Guide to Suriname Introduction Background: Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to rule through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1989, the military overthrew the civilian government, but a democratically-elected government returned to power in 1991.
Geography Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 56 00 W
Map references: South America
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 386 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 490 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast
People Population: 438,144 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 0.25% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 18.39 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 7.16 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: -8.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.7% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 5,200 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%
Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
Languages: Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Government type: constitutional democracy
Capital: Paramaribo
Administrative divisions: 10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica
Independence: 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987
Legal system: based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections
Judicial branch: Cantonal Courts and a Court of Justice as an appellate court (justices are nominated for life)
Political parties and leaders: A-Combinatie (coalition of Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP [Caprino ALENDY], General Interior Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK], Progressive Laborers and Farmers Union or PALU [Jim HOK], Seeka [Paul ABENA]); Alternative-1 or A-1 (a coalition of Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91 [Winston JESSURUN], Democrats of the 21st Century or D-21 [Soewarto MOESTADJA], Nieuw Suriname or NS [Radjen Nanan PANDAY], Political Wing of the FAL or PVF [Jiwan SITAL], Trefpunt 2000 or T-2000 [Arti JESSURUN]); National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE]; New Front for Democracy and Development or NF (a coalition includes National Party Suriname or NPS (Ronald VENETIAAN], United Reform Party or VHP [Ram SARDJOE], Pertjaja Luhur or PL [Salam Paul SOMOHARDJO], Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Siegfried GILDS]); Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Marten Schalkwijk]; People's Alliance for Progress or VVV (a coalition of Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP-2000 [Jules WIJDENBOSCH], Grassroots Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD [Tjan GOBARDHAN], Party for National Unity and Solidarity of the Highest Order or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA], Party for Progression, Justice, and Perserverance or PPRS [Renee KAIMAN], Pendawalima or PL [Raymond SAPOEN]); Union of Progressive Surinamers or UPS [Sheoradj PANDAY]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE]; Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE]; Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]
International organization participation: ACP, Caricom, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band
Economy Economy - overview: The economy is dominated by the alumina industry, which accounts for more than 15% of GDP and 70% of export earnings. Suriname's economic prospects for the medium term will depend on continued commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. The government of Ronald VENETIAAN has begun an austerity program, raised taxes, and attempted to control spending. While - in 2002 - President VENETIAAN agreed to a large pay raise for civil servants, threatening his earlier gains in stabilizing the economy, he has not repeated this promise in the run-up to the May 2005 elections. The Dutch Government has agreed to restart the aid flow, which will allow Suriname to access international development financing, but plans to phase out funds over the next five years. The short-term economic outlook depends on the government's ability to control inflation and on the development of projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors. Prospects for local onshore oil production are good, as a drilling program is underway. Offshore oil drilling was given a boost in 2004 when the State Oil Company (Staatsolie) signed exploration agreements with Repsol and Mearsk.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.885 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.2% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 104,000 (2003)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Unemployment rate: 17% (2000)
Population below poverty line: 70% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 23% (2003 est.)
Budget: revenues
Agriculture - products: paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; forest products; shrimp
Industries: bauxite and gold mining, alumina production, oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing
Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (1994 est.)
Electricity - production: 1.984 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 1.845 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 12,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: 14,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports: 1,370 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: 1,644 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves: 99 million bbl (2004)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m (2004)
Exports: $495 million f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities: alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
Exports - partners: Norway 29.3%, US 15.1%, Canada 12.5%, Belgium 10.2%, France 8.4%, UAE 6.1%, Iceland 4.3% (2004)
Imports: $604 million f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities: capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
Imports - partners: US 26.2%, Netherlands 19.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.5%, Japan 6.6%, China 4.6%, Brazil 4.2% (2004)
Debt - external: $321 million (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: Netherlands provided $37 million for project and program assistance, European Development Fund $4 million, Belgium $2 million (1998)
Currency (code): Surinam dollar (SRD)
Currency code: SRG
Exchange rates: Surinamese dollars per US dollar - 2.7336 (2004), Surinamese guilders per US dollar - 2.6013 (2003), 2.3468 (2002), 2.1785 (2001), 1.3225 (2000) note
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 79,800 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 168,100 (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 13, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 300,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus seven repeaters) (2000)
Televisions: 63,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .sr
Internet hosts: 18 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 20,000 (2002)
Transportation Highways: total
Waterways: 1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2003)
Pipelines: oil 51 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Paramaribo
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 46 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Military Military branches: National Army (includes small Navy and Air Force elements)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); no conscription
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $7.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.7% (2003)
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks UNCLOS arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
Illicit drugs: growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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