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Suriname, officially theRepublic of Suriname, is a country in northernSouth America, also considered as part of theCaribbean and theWest Indies. Situatedslightly north of the equator, over 90% of its territory is covered byrainforest,the highest proportion of forest cover in the world.Suriname is bordered by theAtlantic Ocean to the north,French Guiana to the east,Guyana to the west, andBrazil to the south. It isthe smallest country in South America by both population and territory, with around 612,985 inhabitants in 2021 in an area of approximately 163,820 square kilometers (63,251 square miles).0 The capital and largest city isParamaribo, which is home to roughly half the population.

Suriname was inhabited as early as the fourth millennium BC by variousindigenous peoples, including theArawaks,Caribs, andWayana. Europeans arrived and contested the area in the 16th century, with theDutch controlling much of the country's current territory by the late 17th century. UnderDutch rule, Suriname was a lucrativeplantation colony focused mostly onsugar; its economy was driven byAfrican slave labour until the abolition of slavery in 1863. Approximately 300,000 enslaved Africans were taken to Suriname during the transatlantic slave trade, from the mid-1600s to the early 1800s. After 1863,indentured servants were recruited mostly fromBritish India and theDutch East Indies. In 1954, Suriname became aconstituent country of theKingdom of the Netherlands. On 25 November 1975, it becameindependent following negotiations with the Dutch government. Suriname continues to maintain close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with the Netherlands.

Surinamese culture and society strongly reflect the legacy of Dutch colonial rule. It is the only independent state outside Europe whereDutch is the official and prevailing language of government, business, media, and education; an estimated 60% of the population speaks Dutch as a native language.Sranan Tongo, an English-basedcreole language, is a widely usedlingua franca. Most Surinamese are descendants of slaves brought fromAfrica by Europeans, and indentured labourers brought fromAsia by the Dutch. Suriname is highly diverse, with no ethnic group forming a majority; proportionally, its Muslim and Hindu populations are some of the largest in the Americas. Most people live along the northern coast, centred on Paramaribo, making Surinameone of the least densely populated countries on Earth.

It is adeveloping country with ahigh level of human development; itseconomy is heavily dependent on its abundantnatural resources, namelybauxite,gold,petroleum, andagricultural products. Suriname is a member of theCaribbean Community (CARICOM), theUnited Nations, theOrganisation of Islamic Cooperation and theOrganization of American States. (Full article...)

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• WikiProject South America

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