In Suriname today, Dutch is the sole official language, and over 60 percent of the population speaks it as a mother tongue. Dutch is the obligatory medium of instruction in schools in Suriname, even for non-native speakers. A further twenty-four percent of the population speaks Dutch as a second language. Suriname gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1975 and has been an associate member of the Dutch Language Union since 2004. The lingua franca of Suriname, however, is Sranan Tongo, spoken natively by about a fifth of the population. COUNT 5
QSN1 About what percentage of residents of Suriname speak Dutch? ANS1 60 QSN2 What language would you hear teachers speak if you attended school in Suriname? ANS2 Dutch QSN3 When did Suriname officially become independent from the Netherlands? ANS3 1975 QSN4 What year did Suriname join the Dutch Language Union? ANS4 2004 QSN5 What's the common language that around 20% of Suriname's people speak? ANS5 Sranan Tongo