Indo-Surinamese, Indian-Surinamese or Hindustani Surinamese are nationals of Suriname of Indian origin, who trace their ancestry to India and the wider subcontinent. Their ancestors were indentured workers from British Raj brought by the Dutch and the British to the (then) Dutch colony of Suriname during the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Per the 2012 Census of Suriname, 148,443 citizens of Suriname are of Indo-Surinamese origin, constituting 27.4% of the total population, making them the largest ethnic group in Suriname on an individual level.
Indian indentured labourers
Raswantia, an Indian women posing for a postcard portrait in the early 20th century in Suriname
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, sometimes considered part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. Situated slightly north of the equator, over 90% of its territory is covered by rainforests, the highest proportion of forest cover in the world. Suriname is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, and Brazil to the south. It is the smallest country in South America by both population and territory, with around 612,985 inhabitants in an area of approximately 163,820 square kilometers. The capital and largest city is Paramaribo, which is home to roughly half the population.
Maroon village, along Suriname River, 1955
Suriname in 1914
Presidential Palace of Suriname
Waterfront houses in Paramaribo, 1955