Map of Suriname | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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 brought about a democratic election.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 386 km

Maritime claims
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds

Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Elevation

Natural resources: timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and modest amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold

Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 97% forest and woodland; 3% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 401,497 (July 1989), growth rate 1.6% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Surinamer(s; adjective - Surinamese

Ethnic groups: 37.0% Hindustani (East Indian), 31.0% Creole (black and mixed), 15.3% Javanese, 10.3% Bush black, 2.6% Amerindian, 1.7% Chinese, 1.0% Europeans, 1.1% other

Languages: Dutch (official; English widely spoken; Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others; also Hindi Suriname Hindustani (a variant of Bhoqpuri), and Javanese

Religions: 27.4% Hindu, 19.6% Muslim, 22.8% Roman Catholic, 25.2% Protestant (predominantly Moravian), about 5% indigenous beliefs

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 27 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1000 population (1989)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: mostly tropical rain forest

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1989)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 65%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Suriname

Government type: republic

Capital: Paramaribo

Administrative divisions: 10 districts (districten, singular - district; Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

Dependent areas

Independence: 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands or Dutch Guiana)

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987

Legal system: judicial system functions in ordinary civil and criminal cases

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal adult

Executive branch

Legislative branch: National Army (including Support Battalion, Infantry Battalion, Mechanized Cavalry Unit, Military Police Brigade, Navy which is company-size, small Air Force element)

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ECLA, FAO, GATT, G-77, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, IDB - Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Arnold T. HALFHIDE; Chancery at Suite 108, 4,301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 244-7,488 or 7,490 through 7,492; there is a Surinamese Consulate General in Miami; US - Ambassador Richard HOWLAND; Embassy at Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129, Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo; telephone Õ597å 72,900 or 76,459

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about 80% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The economy has been in decline since the Dutch ended development aid in 1982. Adding to economic problems has been a drop in world bauxite prices that started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986. In mid-1986 the economy suffered as a result of an outbreak of guerrilla insurgency in the interior. The guerrillas targeted the economic infrastructure, crippling the critical bauxite sector and shutting down important export industries. These problems have created both high inflation and high unemployment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: rice, bananas, palm oil, timber

Industries: bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food processing, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: - 3.1% (1986)

Labor force: 104,000 (1984)

Unemployment rate: 32% (1987 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $346 million; expenditures $650 million, including capital expenditures of $25 million (1988 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $338.8 million (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products, shrimp and fish, bananas
Partners: Netherlands 25%, Norway 22%, US 20%, Japan 13%, Brazil 7%, UK 4%

Imports: $274.3 million (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
Partners: US 31%, Netherlands 20%, Trinidad and Tobago 10%, Brazil 9%, UK 2%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $161 million (1987)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1 - 1.7850 (fixed rate)


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Electricity
Capacity: 439,000 kW capacity; 1,922 million kWh produced, 4,870 kWh per capita (1988)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $39.3 million; 6.1% of central government budget (1988)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 47 total, 43 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 1,200 km; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging from 4.2 m to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways

Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 container

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa; claims area in Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs