Surinam, formerly known as Dutch Guiana. Do you know
Suriname is a South American country borders Atlantic Ocean, French Guiana, Brazil and Guyana.
It is the smallest and least populous country in South America.
Capital and the largest city is Paramaribo, nearly half of Suriname’s people live here. The inner city of Paramaribo is a World Heritage Site
Official languages is Dutch.
Suriname’s flag
Suriname’s Code of arms
Geography
Suriname is divided into two main geographic regions; North and South. The northern part covers 20% of the land consists of lower land and coastal plain home to most Surinamese and farms. The southern part covers the remaining 80% of the land consists of tropical rainforest and sparsely populated savanna along the Brazil border.
Suriname is involved in territorial disputes with Guyana over the New River Triangle and Courantyne River area. In 2007, a United Nations international tribunal settled maritime boundary dispute and awarded third of a disputed area
Surinam also contest the area with French Guiana for region between the Itany and Marouini rivers.
The two main mountain ranges are the Bakhuys Mountains and the Van Asch Van Wijck Mountains. Julianatop is the highest mountain in the country at 1,286 metres.
Longest river is Courantyne River (724 km) along the Guyana border, Largest river within the country is .
Largest lake is Brokopondo Reservoir (With a surface area of approximately 1,560 km2) it is one of the largest reservoirs in the world, covering nearly one percent Suriname land. It was created in the process of building Afobaka Dam across the Suriname River to produce electricity for bauxite processing.
Suriname contains six ecoregions: Guayanan Highlands moist forests, Guianan moist forests, Paramaribo swamp forests, Tepuis, Guianan savanna, and Guianan mangroves. Forest covers over 90% of Suriname, the highest of any nation in the world. Biodiversity of Suriname is exceptional. In 2013, 16 international scientists researching the ecosystems for three-week in Upper Palumeu River and catalogued almost 1400 species and found 60 new specie including six frogs, one snake, and 11 fish.
History
Native people have been living in Suriname for millennia.
Christopher Columbus was the first European to spot the coast in 1498.
A Spanish expedition led by Amerigo Vespucci sailed along the coast of Suriname in 1499, and the Spanish explorer Vicente Yáñez Pinzón visited the region in 1500.
Suriname remained under Dutch rule until its independence in 1975, except for the two occasions (years 1799-1802 and 1804-15), it was under British rule
People
Despite The Small Size, Suriname is extremely diverse in terms of ethnicity and religion. About 27% of the population is Indian docents, 22% is Maroons, 16% is Creole, 14% is Javanese, 14% is multiracial, 4% Amerindians, 2% is Chinese and 1% European
Suriname is a land of many faiths, most of the Surinamese are Christians (52%), Hindus account for 19%, Muslims are about 14%, 6% follow folk religions, 6% are not religious and the final 3% belong other religions. You can easily find mosques, temples, and churches in close proximity across the country. Suriname is a symbol of religious tolerance
This diversity contributes to surimane’s rich culture and numerous celebrations and festivals year round. The Surinamese celebrate Holi, Christmas, Javanese Arrival Day, Indian Arrival Day, Day of the Maroons, Diwali, Eid ul-Fitr, Good Friday, and many more festivals and ceremonies.
Dutch is the official language and is the language used in education, government, business, and the media. Over 60% of the population are native Dutch speakers and around 20%-30% speak it as a second language. At least 14 other local languages are in use as well.
The major sports in Suriname are football, basketball, and volleyball. Many Surinamese football players play for the Dutch national team. Cricket is popular to some extent.
Rivers and canals are an important mode of transport, as the roads are not much developed. There are no road connection between it ‘s neighbors either.
Surinamese people are content and love to live in peace.
Economy
Suriname’s economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of oil, gold and bauxite accounting for approximately 85% of exports.
Suriname GDP based on purchasing power parity is around 9 billion and ranked 164th in the world and 29th out of 32 in the Americas
Less than 1 percent of the land is arable, and about half of this is cultivated. Agriculture exports are rice, bananas, citrus fruits, coconuts, and palm oil. Sugar, coffee, and cocoa are grown for domestic use only.
Suriname also has small forestry and fishing industry.
Manufacturing sector include bauxite processing, smelter and an alumina refinery as well as wood processing. Small scale manufacturing include foods, clothing, cigarettes, and construction material for the domestic use.