A republic in the north of South America, bordered on the west by GUYANA (British Guiana) and on the east by FRENCH GUIANA. Its capital is Paramaribo. It was formerly called Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana or Surinam. Suriname was first settled by the English in 1651 but was ceded to the Dutch by treaty in 1667. It became an autonomous territory under the Dutch crown in 1954 and gained independence in 1975. The country was named for the Surinam River but the meaning of that name is uncertain. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p1167 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p526)

Annotation

in So. Amer; entry terms NETHERLANDS GUIANA, and DUTCH GUIANA were former names; in translations use American spelling Suriname, not Surinam

v Jižní Americe; dřívějsí název byl Nizozemská Guyana

DUI

D013532 MeSH Browser

CUI

M0020907

History note

81; was SURINAM 1963-80

Online note

use SURINAME to search SURINAM 1966-80