Suriname

presidential republic

The Spaniards first explored Suriname in the 16th century, and the English then settled it in the mid-17th century. Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of African slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java.

Profile

CapitalParamaribo

Population654K

GDP$12.3B

Area163,820 km²

LanguageDutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is the native language of Creoles and much of the younger population), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

CurrencySurinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar -