Suriname : A Culturally Diverse Country Welcomes Investment.

Suriname is South America's smallest country, a little known nation, with a growing economy and tremendous potential. Because of the growing economy, political stability, Suriname has become a very interesting nation for investors. Michel Brahim, Chairman of Board of Directors of the Fernandes Group, the 3rd largest private employer says: "I would like to enter the US market. If there is someone who would like to team up with us, we would consider that with pleasure."

The name "Suriname" (Sranan, Surinam) may be of Amerindian origin. Suriname is a multiethnic, multicultural, multilingual, and multireligious country. Suriname sits on the northern shoulder of South America, facing the Atlantic Ocean between Guyana to the west, French Guiana to the east, and Brazil to the south. With these 3 nations it shares 1,707 kilometres (1,061 miles) of border and has a coastline of about 386 kilometres (240 miles).

With an area of 163,270 square kilomtres (63,038 square miles), Suriname is slightly larger than the state of Georgia. The capital, Paramaribo lies on the Atlantic coast. On the West Bank of the Suriname River lies the capital city, Paramaribo. There are different explanations regarding the origin of the name of the capital. Some believe that the name is derived from the indigenous name for the creek behind the Presidential Palace, the "Parumuru Creek". The word "bo" supposedly means ‘village' or "place" in the language of the indigenous people. Another explanation is that the name is derived from "Parmurbo" - an indigenous village dating back to the seventeenth century. "Parmubo" is also believed to mean "the city of flagrant flower blossoms". Paramaribo has a marvellous architecture; its mostly white-painted monumental buildings and a foundation of red brick, distinguish the historic city centre. In 2002, the United Nations Cultural Organization, UNESCO, placed the inner city of Paramaribo on the World Heritage List because of its historic importance. Paramaribo is also known as the "wooden city" of the Caribbean and Latin America.