NOTE: Suriname has a small population compared to the number of languages and dialects spoken by its citizens. The people often use more than one language in conversation, switching from Dutch to Sranan and then to Sarnami or English.

The official language, Dutch, is taught in the schools and is used by government employees and the media. The different cultural groups each speak their own language: Amerindians speak in Karaib or Arowak; Maroons (the bush negroes) in Aucaans or Sarramacan; East-Indians communicate in Sarnami Hindostani, which is based on Hindi; and Indonesians use a Javanese language. The major languages spoken by the Chinese are Hakka and Mandarin.