About Suriname


What is Suriname?
It’s a democratic republic and former colony of The Netherlands. Suriname is part of a topographic area known as the Guiana Shield. The majority of the country is lush tropical rainforest and the earth is rich in bauxite, gold and even diamond deposits.

 


Where is Suriname?
If you’re a geographer, it’s situated between 2 and 6 degrees latitude north, and between 54 and 58 degrees longitude west. For the rest of you, it’s just north of Brazil in South America sandwiched between Guyana and French Guiana. Try and find it on a map. Most people in England have never heard of it! To help you find Suriname click on this Google Maps link.

 


Who lives there?
The population is made up of five main ethnic groups: 35% originate from India, 32% from Africa and 15% from Indonesia. The remainder is made up of Maroons (the descendants of runaway slaves who live in the jungle), Amerindians, Chinese, Dutch and Brazilians.

 

 

What do language do they speak?
Dutch is the official language. It is the language of the government, the media and is taught in all schools. However, it is largely confined to the capital city, Paramaribo. The unofficial main language is Sranan Tongo, a mix of broken English, Dutch and various African languages which is spoken almost everywhere, including deep in the country’s rainforest. Thanks to the proximity of Guyana, a former British colony, most people speak and understand standard English.

 


What are the main religions?
Around 27% of the population is Hindu, 25% protestant, 23% Roman Catholic and 20% Muslim. There is a very small Jewish community. In a lovely example of the racial and religious harmony that exists in Suriname, one of the city’s biggest mosques lies right next to its synagogue.

 


What is Suriname's history?
Before South America began to be colonized by Europeans in the 16th Century, the continents’ northern coast was inhabited solely by native Carib Amerindians. The Spanish arrived first but found only mangrove swamps. It was not until the Dutch explored further south and began to settle the land in 1615 that the first sugar and cocoa plantations were established and trading with Amerindian tribes began.

Slaves from west Africa were brought in to work the plantations after imported diseases wiped out most of the Amerindian population. Those African slaves that escaped their captors fled to the interior where, known as Maroons, they still live today. After the abolition of slavery in the early 19th century, workers from India and Indonesia were brought to Suriname in large numbers.

Suriname remained under varying forms of Dutch control until it was granted full independence in 1975. Today, Suriname is arguably among of the safest countries in South America. Largely undisturbed by racial or ethnic tension it is a dizzying melting pot of cultures that produce a wonderfully varied blend of cooking, clothing, music and lifestyles.