Suriname Overview

Country Profile

The Republic of Suriname is located in northern South America and takes its name from a local tribe. An area of 163,800 square kilometers is home to a population 476,000, most of whom are Hindustani and Creole. Residents are Christian, Hindu or Muslim, and Dutch is the official language, with Suriname and English also spoken The currency is the Suriname shield and Paramaribo is the capital.

Suriname National Flag

The flag of Suriname contains green, white, and red, with a central yellow five-pointed star. Green symbolizes the fertile soil, white symbolizes justice and freedom, and red symbolizes passion and progress. The yellow five-pointed star symbolizes national unity and a bright future.

History Summary

Prior to the Spanish arrival in 1593, Suriname was originally inhabited by American Indians. In 1602, the Dutch began to settle, followed in 1650 by the British. In 1667, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands signed a Treaty acknowledging Dutch ownership of the colony of Suriname, formalized by the Treaty of Vienna in 1815. In 1954, Suriname established an internal self-government, with the Netherlands retaining responsibility for foreign and defense affairs. On November 25, 1975, independence was declared and Suriname became a Republic.

Economy and Culture Overview

Suriname primarily depends on aluminum mining, processing and manufacturing. The country also has reserves of about 580 million tons of bauxite, resulting in one of the world largest reserves. Forests cover 95% of the total land area, making Suriname one of the world’s most covered countries.

Farmland is mainly concentrated in the marshes, with the main crops being rice, sugarcane, cocoa, fruit, tobacco, and oil palm. The coast provides an abundance of fish and shrimp. The main exports are bauxite, aluminum, rice, seafood, and timber.

Luomaweina Black River village

Pu is a former fugitive to show the black forest area of the descendants of black slaves, their stakes in the swamp marked, covered with leaves as the roof above, and painted bright colors. Constitute a large number of huts were of African-style villages, these villages were located in tropical forests.

Suriname Map