🇸🇷 What Language Do They Speak in Suriname?
The short answer
Suriname's official language is Dutch — it is the only country in South America where Dutch is spoken by the majority. Sranan Tongo, an English-based creole, serves as the informal lingua franca between the country's many communities.
Worth knowing
- ●Suriname is a full member of the Dutch Language Union alongside the Netherlands and Flanders
- ●Sarnami Hindustani and Javanese are widely spoken thanks to 19th-century contract labour migration
- ●Most Surinamese switch between Dutch and Sranan Tongo daily
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