Data at glance of Suriname - average on period

History

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. The Netherlands granted the colony independence in 1975. Five years later, the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared Suriname a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government -- a four-party coalition -- returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until 2010, when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power. President BOUTERSE ran unopposed in 2015 and was reelected. Opposition parties campaigned hard against BOUTERSE in the run-up to the 2020 elections, and a multi-party coalition led by Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI’s VHP and Ronnie Brunswijk’s ABOP was installed. 

Environment

Area: 163,820 sq km km2

Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds

Natural resources: timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

Ethnic characteristics

Groups: Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 27.4%, Maroon (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 21.7%, Creole (mixed White and Black) 15.7%, Javanese 13.7%, mixed 13.4%, other 7.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2012 est.)

Languages: Dutch (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

Religions: Protestant 23.6% (includes Evangelical 11.2%, Moravian 11.2%, Reformed 0.7%, Lutheran 0.5%), Hindu 22.3%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Muslim 13.8%, other Christian 3.2%, Winti 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 3.2% (2012 est.)

Government

Capital: Paramaribo

Government type: presidential republic

Executive branch

Chief of state: President Jennifer GEERLINGS-SIMONS (since 16 July 2025)

Head of government: President Jennifer GEERLINGS-SIMONS (since 16 July 2025)

Legislative branch

Description: National Assembly (Nationale Assemblee) - unicameral

Industries

gold mining, oil, lumber, food processing, fishing

GDP by sector: Agriculture: 7.5% (2023 est.), Industry: 39.9% (2023 est.), Services: 48.3% (2023 est.)

Trade

Export partners: Switzerland 49%, UAE 28%, Guyana 5%, USA 4%, France 3% (2023)

Export commodities: gold, fish, refined petroleum, wood, tobacco (2023)

Import partners: USA 22%, China 12%, Netherlands 11%, Trinidad & Tobago 9%, Guyana 8% (2023)

Import commodities: refined petroleum, ships, excavation machinery, trucks, tobacco (2023)

Geography

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana

Defence

Military expenditure: 2019: 1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)