INFO-SURINAM

Officially  480.000 people are living in Surinam,  unofficial there are over a million so more than 50% of the Surinam citizens are illegal. Most of them are living in the rain forest where they dig for gold. There are a lot of different cultures in Surinam so it is easy to say that Surinam is really a multi cultural country.

Indians

The indigenous(Indians) are the first that lived in Surinam when the colonization by the British started they were forced to settle and work on the plantations. Many of the Indians were killed by deceases brought to Surinam by the colonialist. Also the hard work on the plantations and food killed a lot of them. Of the original group of 65.000 Indians there are only 12.000 remaining.  

Creool

To reduce the loss of labor slaves from Africa where brought to Surinam. These slaves had to work in appalling conditions many of the slaves fled in to the rain forest. These slaves are called Marrons or Bush negro many of the descendants of the Marrons are still living in the rain forest. During the civil war many of the Marrons fled to the capitol of Surinam Paramaribo and French Guyana. There are two types of Creole people in Surinam the city Creole and the bush Creole,  their habits and  the way they live are totally different.    

Chinese

The Chinese group is one of the biggest group in Surinam they have a traditional Chinese background solidarity and family honor is very important to them. The Surinamese Chinese are individualistic and have great remain of self-respect. Education, financially independence and integrity are very important for them. Therefore they are very successful in merchandising and the Surinam business world.

Javanese

The Surinamese Javanese are proud that they are also Surinamese. The Javanese in Suriname are the descendants of the remaining contract workers who where migrated to Suriname in 1890 till 1940. Many Javanese have the Dutch and Surinamese nationality. Most of the Javanese in Suriname are multilingual, among Dutch they speak their own language Javanese and Sranan Tongo (Negro English).

Anglo indian

On June 5, 1873, the first Anglo-Indian immigrants stepped ashore in Suriname. Between 1873 and 1916 there were approximately 34,000 Hindus in Suriname. From this group, about eleven thousand returned to India. The majority came as a contract worker, this group is also known as kantrakki’s, many of them were impoverished farmers or landless. Today Hindustanis are the largest population group in Surinam most of them are working in the Surinam industry and trade.

European

Still a large group of Boeroes descendants of Dutch farmers who emigrated to Suriname in 1843 are living in Surinam. And the new immigrant from the Netherlands or other parts of the world who have left their country to build a new life, or enjoy their old age pension in Surinam.

All these ethnic groups have their own cultural expressions, values and beliefs. Over the years the differences between these ethnic groups became smaller and smaller. Many are living in Paramaribo the capitol of Surinam. Living to getter made it possible that they are using each other habits and whereabouts. In the Herenstreet in Paramaribo the Mosque and Synagogue are standing side by side something you will not find in other parts of the world. Not everything in the multicultural society of Suriname is love and peace there is are also prejudices and misunderstandings, unlike the western world it gives little tension.