The negotiations would determine the destiny of not only these two countries but also that of the United States. The Dutch decided to keep the plantation colony of Suriname that they had won from the English, and the English were able to keep the city of New Amsterdam in North America, which they would then rename New York City.

Suriname would be under Dutch control until it gained its independence in 1975. Suriname is the only country in South America whose official language is Dutch. 60% of the population speak it as their native tongue. Sranan Tongo is the second most used language and is a creole language based in Dutch and English.

The demographics of Suriname may be the most diverse of any nation in South America. The reason behind this is the huge amounts of slaves and workers that the Dutch brought in to work first the plantations, and later the mines of the country. Of a population of over half a million, 37% claim to be of African descent. 27% are East Indian people that came from certain South Asian Islands under Dutch rule. 14% claim to be Javanese descendants of workers brought over from Indonesia. Another large population block found in Suriname is Chinese. There are over 40,000 Chinese that call Suriname home.

Religion is just as diverse as the ethnicities of the country.

• Christianity 48.4%
• Hinduism 22.3%
• Islam 13.9%
• Unaffiliated 10.7%

The Christians are divided about evenly between Catholics and certain Protestant denominations.

There have been Baptist missionaries in the past in Suriname, and there are some still working faithfully preaching the Gospel and establishing churches there. There are several Baptist churches in the capital where about half the country’s population resides. Much needs to be done in reaching the smaller towns as well as the jungle villages in the interior. Will you pray with us that God would raise up more laborers for this very unique country?