SURINAME
Suriname is a country located in the northern part of South America and it borders in the east with French Guyana, in the west with Guyana, while its southern border is shared with Brazil. Geographically Suriname is exactly located between 2 and 6 degrees latitude and 53 to 58 degrees longitude. Suriname covers 163.820 sq. kilometers with Paramaribo as its capital. The temperature fluctuates from 21˚ to 35˚C and the country is located outside the hurricane zone.
Suriname has a multiracial population with a diversity of cultural expressions. The number of inhabitants is 541,638 (Census 2012) of which approximately 250.000 live in Paramaribo.
The original inhabitants are the Amerindians. The ethnic variety finds its origin in the colonial period, in which the Negroes were imported from Africa as slaves, the Hindustanis, Javanese and Chinese as indentured laborers, while Lebanese, Jews and Europeans settled down as well. Because of integration between the various ethnic groups of the population, various types developed, the so-called ‘melting pot’.
In addition to the official language which is Dutch, Surinamese or Sranan Tongo is spoken as well. Sarnami-hindi, Javanese and Chinese are spoken in the ethnic groups as are the various languages of the Amerindians and the Maroons (descendants of slaves who fled and settled in the interior of the country). Besides these languages, the Surinamese get on quite well with the English language.
Currency: 1 Suriname dollar (SRD) equals 100 cents. The official exchange rate is available on the website of the Centrale Bank van Suriname.
Photos by Lucius Wouden
Design - All Rights Reserved