Suriname Flag

The flag of Suriname consists of horizontal tri-bands of green on top and bottom, red sandwiched by white stripes. The red field has a large yellow five-pointed star at the center. The length to width ratio of the Suriname flag is 2:3. The green band is of double width while the red band is quadruple width. The flag became official on November 25, 1975, following the country’s independence.

The colors on the flag represent the different aspects of Suriname and the people’s aspirations. The green color at the top and bottom of the flag represents the country’s fertile landscape, opportunities, and hope for a better country. White symbolizes justice, freedom, and peace while the red field symbolizes love and progress. The yellow star at the center of the red field symbolizes the unit of the different ethnic groups, a golden future, and a spirit of sacrifice required from everyone for success or to achieve the goals set by the country.

The flag of Suriname was designed by Jacques Herman Pinas. Jacques’ design emerged the winner in a contest that was held by the then Minister-President Aron. The contest was held just before independence with Azimullah as the judging committee. The committee that was set up on June 17, 1975, received a total of 270 entries. Pinas’ design had a black star which was replaced with the yellow star despite the resistance from him. Once the flag was picked, the right to own the flag was taken away from Pinas. He might not have been rewarded for the design.

The pre-independent flag of Suriname used to feature five stars of different colors that were strung together. The colors were black, brown, golden, red, and white. The ellipse joining the stars stood for the smooth relationship enjoyed by the ethnic groups. The flag was made official in 1959 and was replaced by the current national flag.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Paramaribo
Languages	Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is the native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Ethnic Groups	Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 27.4%, "Maroon" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 21.7%, Creole (mixed white and black) 15.7%, Javanese 13.7%, mixed 13.4%, other 7.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2012 est.)
Religion	Protestant 23.6% (includes Evangelical 11.2%, Moravian 11.2%, Reformed .7%, Lutheran .5%), Hindu 22.3%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Muslim 13.8%, other Christian 3.2%, Winti 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 3.2% (2012 est.)
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
Area	163,820.00 km²
Water Area	7,820.00 km²
Land Area	156,000.00 km²
Population	585,824.00 Population concentrated along the nothern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
Location	Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
No. Bordering Countries	3
Bordering Countries	Brazil 515 km, French Guiana 556 km, Guyana 836 km
GDP(PPP)	$8,547,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$15,200.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and India.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are alumina, gold, crude oil, and lumber.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are the United States, the Netherlands, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include capital equipment, petroleum, and foodstuffs.
Climate	Arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year
Terrain	Mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Learn More	Suriname

Suriname Flag

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