Suriname Country Profile: Location, Religion, Ethnicity-Language, Regional Map

Suriname Country Profile: Location, Religion, Ethnicity-Language, Regional Map

Suriname City. photo/IStockphoto

Suriname is a country in South America. Check out the country profile of Suriname, history, religion of the population, language and ethnicity of Suriname below. 

tirto.id - Suriname is known as one of the smallest countries in South America. This country, which is located on the northern coast of South America, has a population with quite diverse ethnicities. 

The Britannica page states that Suriname was home to indigenous groups for thousands of years, such as the Arawak and Caribbean tribes. The Surinen people were also among the earliest inhabitants of Suriname and their name was adapted to become the name of the country. 

However, entering the 16th century, another group of Indians expelled Surinen. Surinen likely also migrated to other parts of the Guiana region which once included Suriname, Guyana, and French Guiana. 

Since Spain sent its envoys to visit Suriname in 1500, the region began to be approached by Europeans. However, attempts to establish European settlements often failed due to Indian resistance, including in the first half of the 17th century. 

It was not until 1651 that Europeans began to occupy Suriname. This was done by a group of English planters and their slaves. The Dutch fleet then captured the Suriname region in 1667. 

In exchange, the Dutch handed over New Amsterdam (now New York City, USA) to England. During the Dutch colonial period, Suriname was known as a plantation colony for commodity crops such as sugar, coffee, cocoa, cotton, indigo and wood during the 18th century. 

Issues regarding independence began to circulate after World War II. A number of political parties were founded in Suriname and organized based on ethnicity. People of South Asian and Indonesian descent are members of the United Reform Party (VHP). 

In 1948, universal suffrage was instituted in Suriname. Suriname also had autonomy to deal with its own domestic problems in 1954. After going through a political process, Suriname finally became independent as a country on November 25, 1975. 

Ethnic-Language and Religion of Suriname

Suriname has a population of around 500,000 people. Most of the population is divided into Creole, East Indian, Javanese and Maroon ethnicities. The existence of these ethnicities in Suriname originates from the colonial process. 

The influx of Europeans into Suriname made the region develop as a multiethnic and multilingual place. The English who established the plantation in 1651 imported slaves from the Caribbean and Africa. 

Slaves were forced to work on British plantations. These slaves then developed into the ancestors of the Creole ethnicity. After slavery was abolished in 1877, many ethnic Creoles lived in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. 

The abolition of slavery prompted the Dutch to recruit 34,000 plantation workers from East India until 1916. However, the British, who controlled the Indian territory, then prohibited their colonial people from being taken by the Dutch. 

The Dutch then shifted their focus to Java. Because it was its own colony, the Netherlands imported 33,000 people from Java to Suriname. This process of importing Javanese workers took place from the early to mid 20th century. 

A total of 8,400 Javanese workers in Suriname managed to return home as their contracts expired. However, quite a few also decide to settle in Suriname and raise a family there. 

Meanwhile, the Maroon ethnicity originates from a number of slaves who wanted to free themselves from the bonds of slavery in their hometowns in Africa. The number of ethnic Maroons who came to Suriname is around 7000 people. 

In terms of language, Surinamese people speak their own ethnic language. Ethnic Creoles will use "Sranan" language, East Indians will use Indian language, Javanese will use Javanese language, and Maroons will use "Saramaka", "Matawai", to "Ndjujka". 

This condition probably lasted until 1945. The reason was that the Dutch, as the colonizers of Suriname, did not want unity. The Dutch also implemented residential segregation based on ethnicity in Suriname. 

Dutch then became the official language in Suriname. However, not all Surinamese residents are fluent in this language. No wonder, they still use their respective ethnic languages ​​as their main language. 

The population of Suriname is mostly Christian. There are also Roman Catholics and Moravians in Suriname. For residents of South Asian descent, they are Hindu. 

Meanwhile, one-tenth and one-fifth of Suriname's population is Muslim. The majority of them are Javanese and a small number are South Asian. 

There are also Confucians among the Chinese community. Religions from Africa and India are still religions widely followed by the Surinamese population. 

Geographical Location of the Country of Suriname

As a country located in South America, Suriname borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north. They are also adjacent to French Guiana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Guyana to the west. 

Suriname was involved in a territorial dispute with Guyana and French Guiana. The dispute with Guyana takes place in the New River Triangle, an area covering 15,600 square kilometers and flanked by two tributaries of the Courantyne River on Guyana's southern side. 

Apart from that, Suriname also disputes their border with Guyana along the Courantyne river. Suriname claims that the entire Counrantyne River is within its territory. Meanwhile, Guyana considers the river as the boundary between the two countries. 

The dispute between Suriname and Guyana was brought to the UN international court in 2007. The problem was resolved at the highest forum after Suriname was given sovereignty over a third of the disputed Caribbean Sea area. 

On the other hand, Suriname's dispute with French Guiana covers an area of 13,000 square km. The region is between the Itany and Marouini rivers in the southwest corner of French Guiana. 

Suriname Country Map

The following is a map of the country of Suriname:

Profil Negara Suriname: Letak, Agama, Etnis-Bahasa, Peta Wilayah

Kota Suriname. foto/IStockphoto

Suriname merupakan negara di kawasan Amerika Selatan. Simak profil negara Suriname, sejarah, agama penduduk, bahasa dan etnis Suriname di bawah ini.

tirto.id - Suriname dikenal sebagai salah satu negara terkecil di Amerika Selatan. Negara yang terletak di pesisir utara Amerika Selatan ini memiliki populasi dengan etnis yang cukup beragam.

Laman Britannica menyebut bahwa Suriname pernah menjadi rumah bagi kelompok penduduk asli selama ribuan tahun, seperti Suku Arawak dan Karibia. Suku Surinen juga termasuk kelompok penghuni awal Suriname dan namanya diadaptasi menjadi nama negara tersebut.

Akan tetapi, memasuki abad ke-16, sekelompok bangsa Indian lain mengusir Surinen. Surinen kemungkinan juga bermigrasi ke bagian lain wilayah Guyana yang dulu meliputi Suriname, Guyana, dan Guyana Prancis.

Sejak Spanyol mengirim utusannya untuk mengunjungi Suriname pada 1500, wilayah tersebut mulai didekati bangsa Eropa. Namun, upaya untuk mendirikan pemukiman Eropa kerap gagal karena perlawanan bangsa Indian, termasuk di paruh pertama abad ke-17.

Baru pada 1651, orang Eropa mulai menduduki Suriname. Hal itu dilakukan oleh sekelompok pekebun Inggris dan budak-budak mereka. Armada Belanda kemudian merebut wilayah Suriname pada 1667.

Sebagai gantinya, Belanda menyerahkan New Amsterdam (kini kota New York, AS) untuk Inggris. Di masa penjajahan Belanda, Suriname dikenal sebagai koloni perkebunan untuk tanaman komoditas seperti gula, kopi, kakao, kapas, nila, dan kayu selama abad ke-18.

Isu mengenai kemerdekaan mulai berhembus selepas Perang Dunia II. Sejumlah partai politik dididirkan di Suriname dan diorganisir berdasarkan etnis. Penduduk keturunan dari Asia Selatan dan Indonesia tergabung dalam Partai Persatuan Reformasi (VHP).

Pada 1948, hak pilih universal mulai dilembagakan di Suriname. Otonomi untuk mengurus persoalan dalam negeri sendiri juga telah dimiliki Suriname pada 1954. Usai melalui proses politik, Suriname akhirnya merdeka sebagai negara pada tanggal 25 November 1975.

Etnis-Bahasa & Agama Suriname

Suriname memiliki penduduk sekitar 500.000 jiwa. Hampir sebagian besar penduduk terbagi ke dalam etnis Creole, India Timur, Jawa, dan Maroon. Keberadaan etnis-etnis ini di Suriname berasal dari proses penjajahan.

Masuknya bangsa Eropa ke Suriname membuat wilayah tersebut berkembang sebagai tempat multietnis dan multibahasa. Orang-orang Inggris yang mendirikan perkebunan pada 1651 mengimpor budak asal Karibia dan Afrika.

Para budak dipekerjakan secara paksa di perkebunan milik orang Inggris. Budak-budak ini lantas berkembang menjadi nenek moyang etnis Creole. Setelah perbudakan dihapus pada 1877, banyak etnis Creole tinggal di Paramaribo, ibu kota Suriname.

Penghapusan perbudakan memicu Belanda merekrut 34.000 pekerja perkebunan dari India Timur hingga tahun 1916. Hanya saja, Inggris yang menguasai wilayah India, kemudian melarang masyarat jajahan mereka diambil Belanda.

Belanda lantas mengalihkan fokus ke Jawa. Karena merupakan koloni sendiri, Belanda mengimpor 33.000 penduduk asal Jawa ke Suriname. Proses pengimporan buruh Jawa ini berlangsung sejak awal sampai pertengahan abad 20.

Sebanyak 8.400 pekerja Jawa di Suriname berhasil pulang seiring dengan habisnya kontrak mereka. Namun, tak sedikit pula yang memutuskan untuk menetap di Suriname dan membangun keluarga di sana.

Sementara itu, etnis Maroon berasal dari sejumlah budak yang ingin membebaskan ikatan perbudakan di kampung halaman mereka di Afrika. Jumlah etnis Maroon yang datang ke Suriname sekitar 7000 jiwa.

Dari segi bahasa, penduduk Suriname bertutur dengan bahasa etnis mereka sendiri. Etnis Creole akan menggunakan bahasa "Sranan", India Timur memakai bahasa India, Jawa dengan bahasa Jawa, dan Maroon memakai bahasa "Saramaka", "Matawai", hingga "Ndjujka".

Kondisi ini kemungkinan berlangsung hingga tahun 1945. Pasalnya, Belanda, selaku penjajah Suriname, tak menghendaki adanya persatuan. Belanda juga melakukan pemisahan tempat tinggal berdasar etnis di Suriname.

Bahasa Belanda lantas menjadi bahasa resmi di Suriname.

Kendati begitu, tak semua penduduk Suriname fasih dengan bahasa tersebut. Tak ayal, mereka masih menggunakan bahasa etnis masing-masing sebagai bahasa utama.

Penduduk Suriname sebagian besar memeluk agama Kristen. Ada pula umat Katolik Roma dan Moravia di Suriname. Untuk penduduk keturunan Asia Selatan, mereka beragama Hindu.

Sementara itu, sepersepuluh dan seperlima penduduk Suriname beragama Islam. Mayoritas dari mereka adalah orang Jawa dan sebagian kecil merupakan orang Asia Selatan.

Terdapat pula penganut Konghucu di antara komunitas Tionghoa. Adapun agama dari Afrika dan India juga masih menjadi agama yang dianut penduduk Suriname secara luas.

Letak Geografis Negara Suriname

Sebagai negara yang berada di dalam kawasan Amerika Selatan, Suriname berbatasan dengan Samudra Atlantik di sebelah utara. Mereka juga bersebelahan dengan Guyana Prancis di timur, Brasil di selatan, dan Guyana di sisi barat.

Suriname sempat terlibat dalam sengketa wilayah dengan Guyana dan Guyana Prancis. Pertikaian dengan Guyana terjadi di Segitiga Sungai Baru, sebuah wilayah seluas 15.600 km persegi dan diapit dua anak sungai Courantyne di sisi selatan Guyana.

Selain itu, Suriname juga menyoal perbatasan mereka dengan Guyana di sepanjang sungai Courantyne. Suriname mengaku bahwa seluruh sungai Counrantyne termasuk wiayahnya. Sementara Guyana menganggap sungai tersebut sebagai batas antar kedua negara tersebut.

Kasus sengketa Suriname dan Guyana dibawa ke pengadilan internasional PBB pada 2007. Masalah selesai di forum tertinggi itu setelah Suriname diberi kedaulatan atas sepertiga wilayah Laut Karibia yang disengketakan.

Di sisi lain, sengketa Suriname dengan Guyana Prancis mencakup sebuah wilayah seluas 13.000 km persegi. Wilayah itu berada di antara sungai Itany dan Marouini di sudut barat daya Guyana Prancis.

Peta Wilayah Negara Suriname

Berikut adalah peta wilayah negara Suriname: