Suriname

**Suriname** or **Surinam** is a country in South America. The official name of the country is **Republiek Suriname** (this is Dutch and translates to _Republic of Suriname_). It used to be known as _Nederlands Guyana_, _Netherlands Guiana_ or _Dutch Guiana_. It is between Guyana and French Guiana. Paramaribo is the capital city, in which resides almost half of the country's population. About half a million people live in the country. Suriname became independent from the Netherlands in 1975. Before that, it was a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

There are border disputes with French Guiana and Guyana all to the south of the country.

The industry of the country is centered on the mining and processing of bauxite. This makes up 15 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and more than 70% of the exports. Other exports are sugar, oil and gold. About 25% of the working people are employed in agriculture. The main trade partners are the Netherlands, the United States and countries in the Caribbean.

Dutch, French, Spanish and English explorers discovered the area in the early 16th century. A century later, sugar plantation colonies were established by the Dutch and English along the many rivers in the fertile Guyana plains. After the second Anglo-Dutch War England traded any claims to the territory for New Amsterdam which became New York.

In Suriname, people need to go to school until they are twelve years old, and most of them do. Literacy is very common, most people who are illiterate are women.

## Related pages

- List of rivers of Suriname
- List of Surinamese people
- Suriname at the Olympics
- Suriname national football team

## Infobox (country)

- **native name**:

- **conventional long name**: Republic of Suriname
- **common name**: Suriname
- **image flag**: Flag of Suriname.svg
- **image coat**: Coat of arms of Suriname.svg
- **national motto**: _Justitia - Pietas - Fides_ damae - tentrem <small>
"Justice - Duty - Loyalty"</small>
- **image map**: SURINAME orthographic.svg
- **national anthem**: _God zij met ons Suriname_ Gusti nunggil karo Suriname kita<small>
_('God be with our Suriname')_</small>
- **official languages**: Dutch language, Dutch, English, Sranan Tongo
- **regional languages**: Akurio, Arawak-Lokono, Carib-Kari'nja, Sikiana-Kashuyana, Tiro-Tiriyó, Waiwai, Warao, Wayana
- **languages**: Sarnami Hindustani, Ndyuka, Saramaccan, Matawai, Aluku, Paramaccan, Kwinti, Javanese, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Spanish
- **demonym**: Surinamese
- **capital**: Paramaribo
- **latd**: 5
- **latm**: 50
- **latns**: N
- **longd**: 55
- **longm**: 10
- **longew**: W
- **government type**: Constitutional democracy
- **leader title1**: President of Suriname, President
- **leader name1**: Jennifer Geerlings-Simons
- **leader title2**: Vice President of Suriname, Vice-President
- **leader name2**: Gregory Rusland
- **largest city**: Paramaribo
- **area km2**: 163,821
- **area sq mi**: 63,251
- **area rank**: 91st
- **area magnitude**: 1 E11
- **percent water**: 1.1
- **population estimate**: 558,368
- **population estimate year**: 2016
- **population estimate rank**: 166th
- **population census**: 492,829
- **population census year**: 2004
- **population density km2**: 2.9
- **population density sq mi**: 7.6
- **population density rank**: 231st
- **gdp ppp year**: 2009
- **gdp ppp**: $4.510 billion
- **gdp ppp per capita**: $8,642
- **gdp nominal**: $2.962 billion
- **gdp nominal year**: 2009
- **gdp nominal per capita**: $5,675
- **hdi year**: 2012
- **hdi**: 0.716
- **hdi change**: increase
- **hdi rank**: 76th
- **hdi category**: <span style="color:green;">high</span>
- **sovereignty type**: Independence
- **established event1**: from  Netherlands
- **established date1**: 25 November 1975
- **currency**: Surinamese dollar
- **currency code**: SRD
- **time zone**: ART
- **utc offset**: -3
- **time zone dst**: _not observed_
- **utc offset dst**: -3
- **drives on**: Suriname#Transport, left
- **cctld**: .sr
- **calling code**: 597