Guide to Doing Business
in Suriname
General information
| Country | Republic of Suriname |
| Capital | Paramaribo |
| Official language | Dutch |
| Population | 583,200 |
| Area | 163.820 km²/63.250 miles² |
| Time zone | UTC-3, no daylight saving time |
| Calling code | +597 |
| Currency | Suriname dollar (SRD) Central Bank Exchange mid-rate: 1 USD = 7,458 SRD |
| Current | 127 V 60 Hz |
Geography and climate
The Republic of Suriname is the smallest sovereign state of South America and is located between three countries. Guyana is bordering Suriname on the east side, while French Guyana borders its west side. Suriname is bordered on the south by Brazil and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean.
The country of Suriname can be divided into two main geographic regions. The northern, lowland coastal region, which is cultivated, while most of the population lives there and the southern region, which consists of tropical rainforest and sparsely inhabited savanna along the border with Brazil. The southern region covers about 80% of Suriname’s land surface. Suriname covers a total area of approximately 163,821 km² /63,251 miles².
Suriname has a tropical climate with average temperatures ranging from 29 to 34°C (84 to 97°F). The year has two rain seasons, from April to August and from November to February. Suriname lies outside the hurricane belt and storms and hurricanes are unheard of.
Population
Suriname has a population of approximately 583.200. Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, is the largest city of Suriname and has a population of almost 239.000. The population of Suriname is made up of a variety of ethnic groups, like East Indians, Creoles, Javanese, Chinese, Amerindians and Europeans. It appears that the population of Suriname is one of the most ethnically varied in the world.
Religion
Suriname has many religious groups and the constitution provides for freedom of religion. The majority of the people in Suriname are Christians (around 50%), both in the form of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Hindus form the second largest religious group while there is also a large group of Muslims in Suriname.
Languages
The official language of Suriname is Dutch, but Suriname also has his own language: Sranan Tongo (Surinamese). Surinamese has influences of the English, Dutch and African languages. English, Spanish and Portuguese are also regionally recognized languages.
Currency
Since 2004 the official currency of Suriname is the Suriname Dollar (SRD). The US Dollar and the Euro are also accepted in some area’s in Suriname. The Central Bank of Suriname regulates the monetary system and the supervision on the financial sector. The current Central Bank exchange mid-rate is: 1 USD = SRD 7,458 with an additional transaction bandwidth for the formal financial sector (banks and exchange offices) of 5%.