The most interesting facts about Suriname include corrupt officials, an enormous rainforest and some truly bizarre wildlife.
Fast facts
Official name: Republic of Suriname
Capital city: Paramaribo
Population: 646,758
Area: 163,820 sq km
Major languages: Dutch, English, Sranan Tongo, Caribbean Hindustani, Javanese
Major religions: Christianity, Islam
Time zone: UTC-3 (Suriname Time)
Fun facts about Suriname
1. Suriname, located in Northern South America, is bordered by Brazil, French Guiana and Guyana.
2. Suriname was initially inhabited by Native Americans, including the Arawak, the Carib, and the Surinen, the Indigenous people from whom the country’s name descends.
3. In 1498, Christopher Columbus was the first European to sight the coast of Suriname.
4. In 1593, Spanish explorers visited the region and named it Suriname.
5. The British once controlled parts of Suriname, but in 1667, they swapped their share with the Netherlands in exchange for New Amsterdam, which would later become New York City.
6. The country was once known as Dutch Guiana. In 1954, it was given full autonomy, and in 1975, the country finally became entirely independent from Dutch rule.
7. The Surinamese flag was adopted in 1975. In the center is a yellow star that symbolizes the unity of the country, its golden future, and the spirit of sacrifice required to achieve that goal. Behind the star are stripes: green denotes the country’s jungles and agricultural land, white represents justice and freedom, and red embodies the progressive spirit of the young country.
See how Suriname’s flag compares to other South American flags.
8. Desi Bouterse led Suriname through the 1980s as head of a military government. He regained office in 2010 through elections and was then re-elected in 2015.
9. In 2019, Bouterse was convicted by a Surinamese court of executing 15 political opponents in 1982. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
10. Suriname is the smallest independent country in South America. French Guiana is smaller, but it is an overseas department of France.
11. It is also South America’s least densely populated country, with about 4 people per square kilometer.
12. Despite its size, Suriname has a diverse population. Many are descendants of African slaves, Indian and Javanese workers.
13. Around four-fifths (80%) of the country is tropical rainforest.
14. The main export of Suriname is gold. At $2.94 billion, it accounts for 69.1% of the country’s total exports in 2022. Located in northern Suriname, Rosebel is one of South America’s largest open-pit gold mining projects.
15. Bauxite is another important resource in Suriname, used in the manufacture of aluminum metal. Although bauxite mining projects have declined, efforts have been made to attract investors.
16. Suriname has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Jodensavanne Archaeological Site, the Central Suriname Nature Reserve, and the Historic Inner City of Paramaribo.
17. The Central Suriname Nature Reserve, at 16,000 sq km, covers around 11% of Suriname’s land area and is home to over 5,000 plant species and 400 bird species.
18. During a 2013 expedition to Suriname, biologists discovered 60 new species, including six frogs, one snake and 11 fish.
19. Until the mid-19th century, slaves imported from West Africa constituted the majority of the population of Suriname.
20. Slavery was abolished in Suriname in 1863. To supplement the labor force, workers from India and the Indonesian island of Java were recruited to replace former slaves.
21. Suriname is the only country in South America that does not recognize the territorial rights of indigenous communities. However, a recent court decision in June 2024 has halted the development of hundreds of thousands of hectares of the Amazon Rainforest, which marks a potential turning point for its indigenous peoples.
22. The official currency of Suriname is the Surinamese dollar (SRD), and prior to 2004, they used the Suriname guilder.
23. Anthony Nesty is Suriname’s first and only Olympic champion. He won the gold medal in the 100m butterfly event at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, he also won bronze.
24. Piracy remains an issue in the waters off Suriname’s coast, where attacks on fishing boats have occurred in recent years.
25. Suriname is the only country in South America with Dutch as its official language. It makes Dutch the 10th most widely spoken language on the continent.
26. Almost the entire Suriname population can speak Sranan, a Creole language. A Creole language is a language that evolves from a mix of languages.
27. Suriname has continued to engage in territorial disputes over the bordering area with its neighbors, Guyana and French Guiana. The United Nations International Tribunal awarded Suriname one-third of the area of the Caribbean Sea in 2007.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.