Suriname

Suriname (also spelled Surinam), officially known as the Republic of Suriname (Dutch: Republiek Suriname), is a sovereign state on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, France (through French Guiana) to the east, Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south. At just under 64,000 square miles (165,759 km²), it is the smallest country 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.

Suriname was long inhabited by various indigenous people before being explored and contested by European powers from the 16^th century, eventually coming under Dutch rule in the late 17^th century. During the Dutch colonial period, it was primarily a plantation economy dependent on African slaves and, following the abolition of slavery, indentured servants from Asia. In 1954, Suriname became one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On November 25^th 1975, the country of Suriname left the Kingdom of the Netherlands to become an independent state, nonetheless maintaining close economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties to its former colonizer.

Suriname is considered to be a culturally Caribbean country, and is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). While Dutch is the official language of government, business, media, and education, Sranan, 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. As a legacy of colonization, the people of Suriname are among the most diverse in the world, spanning a multitude of ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups.