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GENERAL INFORMATION SURINAME
Suriname is located at the North-East coast of South America, between 2 and 6 degrees North Latitude and 54 and 58 degrees West Longitude. The total land area of the country is about 160,000 km2, and Paramaribo is the capital, see map. The climate is humid tropical with two wet and two dry seasons a year.
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Spanhoek, ParamariboPhoto: Copyright © 2002 Moekiran A. Amatali
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Building Ministry of Finance, Paramaribo Photo: Copyright © 2002 Moekiran A. Amatali
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The population consists of about 360,000 inhabitants. The greatest part of the country is not populated, especially the interior, which is tropical rainforest. Most of the people are living on the coastal plain, mainly in and near the capital of the country.
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Herenstraat, ParamariboPhoto: Copyright © 2002 Moekiran A. Amatali
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Domineestraat, Paramaribo Photo: Copyright © 2002 Moekiran A. Amatali
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The population mainly consists of descendents from Africa, India and Java/Indonesia, who were brougth to Suriname in the past. Also there are Dutch, Amerindian, Chinese, Jewish and Libanese descendents. The Amerindians were already here before Columbus discovered America. The official language is Dutch, however English is spoken frequently, whilst Sranang Tongo is the local language which is spoken by every body in the country. Appart from these languages the Hindustani, Javanese and Chinese and some Amerindian languages are spoken within the respectively ethnical groups.
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Presidential Palace, ParamariboPhoto: Copyright © 2002 Moekiran A. Amatali
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Building National Assemblee Suriname, Paramaribo Photo: Copyright © 2002 Moekiran A. Amatali
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Due to the composition of the Surinamese population, the country has a unique and interesting multi-cultural society. Some types of culture are only found in Suriname within the western hemisphere.
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Copyright © 2001-2002 Moekiran A. Amatali
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