Suriname was inhabited by Native American Arawak and then Carib tribes. Columbus was the first European to discover the coastland in 1498 and Spain claimed the area in 1593. However, the first settlers were the Dutch in 1616. In 1667 Suriname became a Dutch colony called Dutch Guiana.
In 1975 the colony became the independent nation of Suriname. The country has experienced a number of military coups since then.
General Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Geographical Low Point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
Geographical High Point: Juliana Top 1,230 m
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
Major cities: PARAMARIBO (capital) 259,000 (2009)
The People of Suriname
Type of Government: constitutional democracy
Languages Spoken: Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Independence: 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)
National Holiday: Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Nationality: Surinamer(s)
Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
National Symbol:
National Anthem or Song: God zij met ons Suriname! (God Be With Our Suriname)
Economy of Suriname
Major Industries: bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing
