Surinam

Interesting Facts About Surinam

• Suriname is the smallest country in South America by both population and territory, covering approximately 165,940 square kilometres.
• Over 90% of Suriname's territory is covered by rainforest, the second-highest proportion of forest cover in the world.
• The capital, Paramaribo, is home to roughly half of Suriname's population and its population is greater than the next nine largest cities combined.
• Suriname's population is characterized by exceptional diversity, with no single demographic group forming a majority—a legacy of centuries of Dutch rule and successive waves of migration.
• The ethnic groups originating from Asia collectively make up about 43% of the population, with Indo-Surinamese being the largest at over a quarter of the population.
• Surinamese Maroons, descendants of runaway slaves who fled to the interior, comprise 21.7% of the population and are divided into six distinct tribes: Ndyuka, Saramaccans, Paramaccans, Kwinti, Aluku, and Matawai.
• About 90% of Suriname's population lives in Paramaribo or on the coast, with most municipalities located within the capital's metropolitan area or along the densely populated coastline.

View Paramaribo guide