Surma

Surma may refer to:

Persons

Surma (woreda)

Surma is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. It is named for the Surma people, whose homeland lies in this woreda. Part of the Bench Maji Zone, Surma is bordered on the south and west by South Sudan, on the northwest by the Gambela Region, on the north by Bero, and on the east by Maji. A portion of the Omo National Park extends into the southern part of this woreda.

Overview

The average elevation in this woreda is 2088 meters above sea level. Rivers include the Kaia River, a tributary of the Akobo, which has its origins in this woreda. High points include Mount Naita (2560 meters) on the Ethiopian-South Sudanese border. According to a 2004 report, Surma had 26 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 5 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. This lack of roads means remote locations are accessible only by air. Moreover, there is no radio communication available in this woreda.As of 2008, about 30% of the total population of Surma has access to drinking water.

Surma (Finnish mythology)

Surma is a character in the Finnish folklore of Kalevala. Surma is a terrible beast, embodies sudden, violent death and guards the gates of the Tuonela to prevent escape. It is often described as being a large dog with a snake-tail and can turn people into stone (with a stare). An often-used Finnish metaphor is surman suuhun "into Surma's mouth", as if the victim was mauled to death by Surma.

Surma also means kill, or specifically a kill and the Finnish verb 'surmata', to kill or to slay, is derived from it.