Total area: 163,270 sq km (63,039 sq mi)
Population (2010 est.): 486,618
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Paramaribo - 217,300
Currency: Suriname dollar
Languages: Dutch (official), Surinamese (lingua franca), Hindustani, Javanese, English
Ethnicity: East Indians (Hindustanis) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, Maroons 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%
Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Islam 19.6%, indigenous 5%
Time zone: GMT-3; Daylight Savings Time is not observed
Electricity: AC 127V/60Hz; European 2-pin plugs are used
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, located
between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west and bordered by Brazil to the south. The Atlantic forms the northern border of the country. The east border with French Guiana is formed by the Marowijne River while the west border with Guyana goes along the Corantijn River. South of the country is dominated by forests, savannahs and mountains, which separate it from Brazil.
Suriname is the smallest sovereign state in terms of area in South America and also the only country outside Europe with Dutch as an official language. Geographically the country is divided into two parts: the northern and the southern regions. The north that covers about 20% of the total country's area, is home to most of the Suriname's population and features cultivated coastal lowlands covered with mangrove swamps. The terrain in the south is hilly to mountainous covered with dense tropical forest, with numerous rivers and streams as well as sparsely inhabited savanna along the border with Brazil. The highest mountain is Julianatop at 1,286 m (4,219 ft).
