Claim: Suriname left the Kingdom of Netherlands in 1975.

Suriname -LRB- -LSB- ˈsʊrᵻnæm -RSB- , -LSB- - nɑːm -RSB- or -LSB- - nəm -RSB- , also spelled Surinam -RRB- , officially known as the Republic of Suriname -LRB- Republiek Suriname -LSB- ˌreːpyˈblik ˌsyːriˈnaːmə -RSB- -RRB- , is a sovereign state on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America . It is bordered by French Guiana to the east , Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south . At just under 165000 km2 , it is the smallest country in South America . Suriname has a population of approximately 566,000 , most of whom live on the country 's north coast , in and around the capital and largest city , Paramaribo .   Long inhabited by numerous cultures of indigenous tribes , Suriname was explored and contested by European powers before coming under Dutch rule in the late 17th century . In 1954 , the country became one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . On 25 November 1975 , the country of Suriname left the Kingdom of the Netherlands to become an independent state , nonetheless maintaining close economic , diplomatic , and cultural ties to its former colonizer . Its indigenous peoples have been increasingly active in claiming land rights and working to preserve their traditional lands and habitats .   Suriname is considered to be a culturally Caribbean country , and is a member of the Caribbean Community -LRB- CARICOM -RRB- . While Dutch is the official language of government , business , media , and education , Sranan , an English-based creole language , is a widely used lingua franca . Suriname is the only territory outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population . The people of Suriname are among the most diverse in the world , spanning a multitude of ethnic , religious , and linguistic groups .