Suriname is a country in South America, one of the 14 entries this site files under that subregion. Treaties and official documents call it Republic of Suriname. Government sits in Paramaribo.
It covers 163,820 km², which ranks it 93rd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Uruguay and just ahead of Tunisia. That makes it a little larger than Bangladesh.
The population is about 634,431, placing it 170th of 250 by population — between Luxembourg above it and Montenegro below. Within South America alone it is the 12th largest of 14 and the 12th most populous.
Geography and neighbours of Suriname
Plotted on a globe it falls at 4.0° north, 56.0° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 445 km from the equator, in what geographers would call the equatorial belt.
Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach Cameroon, Malaysia and Equatorial Guinea — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.
3 countries share a land border with it: Brazil, French Guiana and Guyana. The largest of them by area is Brazil, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 213.1 million people.
Unlike its landlocked neighbours it reaches the sea directly, while also sharing land frontiers.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The people of Suriname
Population divided by land area gives roughly 3.9 people per square kilometre, which makes it very thinly populated. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.
The demonym is Surinamer, so residents are Surinamers.
Officially it is monolingual: Dutch. It shares that with Aruba, Belgium, the Caribbean Netherlands, Curaçao, the Netherlands and Sint Maarten.
Against the Americas as a whole it is the 27th most populous of 56 entries, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in South America.
The practical details for Suriname
It uses the Surinamese dollar ($, SRD). No other entry in this dataset uses it, so the currency is specific to Suriname.
Paramaribo is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.
The top-level domain is .sr. Calls from overseas start with +597. In ISO terms it is sr in two letters and SUR in three.
Suriname is one of the 193 UN member states in this dataset. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Suriname shares borders with 3 countries:
Fun facts about Suriname
- Its capital city is Paramaribo.
- Its full official name is Republic of Suriname.
- It is 170th of 250 by population, with about 634,431 residents.
- Ranked by land area, Suriname is 93rd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- Within South America it is the 12th largest of 14.
- It lies about 445 km from the equator, in equatorial latitudes.
Suriname — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Suriname?
- The capital of Suriname is Paramaribo.
- How big is Suriname?
- Suriname covers 163,820 km², ranking 93rd of 250 by land area. That makes it a little larger than Bangladesh.
- What currency does Suriname use?
- Suriname uses the Surinamese dollar, written $ (currency code SRD). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- What language is spoken in Suriname?
- The official language of Suriname is Dutch. It is also official in 6 other entries on this list.
- Where is Suriname located?
- Suriname is in South America, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 4.0° north and 56.0° west, roughly 445 km from the equator in equatorial latitudes.
- Which countries border Suriname?
- Suriname borders 3 countries: Brazil, French Guiana and Guyana. Brazil is the largest of them by area.
- What is the population of Suriname?
- Suriname has a population of about 634,431, which makes it the 170th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Luxembourg sits just above it and Montenegro just below.
- Is Suriname a country?
- Yes. Suriname is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
