Suriname - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Suriname. Smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast. Mother's mean age at first birth is (), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 96 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Suriname
Location Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Geographic coordinates 4 00 N, 56 00 W
Map references South America
Tarrain mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Natural Resources timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore
Natural Hazards flooding
Irrigated Land 600 sq km (2020)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Major aquifers
Land Boundaries 1,907 km
Border Countries Brazil 515 km; French Guiana 556 km; Guyana 836 km
Coastline 386 km
Climate tropical; moderated by trade winds
Area
Total Area
Land Area 156,000 sq km
Water Area 7,820 sq km
comparative Area slightly larger than Georgia
Maritime Claims
Territorial sea 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone 200 nm
Elevations
Highest point Juliana Top 1,230 m
Lowest point unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
Mean elevation 246 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 0.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 0.1% (2018 est.)
Forest 94.6% (2018 est.)
Other 4.9% (2018 est.)
Population Distribution

Population concentrated along the nothern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

People and Society

In Suriname, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 27.4%, Maroon (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 21.7%, Creole (mixed White and Black) 15.7%, Javanese 13.7%, mixed 13.4%, other 7.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2012 est.)

Population
Pop growth rate 1.07% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 14.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure 6.8% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density 3 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Total fertility rate 1.89 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 0.91 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 39.1% (2018)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 52.1% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write
Education expenditures 5% of GDP (2020 est.)
Net Migration rate 2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Surinamese | Surinamer(s)
Languages
Religions Protestant 23.6% (includes Evangelical 11.2%, Moravian 11.2%, Reformed 0.7%, Lutheran 0.5%), Hindu 22.3%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Muslim 13.8%, other Christian 3.2%, Winti 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 3.2% (2012 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 22.5% (male 73,864/female 71,573)
15-64 years 70% (male 226,417/female 226,235)
65 years and over 7.5% (2024 est.) (male 20,071/female 28,598)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 50.9
Youth dependency ratio 40
Elderly dependency ratio 11
Potential support ratio 9.1 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 32 years (2024 est.)
Male 31 years
Female 32.9 years
Urbanization
Urban population 66.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 0.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 239,000 PARAMARIBO (capital) (2018).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 29.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 37.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 21 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 72.7 years (2024 est.)
Male 69 years
Female 76.7 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 99.5% of population
Improved: rural rural: 98.2% of population
Improved: total total: 99.1% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 0.5% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 1.8% of population
Unimproved: total total: 0.9% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 98.5% of population
Improved: rural rural: 91.2% of population
Improved: total total: 96% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 1.5% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 8.8% of population
Unimproved: total total: 4% of population (2020 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 6.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 3.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 2.87 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15 8.8%
Women married by age 18 36%
Men married by age 18 19.6% (2018 est.)
Demographic profile

Suriname is a pluralistic society consisting primarily of Creoles (persons of mixed African and European heritage), the descendants of escaped African slaves known as Maroons, and the descendants of Indian and Javanese (Indonesian) contract workers. The country overall is in full, post-industrial demographic transition, with a low fertility rate, a moderate mortality rate, and a rising life expectancy. However, the Maroon population of the rural interior lags behind because of lower educational attainment and contraceptive use, higher malnutrition, and significantly less access to electricity, potable water, sanitation, infrastructure, and health care.

Some 350,000 people of Surinamese descent live in the Netherlands, Suriname's former colonial ruler. In the 19th century, better-educated, largely Dutch-speaking Surinamese began emigrating to the Netherlands. World War II interrupted the outflow, but it resumed after the war when Dutch labor demands grew - emigrants included all segments of the Creole population. Suriname still is strongly influenced by the Netherlands because most Surinamese have relatives living there and it is the largest supplier of development aid. Other emigration destinations include French Guiana and the United States. Suriname's immigration rules are flexible, and the country is easy to enter illegally because rainforests obscure its borders. Since the mid-1980s, Brazilians have settled in Suriname's capital, Paramaribo, or eastern Suriname, where they mine gold. This immigration is likely to slowly re-orient Suriname toward its Latin American roots.

All Important Facts about Suriname

Want to know more about Suriname? Check all different factbooks for Suriname below.

Suriname is found in South America