Suriname

Suriname is situated on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. Lying just north of the equator, its territory is dominated by sparsely populated, dense rain forests in the south and interior. The northern lowland coastal areas by contrast are largely cultivated and host the majority of inhabitants, centered around the capital of Paramaribo. The Bakhuys and Van Asch Van Wijck mountain ranges run through the interior, with Julianatop (1 286 m) as their highest point.

Suriname has a tropical, wet climate with little intra-annual variation due to its proximity to the equator. Average monthly temperatures range from 25°C in February to 27°C in October, though high humidity levels can cause temperatures to feel even warmer. The country has wet seasons from April to July and December to February, with intervening dry seasons. -—
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Suriname has an economy concentrated on mining and natural resource extraction, particularly bauxite, which makes up a large portion of GDP and exports. Agriculture, especially products like rice and bananas, also make up a significant portion of the economy, as well as aquaculture products such as shrimp. In 2019, 8 per cent of the labor force was engaged in agriculture, 23 per cent in industry, mostly the processing of bauxite into aluminum, and 69 per cent in the services sector -—
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—-. Despite this high employment share in services and Suriname’s natural features, tourism remains a nascent industry with inbound tourism expenditure accounting for only 1.6 per cent of GDP in 2019 -—
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—-. Remittances are another important income source, flowing mainly from the Netherlands, the United States of America and French Guiana. In 2019, top destinations for exports included Switzerland, China Hong Kong SAR, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium and Guyana -—
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Suriname is culturally diverse, incorporating elements of Dutch, Indian, African, Chinese, Indonesian, and indigenous cultures. It is well-known for its kaseko music, an evolution of the Afro-Surinamese call-and-response kawina genre.

Its cuisine is similarly diverse as its culture, combining native flora, such as cassava, with imported dishes such as roti. Chicken, rice, cassava, and spiced fish (bakkeljauw) are common elements of Surinamese cuisine.

Football, cricket, and especially swimming are all popular in Suriname. Suriname has won two Olympic medals in swimming, including one gold, in 1988 and 1992.