Location: 2-6 degrees NB, 54 - 58 degrees WL

Surface: Approx. 164.000 square kilometers

Population: Approximately 480,000 inhabitants

Ethnic groups:  East Indians,  Afro-Suriname (Creoles), Maroons (Bushnegroes), 
Javanese,  Indigenous peoples,
Chinese, Libanese, Jews, Europeans and others.

Religion: 27% Hiduism, 25% Protestant, 23% Roman Catholic,
20% Islam, 5% other.

Capital: Paramaribo (approximately 250.000 inhabitants)

Form of Government: Democratic Republic headed by a
President. Suriname became independent on the 25th of November 1975

Languages:  Dutch is the official language. The lingua franca is Sranan Tongo. Mostly everyone speaks English.  Spanish, Portuguese and other languages are also spoken by some.

Climate: Tropical. High Humidity. Temperature is on average 28 degrees C. Short dry season: from February through April; Long rainy season: from May to Mid August; Long dry season; from Mid August though November; Short rainy season; from December through January.

Currency: Surinamese dollar (SRD)

Time zone:  The time in Suriname is 2 hours later than Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the USA and 3 hours earlier that Greenwhich Mean Time (GMT) in Europe

(source:  "Sustainable Tourism in Suriname",  Suriname Destination Brochure 2004/2005 issued by the Suriname Tourism Foundation)

Interesting sites on Suriname to visit:

Suriname Tourism Foundation

Access Suriname Travel

Danpaati River Lodge

Yellow Pages Caribbean