NATIONAL ANTHEM

God zij met ons Suriname or Opokondreman is the national anthem of Suriname. It has 2 verses: the first in Dutch and the second in SrananTongo.

Dutch: God zij met ons Suriname Hijverheff'onsheerlijk land Hoe wijhierooksamenkwamen Aanzijngrondzijnwijverpand Werkendhoudenw'ingedachten Recht en waarheidmakenvrij Al watgoed is tebetrachten Datgeeftaanons land waardij. SrananTongo: Opo, kondreman un opo! Sranangron e kari un. Wans'opetatakomopo Wi mu setikondre bun. Strdefstr, wi no safrede. Gado de wifesiman. Erilibitenadede Wi safeti, giSranan. Lyrics CornelisAtses Hoekstra and Henry de Ziel, 1893 Johannes Corstianus de Puy, 1876

English translation God be with our Suriname May He elevate our lovely land How we came here together We are dedicated to its soil Working we keep in mind Justice and truth will set free All that's good to watch Will give value to our land English translation Rise country men, rise The soil of Suriname is calling you. Where ever our ancestors came from We should take care of our country. There is a fight to fight, we shall not be afraid God is our leader Our whole life until our death, We will fight for Suriname.

Music

Adopted 1959

CURRENCY
The Dollar (ISO 4217 code SRD) has been the currency of Suriname since 2004. It is divided into 100 cents. Coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 100 and 250 cents from the previous currency are in circulation. The Surinamese dollar replaced the Surinamese guilder on 1 January 2004, with one dollar equal to 1,000 guilders, prompting the issuance of notes denominated in the new currency. On the notes, the currency is expressed in the singular, as is the Dutch custom.

Coins Banknotes

1, 5, 10, 25, 100, 250 cents 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 dollars

PICTURES OF SURINAMES CURRENCY

COAT OF ARMS

Coat of Arms

The Coat of Arms of Suriname was adopted on 25 November 1975. The motto reads Justitia - Pietas - Fides (Justice - Piety - Fidelity). It further consists of two natives who carry a shield. The left half of the shield symbolizes the past, as slaves were abducted via ship out of Africa. The right half, the side of the present, shows a Royal palm, also the symbol of a just person ("The just person should blossom like a palm"). The diamond in the middle is the stylized form of the heart, which is regarded as the organ of love. The points of the diamond show the four directions of the wind. Inside the diamond is a five-pointed star. This star symbolizes the five continents from which the inhabitants of Suriname migrated: Africa, America, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

THE NATIONAL FLAG OF SURINAME

National Flag

The Flag of Suriname is formed by five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width). There is a large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band. The flag was adopted on November 25, 1975, upon the independence of Suriname. The star represents the unity of all ethnic groups, the red stripe stands for progress and love, the green for hope and fertility, and the white bands for peace and justice.

SURINAMES CULTURAL ARTFORMS (MUSIC)

Suriname is a South American country, a former colony of the Netherlands with strong ties to that country. The country is well known for its kaseko music, and has an Indo-Caribbean tradition. The kaseko probably derived from the expression "casser le corps" (rest body), that was used during slavery to describe a very fast dance. Kaseko is a fusion of many styles and folklore from Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It is rhythmically complex percussion instruments including skratji (big drum) and trap drums, and saxophone, trumpet, and trombone occasionally. The songs are typically structured to say and answer, as are the styles of the natives of the area, as winti and kawina. The Kaseko evolved in the thirties during festivities that used large bands, particularly bands of winds, and were called Bigi Pokoe (big drum music). Indo-Surinamese Music Indian music arrived with immigrants from South Asia. This included folk music played with the dhantal, tabla, sitar, harmonium and dholak, tassa drums, then even. The music songs were mostly Hindu, called the "bhajans" and the filmi. The singing style tan is unique to the Indian community in Suriname and Guyana.

Cover page

MAP OF SURINAME