Discover Suriname: Top 10 Fun Facts Unveiling the Hidden Gems of This Unique Country

1. Linguistic Smoothie

Suriname's linguistic landscape is like a linguistic smoothie, blending Dutch, Sranan, and a dash of local languages to create a tantalizing polyglot concoction: In this South American nation, Dutch serves as the language of government and education, but only 60% of the population claim it as their mother tongue, while the majority speak Sranan, an English-based creole, and numerous indigenous languages coexist alongside.
Source => ucl.ac.uk

2. Wooden Wonderland

If you've always dreamt of going Dutch but ended up with wooden shoes instead of windmills, worry not, for Suriname has you covered in timber wonder: Paramaribo, the country's capital, boasts the largest wooden structure in the Western Hemisphere - the 19th century St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, part of UNESCO's World Heritage List, and making up for those ill-fitting clogs with splendid Dutch colonial-style architecture.
Source => grin.com

Discover the incredible strength of Guyana's Victoria Regia Lilies, with leaves that grow up to 10 feet in diameter and can carry hundreds of pounds! Explore the alluring aroma that attracts pollinators and learn about the threats to its survival in the Amazonian region. 🌺💪🍍

=> Fun Facts about Guyana

3. Tarzan's Dream

If Tarzan went house hunting, Suriname would undoubtedly be his dream location: boasting over 15.2 million hectares of dense forest, it's one of the greenest countries on the planet, with its lush jungles acting as a carbon sink and making it a carbon-negative nation. The country cherishes this environmental gem, dedicating 13.5% of its land to a protective system and actively working to maintain its High Forest cover, Low Deforestation rate (HFLD) status through sustainable forest management (SFM).
Source => timbertradeportal.com

4. Pothole Adventures

When life in Suriname gives you potholes: drive up your hilarious adventure skills! The country's rainy seasons from mid-November to January and April to July gift its city streets with generously sized potholes, amplifying the challenge of driving around. Strap in, buckle up, and pilot your urban exploration rig with caution, employing that trusty seatbelt to ensure hilarity remains unharmed.
Source => countryreports.org

5. Curry in a Hurry

In a culinary showdown that would make even the Spice Girls envious, Suriname's Chicken Roti steals the spotlight with its hit single, "Curry in a Hurry": This scrumptious flavor symphony brings together Indian spices, Surinamese long beans or green beans, and a sultry Mme Jeanette pepper, serenading taste buds and taking center stage as the country's national dish among a diverse and flavorful food scene.
Source => apinchofsaffron.nl

6. Rule of 300%

In the land of the dutiful worker and the rule of 300%: Suriname actually has a staggering total of 15 public holidays; however, the business community and some social organizations are currently in talks to reduce the number due to the high cost of paying their employees three times their usual daily wage for working during these holidays!
Source => stabroeknews.com

7. Nature's Symphony

If the symphony of nature could have a stage, the Blanche Marie Vallen would surely be its Carnegie Hall: This stunning waterfall in Suriname stretches over 100 meters along the Nickerie River and can be accessed via boat from Nickerie city or a daring 14-hour car expedition into the wild heart of west Suriname, serenading you with the harmonies of rainforest birds and animals.
Source => peterflorczak.com

8. Tetris Streets

If you've ever played Tetris with the streets of Paramaribo, you might just stumble upon an architectural gem that's got UNESCO's stamp of approval: The capital's Historic Inner City District was laid out by the Dutch in the 18th century with a grid pattern, and its charming colonial buildings earned it World Heritage site status in 2002.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

9. Suriname Soap Opera

In a land where "keeping it in the family" runs deeper than any soap opera, with spiritual selection processes that make reality TV seem like child's play: Suriname's maroon villages have impressively low crime rates, thanks to their traditional hierarchy, with paramount chiefs known as granman, Kapiteins (Kabiten), and local leaders receiving public salaries, all accountable to the district commissioner.
Source => surinameafricanheritage.wordpress.com

10. Polyglot Party

If you think your high school language club was diverse, wait 'til you hear about the polyglot party that is Suriname: Dutch may be their official language, but over 20 languages coexist here, including Sranan Tongo, Sarnami Hindustani, Javanese, and Maroon languages like Saramaccan and Aukan – now that's a linguistic jamboree!
Source => en.wikipedia.org