Suriname, officially known as the Republic of Suriname, is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south. At just under 165,000 square kilometers, it is the smallest sovereign state in South America. Suriname has a population of approximately 558,368, most of whom live on the country's north coast, in and around the capital and largest city, Paramaribo.
The early history of Suriname dates from 3000 BCE when Native Americans first inhabited the area. The Dutch acquired Suriname from the English, and European settlement in any numbers dates from the seventeenth century, when it was a plantation colony utilizing slavery for sugar cultivation. With abolition in the late nineteenth century, planters sought labor from China, Madeira, India, and Indonesia, which was also colonized by the Dutch. Although Dutch is Suriname's official language, with such a diverse population, it developed a Creole language, Sranan.
Dutch colonisation of the Guianas—the coastal region between the Orinoco and Amazon rivers in South America—began in the early 16th century. The Dutch originally claimed all of Guiana but—following attempts to sell it first to Bavaria and then to Hanau and the loss of sections to Portugal, Britain, and France—the section actually settled and controlled by the Netherlands became known as Dutch Guiana.
Surinam Airways, also known by its initials SLM, is the flag carrier of Suriname, based in Paramaribo. It operates regional and long-haul scheduled passenger services. Its hub is at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport. As of July 2012, Surinam Airways was wholly owned by the Government of Suriname.
Hinduism is a minority religion in the Netherlands, representing 0.6% of the Dutch population in 2015.After the United Kingdom, the second largest Hindu community of Europe live in the Netherlands. There are between 150,000 – 200,000 Hindus currently living in the Netherlands, the vast majority of who migrated from Suriname – a former Dutch colony in South America. There are also sizable populations of Hindu immigrants from India and Sri Lanka, as well as a smaller number of Western adherents of Hinduism-oriented new religious movements.
The Battle of Suriname or Battle of Surinam was a battle between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom for the control of the Suriname colony.
The 'SVB Cup is a competition organized by the Surinamese Football Association since 1992. It was based on the size of the KNVB Cup. The tournament consists of all teams from the top two layers of the Surinamese Football League Eerste Divisie and District Divisions.
According to the official data, the Muslim population of Suriname represents about 13.9 percent of the country's total population as of 2012, which is the highest percentages of Muslims on the South American continent. Though the majority belong to the Sunni interpretation of Islam and some syncretic sects such as Sufism and Javanese Kejawèn.
Nick Stienstra was a Dutch-Surinamese footballer and coach. During his playing career he played for SV Robinhood. He was killed at the age of 33 in the Surinam Airways Flight PY764 air crash in Paramaribo on 7 June 1989.
Baithak Gana is a form of music originating in Suriname by the Indian community. Baithak is a social gathering. It is a mix of Bhojpuri folk songs with other Caribbean influences. It is similar to Chutney music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago. The most popular exponent in Surinam of the genre were Ramdew Chaitoe and Dropati.
Chinese Surinamese people are Surinamese residents of ethnic Chinese origin. Chinese Surinamese are a small part of the Surinamese people. There were 7,885 Chinese at the 2012 census, constituting 1.5% of the total population. They constitute the largest component of the 'other' ethnic category, which makes up 2.3% of the population as per the CIA World Factbook. The majority of the Chinese Surinamese consider Hakka of Guangdong as their ancestral homes. There is a small minority of Heshan, Jiangmen origin Cantonese and Hakkas as well.
Javanese Surinamese people are an ethnic group of Javanese descent in Suriname. They have been present since the late 19th century, when their first members were selected by the Dutch colonizers from the former Dutch East Indies.
Surinamese culture is very diverse and dynamic, and has strong Asian, African and European influences. The population is composed of the contribution of people from the Netherlands, India, Africa, China and Indonesia, as well as indigenous peoples who lived in the area, before the arrival of European settlers. About 90% of people established in Suriname have ancestors who come from other countries and regions.
The 20-gun French corvette Hussard was launched in 1799 and the British captured her that same year when they captured Suriname. The Royal Navy took her into service as HMS Surinam, as there was already an HMS Hussar. The Dutch captured her in 1803, naming her Suriname, but the British recaptured her in 1807 and sent her to Britain. Thereafter she never again served on active duty. She disappeared from the Navy lists in 1809, but her fate is unknown.
Suriname was a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1954 and 1975. The country had full autonomy, except in areas of defence, foreign policy, and nationality, and participated on a basis of equality with the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands itself in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The country became fully independent as the Republic of Suriname on 25 November 1975.
Beatrice Sylvia Vianen was a Surinamese writer who goes by the name Bea Vianen.
Cannabis in the Netherlands is illegal, but is decriminalised for personal use. Recreational consumption of the drug is tolerated, and it is available in coffee shops.
Cannabis in Suriname is illegal. Cannabis is the most popular illegal drug in Suriname, with 2% of the adult population having ever used it.
Anti-Dutch sentiment, also known as Dutchphobia, is a spectrum of negative feelings, fears and dislikes towards Netherlands, Dutch people and Dutch culture. Historically, dislike or hatred toward the Netherlands. The Dutch people and their culture has arisen from the colonization undertaken by the Netherlands, and from the roles it has played in European wars. This sentiment is reflected in various expressions that have entered the English language.
