Suriname (original) (raw)

2017, The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives

Suriname, officially known as the Republic of Suriname, is located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America between Guyana and French Guyana. Present-day Suriname is known for its cultural, religious, ethnic, and linguistic diversity. Suriname is composed of 10 ethnic groups, including Hindustani (37%), Creole (31%), Javanese (15%), Maroons (10%), Amerindian (2%), Chinese (2%), White (1%), and others (2%), making up a total population of 573,311 (estimated in July 2014). It is a poor country; in 2012, 70% of the population lived below the poverty line and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ranked it 105 out of 187 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI). Minority groups are subjected to discrimination and malnutrition, with the Food and Agricultural Organization estimating that 15%–20% population of the country is undernourished.