Suriname Facts

Interesting Facts for Kids

Here are some interesting Suriname Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

Suriname images: Suriname River by Marcel Bakker, Paramaribo cathedral by Anton Ivanov and Sloth/all by shutterstock.com

Suriname for Kids

  • Population: about 632,000 people live in Suriname (2022)
  • Capital: Paramaribo with 241,000 inhabitants
  • Name: Republic of Suriname
  • Government: Presidential Republic
  • Official Language: Dutch
  • Literacy: More than 96% of the people can read and write.
  • Religion: mainly Christian (48%) Hindu (23%) and Muslim (13%)
  • Currency: 1 Surinamese dollar = 100 cents (the symbol is Sr$)
  • National Symbols: Fayalobi (national flower), royal palm (national tree), jaguar (national animal)
  • Motto: “Justice, piety and trust”
  • National Day: 25 November (Independence Day)
  • National Anthem: “God zij met ons” (God be with our Suriname)
  • History: The country was first colonised by Spanish and English settlers, then Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. Therefore it is often referred to as Dutch Guyana and as one of the three Guianas with French Guiana (former French colony) and Guyana (former British colony). When slavery from Africa was abolished, the Dutch settlers brought in slaves from Java (Indonesia) and India, mainly to work on the plantations. Suriname today is an independent country as it gained independence from the Netherlands in 1975.