Suriname

Did you know?

• 🇳🇱The only country in South America where the official language is Dutch — a legacy of its colonial past as Dutch Guiana. Dutch is still used in laws, TV broadcasts and schools, even though the entire continent around it speaks Spanish or Portuguese.
• 🌳Forests cover more than 90% of Suriname's land area, including large stretches of tropical rainforest.
• 🔄Traded for New York — in 1667 under the Treaty of Breda, the Dutch handed New Amsterdam to the British (who promptly renamed it New York) in exchange for Suriname. At the time it looked like a brilliant deal for the Dutch, since Suriname was a goldmine of valuable sugarcane.
• 🕌🕍 In Paramaribo, the Keizerstraat Mosque stands next to the Neveh Shalom Synagogue, reflecting the city's diverse religious heritage.