Suriname 🇸🇷
Suriname is a country in South America with a population of 618,040. Its capital is Paramaribo. The official currency is SRD, and the main languages are Dutch.
Quick facts
- Capital: Paramaribo
- Continent: South America
- Population: 618,040
- Area: 163,820 km²
- Density: 3.8 people per km²
- Currency: SRD
- Languages: Dutch
- ISO code: SR
Where Suriname sits
Suriname 🇸🇷 is one of 12 countries in South America, with its capital at Paramaribo. It covers 163,820 square kilometres — 90th in the world — and is home to about 618,040 people, 167th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Suriname compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Suriname sits closest to Montenegro and Cabo Verde. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Tunisia and Uruguay.
At 3.8 people per square kilometre it is far below the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by area than by population, so it is more spacious than its population alone suggests.
Dutch is an official language in 3 countries here, among them Belgium and Netherlands. The SRD is used by Suriname and no one else.
To see Suriname next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Suriname
Paramaribo's historic inner city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is nicknamed the 'Paris of Suriname'. Think 'P for Paramaribo, P for Paris'.
The flag of Suriname: green, white, red and yellow
🇸🇷 The flag is five horizontal stripes of green, white, a wide red stripe, white and green, with a yellow five-pointed star in the centre. Red stands for progress and love, green for hope and fertility, and white for peace, justice and freedom. The star stands for the unity of all the country's peoples.
Region and neighbours
Suriname is the smallest country in South America, on the northeast coast of the continent, on the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with 2 countries: Guyana and Brazil. To the east, Suriname also borders French Guiana, which is part of France.
Three facts about Suriname
- More than 90% of Suriname is covered by rainforest, the second-highest share of forest of any country.
- Suriname is the only independent country outside Europe where Dutch is the main language of government, business and schools.
- Suriname became independent from the Netherlands on 25 November 1975.
Sources: Wikipedia: Suriname, Wikipedia: Flag of Suriname, Wikipedia: Paramaribo, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Suriname
- South American capitals quiz — match Suriname to Paramaribo
- South American flags quiz — spot the Suriname flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include Suriname
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Suriname those are:
- South America map quiz — place it on a blank map
- South America flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- South America capitals quiz — match it to Paramaribo
- Suriname capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Suriname
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Suriname
- Capital of Suriname: Paramaribo — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 12 countries of South America
Nearby countries
- Argentina 🇦🇷 — capital Buenos Aires
- Bolivia 🇧🇴 — capital Sucre
- Brazil 🇧🇷 — capital Brasília
- Chile 🇨🇱 — capital Santiago
- Colombia 🇨🇴 — capital Bogotá
- Ecuador 🇪🇨 — capital Quito
- Guyana 🇬🇾 — capital Georgetown
- Paraguay 🇵🇾 — capital Asunción
- Peru 🇵🇪 — capital Lima
- Uruguay 🇺🇾 — capital Montevideo
- Venezuela 🇻🇪 — capital Caracas
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Suriname flag?
The flag of Suriname is five horizontal stripes of green, white, a wide red stripe, white and green, with a yellow five-pointed star in the centre. Red stands for progress and love, green for hope and fertility, and white for peace, justice and freedom. The star stands for the unity of all the country's peoples.
Which countries border Suriname?
Suriname shares land borders with Guyana and Brazil. To the east, Suriname also borders French Guiana, which is part of France.
How can I remember the capital of Suriname?
Paramaribo's historic inner city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is nicknamed the 'Paris of Suriname'. Think 'P for Paramaribo, P for Paris'.