Suriname is a small country on the northeastern coast of South America. It's defined by vast swaths of tropical rainforest, Dutch colonial architecture and a melting-pot culture. On its Atlantic coast is the capital, Paramaribo, where palm gardens grow near Fort Zeelandia, a 17th-century trading post. Paramaribo is also home to Saint Peter and Paul Basilica, a towering wood cathedral consecrated in 1885.
Languages: Dutch (official), English, Sranang Tongo, Hindi, Javanese
Ethnic Groups: industani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%
Belief Systems: Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
Population: 543497 people (World Rank: 172nd) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 9.02 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 234th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 0.881 %/yr (World Rank: 138th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 71 years (World Rank: 145th) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 27.5 years (World Rank: 93rd) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Suriname
in Washington D.C.
Surinamese Government Web Sites
Directory of government Web sites and other links
by Gunnar Anzinger.
Travel Info for Suriname