Winti

Winti is the expression of African religion in Suriname, a country located on the northeast coast of South America, facing the Atlantic Ocean to the north and bordering Brazil to the south. On the east side, its border with French Guyana is formed by the Marowyne River, and on the west side, its border with Guyana is formed by the Corantyn River. Suriname occupies an area of some 46,060 square miles and has a population of approximately 470,000.

Suriname is a multicultural country. The largest ethnic groups are the East Indians or Hindustanis, the Africans who are divided into maroons and nonmaroons (also called “créoles”), and the Indonesian Javanese. In addition to these, there are smaller groups, such as the indigenous South American Indians, Chinese, Lebanese, and Dutch Europeans. Although the African population is no longer the largest ethnic group, they have tended to dominate the political scene, comprising some 31% of the population, with the East Indians representing approximately 37% of the population. The Suriname forests are home to the largest maroon populations in the Americas. Suriname still has some 60,000 maroons.