What is "suriname"

Suriname (, or , also spelled Surinam), officially known as the Republic of Suriname (, ), is a sovereign state on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south. At just under , it is the smallest country in South America. Suriname has a population of approximately 566,000, most of whom live on the country's north coast, in and around the capital and largest city, Paramaribo.

Originally inhabited by a number of indigenous tribes, Suriname was explored and contested by European powers before coming under Dutch rule in the late 17th century. In 1954, the country became one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On 25 November 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 territory outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population. The people of Suriname are among the most diverse in the world, spanning a multitude of ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups.

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 on 25 November 1975.

Suriname or Surinam may refer to:

• Suriname, a nation
• Suriname River, a river within the same nation
• Suriname (district), a former district within the nation
• Surinam (Dutch colony), Dutch colony (1667–1954)
• Suriname (Kingdom of the Netherlands), constituent country (1954–1975)

The district Suriname is a former district of the country Suriname. The capital of this district was Paramaribo, though this city was located in the district Paramaribo.

District Suriname was created in 1927 by merging the districts:

• Lower Suriname
• Upper Suriname
• Lower Para
• Upper Para

In 1958 the district Brokopondo was split from district Suriname, and about ten years later the same thing happened with district Para.

In the middle of the 80s the district system of Suriname was reorganized and district Suriname ceased to exist. That what remained of district Suriname was divided in Commewijne, Para, Saramacca and the new district Wanica.

Category:Districts of Suriname