Suriname has an extraordinary ethnic variety deriving from Dutch colonization, the importation of African slaves and an influx of indentured laborers from India and Indonesia. Its capital is rich with Dutch colonial architecture and there's a well-ordered system of nature parks and reserves. The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry. Suriname lies on the northern coast of South America, squeezed in between Guyana and French Guiana to the west and east, and Brazil to the south.

Area: 163,270 sq km

Population: 436,500

Capital: Paramaribo

People: 35% East Indian, 32% Afro-Surinamese, 15% Indonesian, 10% Maroons (descendants of ex-slaves who inhabit the upland forests), 2% Amerindians, 2% Chinese

Language: Dutch, English, Hindi, Javanese, Chinese,

Religion: 27% Hindu, 25% Protestant, 23% Roman Catholic, 20% Muslim

Government: Constitutional Democracy

GDP: US$1.48 billion

Major Industries: Bauxite, aluminum, palm oil, shrimp and fish

Major Trading Partners: Norway, the Netherlands, US, and France