Last updated on March 19th, 2020
31. The country has a very little amount of arable land, under 1% of the total land area. And only half of this land is under cultivation.
32. Rice is the staple food of Suriname and it is also one of the constituents of its national dish – chicken with rice.
33. Rice is also planted in almost half of its cultivated land. And the country takes two rice harvests every year.
34. Owing to the 90% of the country being under forests, there is plenty of timber resources.
35. Suriname also has plenty of deposits of precious metals including Gold.
Map of Suriname
36. Rivers and canals are an important mode of transport in the country as the roads are not much developed.
37. Suriname is divided into districts and sub-districts for the ease of government and control.
38. The education system in the country is based on that of the Netherlands and Dutch is the preferred language of instruction in the schools. Education is compulsory for children up to age 12.
39. Football, basketball, and volleyball are the country’s most popular sports. Unfortunately, Suriname does not have any official sports team associated with any of these sports.
40. Fishing and hunting are quite popular in Suriname.
41. “De Ware Tijd” and “De West” are two major independent newspapers that are printed in Dutch.
42. In 1863, African slavery was abolished in Suriname and the country started importing workers from India and Java (an island of Indonesia).
43. The northern coastal strip of the country is densely populated as compared to the rest of the country.
44. The Brokopondo Reservoir, officially named Professor Doctor Ingenieur W. J. van Blommestein Meer, and also called the Brokopondostuwmeer, is a large reservoir in Suriname. It is one of the largest reservoirs in the world, flooding nearly one percent of the country.
45. Water lilies, hibiscus, orchids, bougainvillea, and oleanders are some of the most abundant varieties of flowers that grow in the country.
Suriname – country at a glance
| Independence | 25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands) |
|---|---|
| Capital City | Paramaribo (5°50′N 55°10′W) |
| Largest City | Paramaribo (5°50′N 55°10′W) |
| Area | total: 163,820 sq km land: 156,000 sq km water: 7,820 sq km |
| Population | 632,638 (2022 est.) |
| Demonym | Surinamese |
| Government type | presidential republic |
| President | Chan Santokhi |
| Vice President | Ronnie Brunswijk |
| Official Language | Dutch |
| National Anthem | "God zij met ons Suriname!" (God Be With Our Suriname) |
| Religion | 48.4% Christian 22.3% Hindu 13.9% Muslim 1.8% Winti 0.8% Kebatinan 2.1% other 7.5% none 3.2% not stated |
| Borders | Guyana, French Guiana and Brazil |
| Currency | Surinamese dollar (SRD) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Literacy | 94.4 % |
| Life expectancy at birth | 72.42 Years (2022 est.) |
| Industries | bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing |
| Exports | $2.29 billion (2019 est.) gold, lumber, refined petroleum, fish, cigarettes (2019) |
| Imports | $2.41 billion (2019 est.) refined petroleum, delivery trucks, excavation machinery, cars, construction vehicles (2019) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $16,100 (2020 est.) |
| Birth rate | 15.38 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Death rate | 6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Sex ratio | 0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
| National symbol(s) | royal palm, faya lobi (flower) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 25 November (1975) |
| National colors | green, white, red, yellow |
| Terrain | mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps |
| Mean elevation | 246 m |
| Lowest point | unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m |
| Highest point | Juliana Top 1,230 m |
| Climate | tropical; moderated by trade winds |
| Agricultural land | 0.5% |
| Natural resources | timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore |
| Time Zone | SRT (UTC-3) |
| Internet country code | .sr |
| Calling Code | +597 |
| Drives on the | Left |
| Table last updated | August 01, 2022 |
References:
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Suriname
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suriname
- http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Suriname.html