Ethnicity, Language, & Religion of Suriname
Ethnicity
About 40% of Suriname's population claims to be "Hindustani" (or Hindoestanen (singular: Hindoestaan)) which simply means they are (east) Indian. As they are descended from dozens of ethnic groups as this term doesn't specifically define an ethnic group so much as it refers to people of (east) Indian descent. Most of these people's ancestors are from northern India. Another 30% claims to be creole, which often means a combination of European and African. Among these people most have some Dutch blood in them, although English is also common. About 15% is Javanese, which is an ethnic group from the island of Java (in modern day Indonesia). Maroons make up another 10% of the population, although this isn't an ethnic group, but rather is a term that is more accurately defined in a cultural sense. This term refers to people who are of African descent who escaped slavery and lived inland. The rest of the population consists of numerous ethnic groups including indigenous people, Chinese, Europeans, and others.
Language
Suriname only has one official language and that's Dutch. However, the native Dutch speakers are a minority as numerous other languages are spoken and Sranan Tongo is generally the de facto language of communication in the country. Among other popular languages are Caribbean Hindustani spoken among many Indians, Javanese is generally the language of choice among the ethnic Javanese, and English is widely spoken as a second language.