Surinamese people
Encyclopedia
Surinamese people are the inhabitants of Suriname
or people of Surinamese descent. Suriname had formerly been the colony of Dutch Guiana
which was founded during the early 17th century. Following Suriname's independence in 1975, many Surinamers migrated to the Netherlands
. A second wave of migrants relocated to the Netherlands during the 1980s while Suriname was under the military regime of Dési Bouterse
.
The seventh census of Suriname in 2004 reported the following:
, Wanica and Nickerie
. The least populated county is Sipaliwini, which covers most of the nation's interior and is sparsely inhabited. More than half of the population lives in and around the capital.
and the majority of which have been successfully integrated into Dutch society.
During the colonial era there was frequent migration between the Netherlands and Dutch Guiana. Initially this was mainly the colonial elite but expanded during the 1920s and 30s to the less fortunate inhabitants looking for better education, employment, or other opportunity.
6% of Netherlanders of Chinese descent
can trace their ancestry through Suriname
. Most of them are Hakka people
.
, Sranan Tongo
(Surinamese language), the Sarnami (Surinamese Hindi), the Javanese language
, different Maroon Languages (especially Saramaccan), and the Chinese language
. Since most Surinamese people are multilingual (for instance the Dutch and Surinamese language), it is not easy for people to share in a particular language group.
According to the results of the seventh general population and housing census, which was held in 2004, Dutch is the most spoken home language in Suriname. In over 70% of households Dutch is spoken as the first or second language. Sranan Tongo is spoken primarily as a second language in 46% of households, along with 22% Sarnami Hindustani and 11% Javanese.
is the official language of Suriname and the first language of at least 60% of the population. As such, Suriname is a member of the Dutch Language Union
. It is the official language of government, education, marketing, media, and in everyday communication.
is Sranan Tongo
, which literally means "Surinamese language." It was originally the language of the Creole population, but is now widely understood and even spoken by much of the populace (an estimated 90% of the Surinamese population can speak the language). Sranan Tongo is linguistically a creole language
, and has mainly been confined to a spoken language throughout its history, though it has grown in literary usage during the last decade.
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
or people of Surinamese descent. Suriname had formerly been the colony of Dutch Guiana
Dutch Guiana
Dutch Guiana, also known as Netherlands Guyana or Dutch Guyana , is the name given to various Dutch colonies on the northern coast of South America, created by the Dutch West India Company...
which was founded during the early 17th century. Following Suriname's independence in 1975, many Surinamers migrated to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. A second wave of migrants relocated to the Netherlands during the 1980s while Suriname was under the military regime of Dési Bouterse
Dési Bouterse
Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse is the 9th and current President of Suriname.As an army officer, he was the de facto leader of Suriname through most of the 1980s, serving as Chairman of the National Military Council...
.
Composition
The population of Suriname is a mixture of different ethnic groups:- AmerindiansIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, the original inhabitants of Suriname, form 3.7% of the population. The main groups being the Akuriyo, Arawak, Carib/KaliñaKalinaKalina may refer to:feminine given name:* Kalinapeople* Noah Kalina, American photographer* Robert Kalina, Austrian banknote designer* Václav Kalina, Czech footballerplaces* Kalina, a geographical location in Mumbai...
, Trío (TiriyóTiriyóThe Tiriyó usually call themselves tarëno, etymologically 'people from here, local people'. They are approximately 2,000 and live in several major villages and a number of minor villages in the border zone between Brazil and Suriname...
), and WayanaWayanaThe Wayana are a Carib-speaking people located in the south-eastern part of the Guiana highlands, a region divided between Brazil, Surinam, and French Guiana...
. They live mainly in the districts of ParamariboParamariboParamaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
, Wanica, MaroniMaroniMaroni is village located in the Larnaca District of Cyprus....
and Sipaliwini. - HindoestanenHindoestanenThe Hindoestanen are an ethnic group of South Asian origin in the Netherlands and Suriname. After the Dutch government signed a treaty with the United Kingdom on the recruitment of contract workers, the Hindoestanen began migrating to Suriname in 1873 from what was then British India as indentured...
form the largest major group at 33% of the population. They are descendants of nineteenth-century contract workers from IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They are from the Indian states of BiharBiharBihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and Eastern Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, in Northern India, along the NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
i border. - The CreolesSurinamese Creole peopleSurinamese Creole people are the inhabitants of Suriname with one or more ancestors of Black African descent. The Surinamese Creole culture is a fusion of various African cultures with indigenous and European influences. The traditional garment of the Creoles in Suriname, the koto with the anjisa...
form the middle group 31% of the population. They are the mixed descendants of West African slaves and Europeans (mostly Dutch). - The JavaneseJavanese SurinameseJavanese Surinamese are an ethnic group present in Suriname since the late 19th century, whose first members were selected by the Dutch colonizers from the former Dutch Indies...
(descendants of contract workers from the former Dutch East IndiesDutch East IndiesThe Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
on the island of JavaJavaJava is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, Indonesia) make up 15% (close to 90,000) of the population. - MaroonsMaroon (people)Maroons were runaway slaves in the West Indies, Central America, South America, and North America, who formed independent settlements together...
(descendants of escaped West African slaves) make up 10% and are divided into five main groups: NdyukaNdyukaNdyuka , also called Aukan, Okanisi, Ndyuka tongo, Aukaans, Businenge Tongo, Eastern Maroon Creole, or Nenge is a creole language of Suriname, spoken by the Ndyuka people. Most of the 25 to 30 thousand speakers live in the interior of the country, which is a part of the country covered with...
(Aucans), KwintiKwintiThe Kwinti are an ethnic group living in the forested interior of Suriname on the bank of the Coppename River, and the eponymous term for their language, which has less than 1,000 speakers. The language is English-based with Portuguese and other influences. It is similar to the languages spoken by...
, Matawai, SaramaccanSaramakaThe Saramaka or Saramacca are one of six Maroon peoples in the Republic of Suriname. The word "Maroon" comes from the Spanish cimarrón, itself derived from an Arawakan root; by the early 16th century it was used throughout the Americas to designate slaves who successfully escaped from slavery.-...
s and ParamaccanParamaccanThe Paramaccan are an ethnic group living in the forested interior of Suriname, mainly in the Marowijne District, and the eponymous term for their language, which has less than 1,000 speakers. The language is English-based with influences from Portuguese and other languages. It is similar to the...
s. - ChineseChinese SurinameseChinese Surinamese are residents of Suriname with a Chinese background. Chinese Surinamese are a small part of the Surinamese people. The majority of the Chinese Surinamese consider Hakka, Dongguan or Meixian as their ancestral homes....
, mainly descendants of the earliest nineteenth-century contract workers, 1.8% and number about 14,000. - Boeroes (derived from boer, the DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
word for farmer) are descendants of Dutch nineteenth-century immigrant farmers. Most Boeroes left after independence in 1975. - JewsJewsThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, mainly descendants of Sephardic Jews and Ashkenazi JewsAshkenazi JewsAshkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
. In their history plays JodensavanneJodensavanneJodensavanne was an attempt to establish an autonomous Jewish territory in Suriname, South America.Jodensavanne is located in Para District, about 50 km south of the capital Paramaribo, on the Suriname River....
a major role. Many Jews are mixed with other populations. - LebaneseLebanese peopleThe Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
, those are Surinamese people from the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, they are for the most part Bcharre and MaronitesMaronitesMaronites , is an ethnoreligious group in the Middle East that have been historically tied with Lebanon. They derive their name from the Syriac saint Mar Maron whose followers moved to Mount Lebanon from northern Syria establishing the Maronite Church....
in LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. In Suriname, they prefer to call themselves Phoenicians. They are predominantly Roman Catholics. - Brazilians, many of them gold miners. Most of the nearly 40,000 Brazilians living in Suriname arrived during the past several years.
The seventh census of Suriname in 2004 reported the following:
- 27.4% Hindustani,
- 17.7% Creole
- 14.6% Javanese (Southeast Asians)
- 12.5% Mixed descent
- 10.7% Maroons
- 9% White
- 2% Chinese
- 2% Amerindian
Population
Most of the approximate 500,000 inhabitants live in the north of the country, in the districts of ParamariboParamaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
, Wanica and Nickerie
Nickerie
Nickerie may refer to one of the following locations in Suriname:* Nickerie District* Nickerie River...
. The least populated county is Sipaliwini, which covers most of the nation's interior and is sparsely inhabited. More than half of the population lives in and around the capital.
In the Netherlands
Approximately 350,000 individuals of Surinamese descent live in the Netherlands, having variably arrived following Surinames independence in 1975, after the military coup of 1980, or after the December murders on 1982. Surinamers continued to migrate to the Netherlands throughout the 1990s because of the then poor economic situation in Suriname. Most Surinamese people in the Netherlands have a Dutch passportDutch passport
A Dutch passport is issued to citizens of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for the purpose of international travel. As the Netherlands only distinguish one category of citizen , for all countries in the Kingdom, passports are the same for all four countries...
and the majority of which have been successfully integrated into Dutch society.
During the colonial era there was frequent migration between the Netherlands and Dutch Guiana. Initially this was mainly the colonial elite but expanded during the 1920s and 30s to the less fortunate inhabitants looking for better education, employment, or other opportunity.
6% of Netherlanders of Chinese descent
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
can trace their ancestry through Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
. Most of them are Hakka people
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
.
Language
In Suriname there are no less than twenty languages spoken. Most Surinamers are multilingual. In terms of numbers of speakers are the main languages in Suriname, successively the Dutch languageDutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, Sranan Tongo
Sranan Tongo
Sranan is a creole language spoken as a lingua franca by approximately 300,000 people in Suriname...
(Surinamese language), the Sarnami (Surinamese Hindi), the Javanese language
Javanese language
Javanese language is the language of the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, in Indonesia. In addition, there are also some pockets of Javanese speakers in the northern coast of western Java...
, different Maroon Languages (especially Saramaccan), and the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
. Since most Surinamese people are multilingual (for instance the Dutch and Surinamese language), it is not easy for people to share in a particular language group.
According to the results of the seventh general population and housing census, which was held in 2004, Dutch is the most spoken home language in Suriname. In over 70% of households Dutch is spoken as the first or second language. Sranan Tongo is spoken primarily as a second language in 46% of households, along with 22% Sarnami Hindustani and 11% Javanese.
| Spoken language per household in Suriname, 2004 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Most spoken home language | Second home language | % | Number | % | Number | % | |||
| Dutch | 57.577 | 46.6 | 29.163 | 23.6 | 86.740 | 70.3 | ||||
| Sranan Tongo | 11.105 | 9.0 | 45.634 | 37.0 | 56.739 | 46.0 | ||||
| Sarnami Hindustani | 19.513 | 15.8 | 8.121 | 6.6 | 27.634 | 22.4 | ||||
| Javanese | 6.895 | 5.6 | 6.846 | 5.5 | 13.741 | 11.1 | ||||
| Maroon languages | 18.797 | 15.2 | 2.493 | 2.0 | 21.290 | 17.2 | ||||
| Other languages | 6.501 | 5.3 | 4.030 | 3.3 | 10.531 | 8.5 | ||||
| No second home language | - | - | 23.754 | 19.2 | ||||||
| Unknown | 3.075 | 2.5 | 3.422 | 2.8 | ||||||
| Total | 123.463 | 100.0 | 123.463 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Source: Seventh general population and housing census 2004, Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek | ||||||||||
Dutch
DutchDutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
is the official language of Suriname and the first language of at least 60% of the population. As such, Suriname is a member of the Dutch Language Union
Dutch Language Union
The Dutch Language Union is an international institution for discussing issues regarding the Dutch language. It was founded on 9 September 1980 by the Netherlands and Belgium...
. It is the official language of government, education, marketing, media, and in everyday communication.
Sranan Tongo
The lingua francaLingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
is Sranan Tongo
Sranan Tongo
Sranan is a creole language spoken as a lingua franca by approximately 300,000 people in Suriname...
, which literally means "Surinamese language." It was originally the language of the Creole population, but is now widely understood and even spoken by much of the populace (an estimated 90% of the Surinamese population can speak the language). Sranan Tongo is linguistically a creole language
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
, and has mainly been confined to a spoken language throughout its history, though it has grown in literary usage during the last decade.
Overview
An overview of the languages spoken in Suriname, with the number of native speakers (rough estimate, double counting by two-or multilingualism)- Languages of AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
- Sarnami Hindustani (150,000), Surinamese variant of the Caribbean HindustaniCaribbean HindustaniCaribbean Hindustani is a dialect of Bhojpuri spoken in Suriname, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. These three countries put an adjective before the name of the language, so that the local language variant is known for instance as "Sarnami Hindoestani" in Suriname...
, which emerged from and is related to the Indo-AryanIndo-Aryan languagesThe Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
Bihari languages, especially Bhojpuri, spoken in the current IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
se states Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and BiharBiharBihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. - JavaneseJavanese languageJavanese language is the language of the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, in Indonesia. In addition, there are also some pockets of Javanese speakers in the northern coast of western Java...
(60,000) - ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
(12,000) - Lebanese-Arabic (small number of speakers)
- Sarnami Hindustani (150,000), Surinamese variant of the Caribbean Hindustani
- Creole languages:
- Sranan TongoSranan TongoSranan is a creole language spoken as a lingua franca by approximately 300,000 people in Suriname...
or Surinamese language (120,000) - Saramaccan (12,500)
- MatawaiMatawaiMatawai can refer to one of several things:*Matawai , an ethnic group from Suriname*Matawai language, the language of Suriname's Matawai people*Matawai, New Zealand, a settlement in New Zealand's North Island...
(2000). - Aucan or NdyukaNdyukaNdyuka , also called Aukan, Okanisi, Ndyuka tongo, Aukaans, Businenge Tongo, Eastern Maroon Creole, or Nenge is a creole language of Suriname, spoken by the Ndyuka people. Most of the 25 to 30 thousand speakers live in the interior of the country, which is a part of the country covered with...
(15,500), including ParamaccanParamaccanThe Paramaccan are an ethnic group living in the forested interior of Suriname, mainly in the Marowijne District, and the eponymous term for their language, which has less than 1,000 speakers. The language is English-based with influences from Portuguese and other languages. It is similar to the...
and BoniBoni-Places:* Bone state, vassal state of the government of Celebes, Dutch East Indies* Boni, Haire, a town in Mali* Boni, Korarou, a town in Mali* Boni MRT Station, a train station in Manila, Philippines-Other:* Boni , a 2009 Telugu film...
or Aloekoe - KwintiKwintiThe Kwinti are an ethnic group living in the forested interior of Suriname on the bank of the Coppename River, and the eponymous term for their language, which has less than 1,000 speakers. The language is English-based with Portuguese and other influences. It is similar to the languages spoken by...
(small number of speakers)
- Sranan Tongo
- Languages of America, divided into three language families:
- The Karaïben, the KalinaKalinaKalina may refer to:feminine given name:* Kalinapeople* Noah Kalina, American photographer* Robert Kalina, Austrian banknote designer* Václav Kalina, Czech footballerplaces* Kalina, a geographical location in Mumbai...
or Karaïbisch (2000), the Trio and WayanaWayanaThe Wayana are a Carib-speaking people located in the south-eastern part of the Guiana highlands, a region divided between Brazil, Surinam, and French Guiana...
(together 600 speakers) - Arowak languages: Lokono (Arowaks, 1200)
- The Karaïben, the Kalina
- Languages of EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
- DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
(300,000) - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, mainly as a second language - Brazilian PortugueseBrazilian PortugueseBrazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects written and spoken by most of the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a few million Brazilian emigrants, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay....
, an estimated 40,000 speakers.
- Dutch
Religion
The following religious statistics have been reported as of 2010:- 48% ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
(25.2% ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
and 22.8% Roman Catholic) - 27.4% HinduismHinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
(Sanatana Dharma and Arya Samaj) - 19.6% IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(SunniSunni IslamSunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
and AhmadiyyaAhmadiyyaAhmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
) - 5% Indigenous or animist