Suriname, officially known as theRepublic of Suriname, is asovereign stateon the northeasternAtlanticcoast ofSouth America.It is borderedbyFrench Guianato the east,Guyanato the west andBrazilto the south. At just under 165,000km2 (64,000sqmi), it is the smallest country in South America.
Originally inhabited by a number of indigenous tribes, Suriname was explored and contested by European powers before coming underDutchrule in the late 17th century. In 1954, the country became one of theconstituent countriesof the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On 25 November 1975, thecountry of Surinameleft the Kingdom of the Netherlands to become anindependentstate, nonetheless maintaining close economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties to its former colonizer.
Suriname is considered to be a culturallyCaribbeancountry, and is a member of theCaribbean Community(CARICOM). WhileDutchis the official language of government, business, media, and education,Sranan, anEnglish-basedcreole language, is a widely usedlingua franca. Suriname is the only territory outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population. The people of Surinameare among the most diverse in the world, spanning a multitude of ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups.