Suriname Child Awareness Day Imagine me... partnering with United Caribbean Trust promoting children's health education and child sponsorship in Suriname

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, (often incorrectly written as Surinam) is a country in northern South America. In native language it is called Sranang. It was formerly known as Nederlands Guyana, Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana. It lies in between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west. The southern border is shared with Brazil and the northern border is the Atlantic coast. The southernmost borders with Guyana and French Guiana are disputed (upper Corantijn and Marowijne rivers; the map shows the Guyana and French Guiana versions of the border). The country is the smallest sovereign state in terms of area and population in South America.

Capital (and largest city) Paramaribo
5°50'N, 55°10'W
Official languages Dutch
Government Constitutional democracy
- President Ronald Venetiaan
Independence from the Netherlands
- Date November 25, 1975
Area
- Total 163,820 km² (91st)
63,251 sq mi
- Water (%) 1.1
Population
- July 2005 estimate 449,888 (170th)
- 2004 census 487,024
- Density 2.7 /km² (223rd)
7.0 /sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate
- Total $2.898 billion (161st)
- Per capita $5,683 (99th)
HDI (2003) 0.759 (medium) (89th)
Currency Surinamese dollar (SRD)
Time zone ART (UTC-3)
- Summer (DST) not observed (UTC-3)
Internet TLD .sr
Calling code +597

Coat of arms of Suriname

On 25 November, 1975 the independent Republic of Suriname adopted an official coat of arms. The motto reads Justitia - Pietas - Fides (Justice - Piety - Loyalty). It further constists of two natives who carry a shield. The left half of the shield symbolizes the past, as slaves were abducted via ship out of Africa. The right half, the side of the present, shows a Royal Palm, also the symbol of a just person {"The just person should blossom like a palm"). The diamond in the middle is the stylized form of the heart, which is regarded as the organ of love. The points of the diamond show the four directions of the wind. Inside the diamond is a five-pointed star. This star symbolizes the five continents from which the inhabitants of Suriname migrated: Africa, America, Australia, Asia, and Europe.