deepest_point suriname
Suriname ( / srnæm / , / srnm / or / srnm / , also spelled Surinam ) , officially known as the Republic of Suriname ( Dutch : Republiek Suriname , Dutch pronunciation : ( repyblik syrinam ) ) , is a sovereign state on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America . It is bordered by French Guiana to the east , Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south . At just under 165 , 000 km2 ( 64 , 000 sq mi ) , it is the smallest country in South America . Suriname has a population of approximately 566 , 000 , most of whom live on the country ' s north coast , in and around the capital and largest city , Paramaribo . Originally inhabited by a number of indigenous tribes , Suriname was explored and contested by European powers before coming under Dutch rule in the late 17th century . In 1948 the country gained autonomy and in 1954 it became one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . On 25 November 1975 , the country of Suriname left the Kingdom of the Netherlands to become an independent state , nonetheless maintaining close economic , diplomatic , and cultural ties to its former colonizer . Suriname is considered to be a culturally Caribbean country , and is a member of the Caribbean Community ( CARICOM ) . It is an officially Dutch - speaking country , at the same time , Sranan , an English - based creole language , is the most widely used lingua franca . Suriname is the only territory outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population . The people of Suriname are among the most diverse in the world , spanning a multitude of ethnic , religious , and linguistic groups . South America is a continent located in the western hemisphere , mostly in the southern hemisphere , with a relatively small portion in the northern hemisphere . It is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas , which is the model used in nations that speak Romance languages . The reference to South America instead of other regions ( like Latin America or the Southern Cone ) has increased in the last decades due to changing geopolitical dynamics ( in particular , the rise of Brazil ). Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in both South America and Latin America . As the world ' s fifth - largest country by both area and population , it is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas . Bounded by the ___MASK78___ on the east , Brazil has a coastline of . It borders all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile and covers 47 . 3 % of the continent ' s land area . Its Amazon River basin includes a vast tropical forest , home to diverse wildlife , a variety of ecological systems , and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats . This unique environmental heritage makes Brazil one of 17 megadiverse countries , and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection . Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador ( which literally translates as " Republic of the Equator "), is a representative democratic republic in northwestern South America , bordered by Colombia on the north , Peru on the east and south , and the ___MASK25___ to the west . Ecuador also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific , about west of the mainland . Paramaribo ( nickname : Par  bo ) is the capital and largest city of Suriname , located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District . Paramaribo has a population of roughly 240 , 000 people ( 2012 census ), almost half of Suriname ' s population . The historic inner city of Paramaribo has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002 . France , officially the French Republic , is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . The European , or metropolitan , area of France extends from the ___MASK51___ to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the ___MASK78___ . Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . France spans and had a total population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017 . It is a unitary semi - presidential republic with the capital in Paris , the country ' s largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban centres include Marseille , Lyon , Lille , Nice , Toulouse and Bordeaux . Chile , officially the Republic of Chile , is a South American country occupying a long , narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the ___MASK25___ to the west . It borders Peru to the north , Bolivia to the northeast , Argentina to the east , and the Drake Passage in the far south . Chilean territory includes the Pacific islands of Juan Fernández , Salas y Gómez , Desventuradas , and Easter Island in Oceania . Chile also claims about of Antarctica , although all claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty . Guyana ( pronounced or ), officially the Co - operative Republic of Guyana , is a sovereign state on the northern mainland of South America . It is , however , included in the Caribbean Region due to its strong cultural , historical , and political ties with the Caribbean Community ( CARICOM ). Guyana is bordered by the ___MASK78___ to the north , Brazil to the south and southwest , Suriname to the east and Venezuela to the west . With , Guyana is the fourth - smallest country on mainland South America after Uruguay , Suriname and French Guiana . The Suriname River ( Dutch : " Surinamerivier ") is 480 km long and flows through the country Suriname . Its sources are located in the Guiana Highlands on the border between the Wilhelmina Mountains and the Eilerts de Haan Mountains ( where it is known as the Gran Rio ). The river flows below the reservoir along Brokopondo , Berg en Dal , the migrant communities Klaaskreek and Nieuw - Lombé , Jodensavanne , Carolina , Ornamibo and Domburg , before reaching the capital Paramaribo on the left bank and Meerzorg on the right bank . At Nieuw - Amsterdam it is joined by the Commewijne and immediately thereafter at the sandspit Braamspunt it flows into the ___MASK78___ . French Guiana ( pronounced or ), officially called Guiana , is an overseas department and region of France , located on the north Atlantic coast of South America in the Guyanas . It borders Brazil to the east and south , and Suriname to the west . Its area has a very low population density of only 3 inhabitants per km , with half of its 244 , 118 inhabitants in 2013 living in the metropolitan area of Cayenne , its capital . By land area , it is the second largest region of France and the largest outermost region within the European Union . Southern Cone is a geographic region composed of the southernmost areas of South America , south of and around the Tropic of Capricorn . Traditionally , it covers Argentina , Chile and Uruguay , bounded on the west by the ___MASK25___ , and south to the junction between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans , which is the closest continental area of Antarctica ( 1000 km ). In terms of social and political geography , the Southern Cone comprises Argentina , Chile , Uruguay , Southern Brazil and sometimes Paraguay . The ___MASK78___ is the second largest of the world ' s oceans with a total area of about . It covers approximately 20 percent of the Earth ' s surface and about 29 percent of its water surface area . It separates the " Old World " from the " New World ". Uruguay , officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay , is a country in the southeastern region of South America . It borders Argentina to its west and Brazil to its north and east , with the Río de la Plata ( River of Silver ) to the south and with the ___MASK78___ to the southeast . Uruguay is home to an estimated 3 . 42 million people , of whom 1 . 8 million live in the metropolitan area of its capital and largest city , Montevideo . With an area of approximately , Uruguay is geographically the second - smallest nation in South America , only larger in size than Suriname .