What to Know Before Visiting Suriname?

Country Facts:
 It was formerly known as Dutch Guiana.
 Suriname has a territorial dispute with Guyana and French Guiana.
 Suriname is the smallest country in South America while Brazil is the largest of
all. Suriname is also the least populous country in South America.
 Suriname is also spelled as “Surinam”. Officially, the spelling “Surinam” was
changed to “Suriname” in January 1978.
 There are close to 350 species of fish in the coastal and inland waters of the
country.
 Indigenous people are estimated to have inhabited the region dating back to
3000 B.C.
 Juliana Top is the highest mountain in Suriname.
 Suriname is famous for its water lilies and orchids.
 The tapir is the largest land mammal in Suriname.
 Almost 45% of the country’s population is between the age group 25-54 years.
 Suriname has a population growth rate of 1%.
 Owing to the 90% of the country being under forests, there is plenty of timber
resources.
Source: https://thefactfile.org/suriname-facts/

Country Flag:
Capital: Paramaribo is the capital of Suriname.
Government: Politics of Suriname take place in a framework of a representative
democratic republic, whereby the president of Suriname is the head of state and head
of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by
the government. ... The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Suriname
Prime Minister: Dési Bouterse is prime minster of Suriname since 2010.
Economy: Suriname has a mixed economic system, but private-sector development is
hampered by the government's presence in the economy. Suriname is a member of the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM). For the 2018 estimate, GDP per capita in Suriname
will be $15111 in PPP per capita and $5798 per nominal.
Population: The population of Suriname was estimated to be 575991 in 2018.
Religion by Percentage:  According to the most recent census (2012), 48.4 % of the
population is Christian (the largest groups being Pentecostalism, the Moravian Church,
and the Catholic Church) 22.3 percent is Hindu, 13.9 % is Muslim, 1. 8 % follows Winti,
and 0.8 % is Javanist.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Suriname

Top Suriname Foods: Basic foods include rice, plants such as tayer and cassava, and
roti. Usually, there is chicken on the menu in many variations of the Chinese snesi
foroe, the Indian chicken masala and pom, a very popular party dish of Creole origin.
Also, salted meat and stockfish (bakkeljauw) are widely used. Suriname is tropical and
coastal, so exotic fruits (such as coconuts and plantains) and seafood (particularly
shrimp) feature highly in the cuisine. Other basic ingredients include cassava (the tuber-
like root of the manioc plant), potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils, plantains, and tayer
(another tuber). Rice production makes up half of the country's agriculture, and sugar,
beef, and chicken are also a large part of Suriname's food production. Naturally, these
ingredients play a large part in typical Suriname recipes. Below are top “must try” dishes
for visitors to Suriname:

 Goedangan: Goedangan is a refreshing Surinamese salad consisting of

blanched green cabbage, green beans, bean sprouts, hard-boiled eggs, sliced
cucumber, and shredded coconut. The vegetables are typically arranged on a
platter, then garnished with cucumber and slices of hard-boiled eggs. The salad
is always dressed with a combination of coconut milk, yogurt, lime juice, brown
sugar, and chili peppers. Extra dressings should be served on the side so that
the guests can serve themselves according to personal preferences.
 Bojo cake: Bojo cake is a tender Surinamese dessert with a smooth texture.
This flourless cake is made with ingredients such as raisins, rum, cassava,
coconut, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, coconut milk, butter, almond extract, and
vanilla. The combination is typically poured into a baking pan, and it is then
baked until golden brown in color. When served, bojo cake is cut into squares. It
can be consumed warm or cold, and it is recommended to serve it with a dollop
of whipped cream.
 Moksi Alesi: Moksi-alesi (lit. mixed rice) is a Creole dish that is very popular in
Suriname. Originally, it was a combination of leftovers, but nowadays it is usually
prepared as a rice dish with fish or salted meat. The dish is usually enriched with
the addition of tomatoes, black-eyed peas, and sometimes even coconut milk. It
can be served with a variety of condiments such as sliced tomatoes, crispy white
cabbage, red onions, sliced cucumber, fried plantains, and some hot sauce. The
dish is mostly eaten for lunch and it can often be seen at Surinamese birthday
parties.
 Pom: Originating from the times of the Dutch rule, pom is a popular Surinamese
casserole made with chicken and root vegetables as the main ingredients. It
typically consists of chicken pieces, chicken sausages, tomatoes, onions, celery,
orange and lemon juice, and taro root or pomtajer, hence the name of the dish.
 Pom is usually flavored with garlic, hot peppers, salt, pepper, sugar, and nutmeg.
Often prepared for special occasions, the dish is so popular in Suriname that
there is a saying "Without pom, there are no birthdays".


Language: While Dutch is the official language of government, business, media, and
education, Sranan Tongo, an English-based creole language, is a widely used lingua
franca. Suriname is the only sovereign nation outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by
a majority of the population.

Dress for Men and Women: The koto, kotomisse or kotomisi is a traditional dress from
the Afro-Surinamese women or Creoles in Suriname. Different kotos exist for various
occasions like weddings or funerals. The development of the koto as regular dress is
not complete but it is still used in special occasions like the koto-dansi.

Holidays: There are several national holidays in Suriname such as:

 New Year's Day
 Chinese New Year
 Day of Liberation and Innovation
 Holi
 Good Friday
 Easter Sunday
 Labour Day
 Eid al-Fitr
 Keti Koti
 Eid al-Adha
 Indigenous People's Day
 Maroons Day
 Diwali
 Republic Day of Suriname
 Christmas Day
Travel Tips:

 Tropical; moderated by trade winds; yearly rain average 2200 mm. There are 2
dry seasons (February to March, August to November) and 2 rainy seasons
(December to January, April to August). November is generally the hottest
month.
 There are currently no trains in Suriname, however a plan has been announced
to reopen the line between Onverwacht and Paramaribo Central Station.
 Guyana has road access to Suriname. In Guyana, Georgetown inquire in for
mini-buses traveling to Suriname. Note that entering Suriname, Nieuw Nickerie
by water travel from in Guyana is illegal
 In the east there are small boats and small ferry between Albina (Suriname) and
St. Laurent (French Guiana) The price is usually around SRD 10,- or €2,5- p.p.
  Suriname uses the Suriname dollar (SRD) as currency, which is roughly a third of
a US dollar. One can exchange currency at all banks as well as most cambio's.
 Suriname wouldn't be the tropical paradise it is without its a wide variety of great
fruit juices. Even the well known orange juice is a sensational taste, but do not
hesitate to try great tropical fruits like passion fruit (known locally as 'markoesa')
or soursap, better known as Guanábana (locally known as 'zuurzak').
 Try the local 'Parbo-beer', which when comes in 1 liter bottles is called a 'djogo'.
 Be respectful when taking photographs. Like everywhere else, one should
respect the environment and the culture.
 Roads are poorly-maintained and one of the first Dutch words we learned was
drempel, which means speed bump.
 The country’s main modes of transport include bike, boat, motorcycle, car, taxi
and bus.
 Our arrival at an overcrowded emergency room was my first introduction to the
medical system in Suriname. The care was adequate and treatment needed to
be paid for in US dollars in advance.
 Statistically Suriname is safe, and like many countries the biggest risk is
opportunistic petty theft. Locals often warned us about pickpockets and people
forcing services on us for ‘tips’.

Top 10 Attractions and places to visit:

1. Paramaribo
2. Paramaribo district
3. Commewijne
4. Brokopondo
5. Centeal suriname nature reserved
6. Nieuw Nickerie
7. Galibi
8. Zanderij
9. Domburg
10. Meerzorg
Suriname Boys Name:
 Ashok
 Ard
 Bryan
 Cedric
 Ch
 Donn
 Elliot
Top Universities in Suriname:
1. Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname
Top 10 Websites: Not available on alexa
1. Google.com
2. Facebook.com
3. Youtube.com
4. Starnieuws.com
5. Xnxx.com
6. Xvideos.com
7. Dwtonline.com
8. Pornhub.com
9. Waterkant.com
10. Pashaglobal.com
Top 3 Search engines used:
1. Google
2. Bing
3. Yahoo
Top exports:
 Gold
 Precious metal scraps
 Rough wood
 Bananas
Top 5 Cars:
Top cars in Suriname includes:
1. Toyota Hiace
2. Honda fit
3. Toyota Vtiz
4. Toyota Caldina
5. Toyota Rush
Natural Disasters:
Many types of natural disasters occur in Suriname such as:
 Flood
 Severe heat
 Earthquake
Home Designs / Architecture:
Not found…
Deaths and Mortality:
In 2019, death rate for Suriname was 7.4 per 1,000 people. Death rate of Suriname fell
gradually from 8.9 per 1,000 people in 1970 to 7.4 per 1,000 people in 2019.
Source: https://knoema.com/atlas/Suriname/Death-rate