Annan, for example, was born on a Friday). Djompo means "jump". The hamlet started to grow when the
Lawa Railway was constructed, but was mainly dependent on agriculture with
cassave and
asparagus beans as the main crops.
Modern day Lelydorp Lelydorp is considered a big village instead of a city.
Wanica has a population of about 118,000 and an area of about 440 km2. With a population of this size, Wanica is one of Suriname's most populated and most urbanised districts. Lelydorp is the main resort of the district with many shops,
offices, and businesses, but still needs a clear city structure and has many agricultural areas close to the centre and neighbourhoods. Lelydorp is also the most important halfway stopping point between Paramaribo and Zanderij, where the
Johan Adolf Pengel Airport is located. Its population consists of a mixture of
Javanese,
East Indian,
Creoles, and
Europeans. Between 1890 and 1939 many people from
Java settled into the area. Names of roads and streets in Lelydorp, like Sumatraweg, Celebesweg and Tawangsarieweg, are typical original names from
Indonesia. The
Saramacca River divides Lelydorp from
Saramacca. Lelydorp is home to the "Caribbean Centre", a
conference center founded by
Bhai. On 16 July 2010, the Neotropical Butterfly Park opened. On 7 February 2020, the
Regional Hospital Wanica opened in Lelydorp. ==Notable people==