Suriname is one of the smallest countries in the world. Its population of only 471,000 ranks it as 171st in the world. In 1616, Suriname became a Dutch colony and is the only country in North or South America that has Dutch as its official language. Following are some interesting facts about this tiny country.

Sports: By far, the most popular sport in Suriname is soccer (called football). This small country generally competes in most international soccer tournaments and for a country of its small size, performs rather well. Other popular sports include rugby and basketball.

Tourism: Suriname offers much to the tourist. Ecotourists can enjoy one of the 11 nature preserves, most of which have lush rainforests. Most of these preserves are located in the in the Amazon jungles. Beautiful beaches dot its Atlantic coast and its only city (Paramaribo) has modern amenities. Additionally, a tourist can also visit the beautiful historic plantations in the interior of the country.

Hiking: A popular attraction for the adventure seeking tourist is hiking Mount Kasikasima. It generally takes 12 to 13 days of hiking and camping through savanna and rain forest to complete this excursion.

Did you know that: 75% of the country is rainforest? Suriname has two rainy and two dry seasons each year? Even though Suriname is in South America, it is still considered a Caribbean nation? It is about the size of the state of Louisiana?

Recent history: Suriname received independence from the Netherlands in 1975. A series of coups and counter coups ensued over the next 15 years. In 1991, the country returned to a democratically elected government and has remained stable ever since.

Languages: The official language is Dutch, but English is widely spoken. Also the native Suriname language, Sranang Tongo (sometimes called Taki-Taki) is still widely spoken. Additionally, a Caribbean Hindi dialect is commonly spoken among the Hindu population. A total of 11 different languages are spoken here, but Spanish is not one of them.

Economy: The local economy is dominated by natural resource mining. Aluminum, bauxite, gold and oil account for almost 75% of the country’s economic output. Most of the rest comes from tourism and agriculture.

Agriculture: Suriname’s main crops include rice, bananas, coconuts and peanuts. Suriname is also known for its excellent beef and shrimp.

Drinks: A popular drink is Dawet. Dawet is a combination of coconut milk, water, sugar, lemongrass and holy basil seeds. Another drink is gemberbier (ginger beer), which is a beer made from the root of the ginger plant.

Suriname is a beautiful country that offers much to the American tourist. It has beautiful beaches, lush rain forests and rugged mountain trails. It is not a well known vacation destination, but it is increasing in popularity.

Sources: wikipedia, destination360.com, CIA factbook, gosouthamerica.com.