Suriname Guide and Resources

Location
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana

Size Comparison To U.S-located Area
slightly larger than Georgia

Geographic Coordinates
4 00 N, 56 00 W

Capital
Paramaribo

Nationality
Surinamer(s)

Currency
Surinamese guilder (SRG)

Languages Spoken
Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Population
436,494 (July 2002 est.)

Total Population Ratio Based On Gender
1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Migrant Ratio
-8.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic Groups
Hindustani 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%

Religion Demographics
Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5%

Geographic Areas
Total :: 163,270 sq km
Land :: 161,470 sq km
Water :: 1,800 sq km
Coastline :: 386 km

Bordered By
Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana

Argentina Climate
tropical; moderated by trade winds

Terrain
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Natural Resources
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

Natural Hazards
N/A

Brief Geography Notes
smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast

Government
constitutional democracy

Administrative Districts
10 districts