Suriname, formerly a colony of the Netherlands called Dutch Guiana, is a country in Northern South America. It has an Atlantic Ocean coastline in the north and is surrounded by French Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south and Guyana to the west. It is the smallest independent country on the South American continent. The relatively small population lives mostly along the coast.

 

Quick Facts

Capital	Paramaribo
Government	Constitutional democracy
Currency	Surinamese Dollar (SRD)
Area	Total: 163,270 km2  Land: 161,470 km2  Water: 1,800 km2
Population	436,494 (July 2002 est.)
Language	Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is the native language of Creoles and  much of the younger population), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Religion	Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Indigenous beliefs 5%
Electricity	110-127V/60HZ (Europe & USA plug)
Calling Code	+597
Internet TLD	.sr
Time Zone	UTC -3 (Coordinated Universal Time)

 

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Major Cities

1. * Paramaribo - Capital
2. * Albina
3. * Moengo
4. * Nieuw Nickerie
5. * Paranam
6. * Wageningen

“If you like a little spice, Parbo might be the slice to entice.”

“Paramaribo, the most vivacious and striking capital in the Guianas. Black-and-white colonial Dutch buildings line grassy squares and spices waft from roti shops, mingling with exhaust fumes, while Maroon artists sell colorful paintings by somber Dutch forts.
The locals in Parbo are justifiably proud of their multi-ethnicity - they live in a city where mosques and synagogues play happy neighbors. In 2002 the historical inner city was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Elsewhere, towering palms offer welcome shade and mangroves hug the riverside.”

Getting Here

• From Amsterdam you can get the almost daily Surinam airways or KLM flight. You will arrive at The Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, which was formerly called Zanderij International Airport. It is located 45 Kilometres south of Paramaribo. From there you can take the taxi or bus into town. A taxi (if private one) will cost around 80SRD-90SRD. However, prices will vary between drivers. Make sure to arrange and set a price with the driver BEFORE going anywhere. For flight connections from the United States, the Caribbean, and South America, there are weekly flights to and from Trinidad, Curacao, Aruba, Guyana, Brazil (Belem) and French Guyana (Cayenne)
  
  Suriname uses SRD as currency, which officially is 3.35 SRD’s for 1 US dollar. One can exchange currency at all banks as well as most cambio's. Automatic teller machines (ATM) are also available in Suriname. The ATM's of the RBTT bank accept most international bank cards. Retail prices for clothing, gifts, etc. are similar to most of United States of America.