Demographics
According to the 2004 census, Suriname had a population of 492,829 inhabitants. It is made up of several distinct ethnic groups.
- Amerindians, the original inhabitants of Suriname, form 3.7% of the population. The main groups being the Akuriyo, Arawak, Carib/Kaliña, Trío (Tiriyó), and Wayana. They live mainly in the districts of Paramaribo, Wanica, Maroni and Sipaliwini.
- Hindustani form the largest major group at 37% of the population. They are descendants of 19th-century contract workers from India. They are from the Indian states of Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, in Northern India, along the Nepali border.
- The Surinamese Creoles form the middle group 31% of the population. They are the mixed descendants of West African slaves and Europeans (mostly Dutch).
- The Javanese (descendants of contract workers from the former Dutch East Indies on the island of Java, Indonesia), form 15% of the population. mainly in Nickerie, Saramacca, Wanica, Paramaribo and Commewijne
- Surinamese Maroons (descendants of escaped West African slaves) make up 10% and are divided into five main groups: Ndyuka (Aucans), Kwinti, Matawai, Saramaccans and Paramaccans.
- Chinese, about 14,000 are descendants of the earliest 19th-century contract workers. The 1990s and early 21st century saw renewed immigration on a large scale. In the year 2011 there were over 40,000 Chinese in Suriname, including legal and illegal migrants.
- Whites, descendants of Dutch 19th-century immigrant farmers, Portuguese from Madeira and Lebanese (primarily Maronites) from the town of Bcharre, Lebanon. The descendants of Dutch immigrant farmers are known as "Boeroes" (derived from boer, the Dutch word for "farmer"). Most Boeroes left after independence in 1975.
- Jews, mainly descendants of Sephardic Jews and Ashkenazi Jews. In their history, Jodensavanne plays a major role. Many Jews are mixed with other populations.
- Brazilians, many of them gold miners. Most of the nearly 40,000 Brazilians living in Suriname arrived during the past several years.
The vast majority of people (about 90%) live in Paramaribo or on the coast. There is also a significant Surinamese population in the Netherlands. In 2005 there were 328,300 Surinamese people living in the Netherlands, which is about 2% of the total population of the Netherlands, compared to 438,000 Surinamese in Suriname itself.
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