Suriname Facts, Suriname Flag -- National Geographic

Fast Facts

Population:: 447,000
Capital:: Paramaribo; 253,000
Area:: 163,265 square kilometers (63,037 square miles)
Language:: Dutch, English, Sranang Tongo (Taki-Taki), Hindustani, Javanese
Religion:: Hindu, Protestant (Moravian), Roman Catholic, Muslim
Currency:: Surinamese dollar
Life Expectancy:: 70
GDP per Capita:: U.S. $3,400
Literacy Percent:: 93

Along the north coast of South America, Suriname is a small, but ethnically diverse, country. Most people are descendants of African slaves and Indian or Indonesian servants brought over by the Dutch to work in agriculture. Suriname, formerly known as Dutch Guiana, gained independence in 1975. Most Surinamers live in the narrow, northern coastal plain. Access to the interior rain forest and forest people is limited. Bauxite mining and alumina exports dominate trade; inexpensive power from the hydroelectric plant at Afobaka helps the economy. Boundary disputes with Guyana and French Guiana persist.

ECONOMY

Industry: Bauxite and gold mining, alumina production, oil, lumbering, food processing
Agriculture: Paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels; beef; forest products; shrimp
Exports: Alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice

—Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

Related Features

Path of the Jaguar

If forward-looking conservationists prevail, this wanderer of Central America will live on.
Latin America From Above

A condor's-eye view reveals a colorful mosaic of volcanoes, tile roofs, and flamingos.
50 Top Ecolodges: Jungles

Stay in comfort where the wild things are.