Map of Suriname | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of slavery in 1863 workers were brought in from India and Java. 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 exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987 when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990 the military overthrew the civilian leadership but a democratically elected government - a four-party coalition - returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until August 2010 when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power.


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Location: Northern South America bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between French Guiana and Guyana

Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N 56 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: 163,820 km²
Rank: 92
Land: 156,000 km²
Water: 7,820 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries
Total: 1703 km
Border countries: (3) Brazil 593 km; French Guiana 510 km; Guyana 600 km

Coastline: 386 km

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

Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds

Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
Extremes highest point: Juliana Top 1230 m

Natural resources: timber hydropower fish kaolin shrimp bauxite gold and small amounts of nickel copper platinum iron ore

Land use
Arable land: 0.36%
Permanent crops: 0.06%
Other: 99.58% (2005)

Irrigated land: 510 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 122 km³ (2003)

Natural hazards: NA

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


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Population: 491,989 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 173
Growth rate: 1.087% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 107
Below poverty line: 70% (2002 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Surinamer
Adjective: Surinamese

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%

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) Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi) Javanese

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.4%
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 164,739/female 166,139)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 13,300/female 17,902) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 28.7 years
Male: 28.3 years
Female: 29.1 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.087% (2011 est.)
Rank: 107

Birth rate: 16.42 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 123

Death rate: 5.54 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 174

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 106

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 69% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Tropical Timber 94 Wetlands Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.068 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 17.61 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 103
Male: 20.79 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 14.2 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.22 years
Rank: 103
Male: 71.47 years
Female: 77.16 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 133

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.45 physicians/1000 population (2000)
Rank: 130

Hospital bed density: 3.1 beds/1000 population (2007)
Rank: 70

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 49
People living with hivaids: 3,700 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 123
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 103

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: dengue fever Mayaro virus and malaria
Water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 89.6%
Male: 92%
Female: 87.2% (2004 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
Conventional short form: Suriname
Local long form: Republiek Suriname
Local short form: Suriname
Former: Netherlands Guiana Dutch Guiana

Government type: constitutional democracy

Capital
Name: Paramaribo
Geographic coordinates: 5 50 N 55 10 W
Time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 10 districts (distrikten singular - distrikt); Brokopondo Commewijne Coronie Marowijne Nickerie Para Paramaribo Saramacca Sipaliwini Wanica

Dependent areas

Independence: 25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)

National holiday: Independence Day 25 November (1975)

Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987; effective 30 October 1987

Legal system: civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - the Commissie Nieuw Surinaamse Burgerlijk Wetboek completed drafting a new civil code in February 2009

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Desire Delano BOUTERSE ; Vice President Robert AMEERALI (since 12 August 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Robert AMEERALI (since 12 August 2010)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly or if no presidential or vice presidential candidate receives a two-thirds constitutional majority in the National Assembly after two votes by a simple majority in the larger United People's Assembly (893 representatives from the national local and regional councils) for five-year terms (no term limits); election last held on 19 July 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
Election results: Desire Delano BOUTERSE elected president; percent of vote - Desire Delano BOUTERSE 70.6% Chandrikapersad SATOKHI 25.5% other 3.9%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 25 May 2010 (next to be held in May 2015)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Mega Combination 45.1% New Front 27.5% A-Com 13.7% People's Alliance 11.8% DOE 1.9%; seats by party - Mega Combination 23 New Front 14 A-Com 7 People's Alliance 6 DOE 1

Judicial branch: Cantonal Courts and a Court of Justice as an appellate court (justices are nominated for life); member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

Political parties and leaders: A-Combination (a coalition that includes the General Liberation and Development Party ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK] SEEKA [Paul ABENA] Union of Brotherhood and Unity in Politics BEP [Caprino ALENDY]; Basic Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD [Dilip SARDJOE]; Basic Party for Renewal and Democracy or PVF [Soedeschand JAIRAM]; Democratic Union Suriname or DUS [Japhet DIEKO]; Mega-Combination-Ruling Coalition (a coalition that joined with A-Combination and the PL to form a majority in Parliament in 2010 - includes the National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE] (largest party in the coalition) Progressive Worker and Farmer's Union or PALU [Jim HOK] Party for National Unity and Solidarity of the Highest Order or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA] DNP-2000 [Jules WIJDENBOSCH] and New Suriname or NS [Nanan PANDAY]); National Union or NU [P. VAN LEEUWAARDE]; New Front for Democracy and Development or NF (a coalition made up of the National Party of Suriname or NPS [Runaldo VENETIAAN] United Reform Party or VHP [Ramdien SARDJOE] Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91 - an independent business-oriented party [Winston JESSURUN] Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Siegfried GILDS]); Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Carl BREEVELD]; Party for the Permanent Prosperity Republic Suriname or PVRS [NA]; People's Alliance Pertjaja Luhur's or PL [Paul SOMOHARDJO](includes D-21 [Soewarta MOESTADJA] and Pendawa Lima [Raymond SAPEON] which merged with PL in 2010)
Note: BVD and PVF participated in the elections as a coalition (BVD/PVF) in the most recent elections but separated after the election

International organization participation: ACP AOSIS Caricom FAO G-77 IADB IBRD ICAO ICRM IDB IFAD IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IPU ISO (correspondent) ITU ITUC LAES MIGA NAM OAS OIC OPANAL OPCW PCA PetroCaribe UN UNASUR UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Subhas-Chandra MUNGRA
In the us chancery: Suite 460 4,301 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 244-7,488
In the us fax: [1] (202) 244-5,878
In the us consulate general: Miami
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John R. NAY
From the us embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129 Paramaribo
From the us mailing address: US Department of State PO Box 1821 Paramaribo
From the us telephone: [597] 472-900
From the us fax: [597] 410-025

Flag description: five horizontal bands of green (top double width) white red (quadruple width) white and green (double width); a large yellow five-pointed star is centered in the red band; red stands for progress and love; green symbolizes hope and fertility; white signifies peace justice and freedom; the star represents the unity of all ethnic groups; from its yellow light the nation draws strength to bear sacrifices patiently while working toward a golden future

National symbols

National anthem
Name: 'God zij met ons Suriname!'
Lyricsmusic: Cornelis Atses HOEKSTRA and Henry DE ZIEL/Johannes Corstianus DE PUY
Note: adopted 1959; the anthem originally adapted from a Sunday school song written in 1893 contains lyrics in both Dutch and Sranan Tongo

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is dominated by the mining industry with exports of alumina gold and oil accounting for about 85% of exports and 25% of government revenues making the economy highly vulnerable to mineral price volatility. In 2000 the government of Ronald VENETIAAN returned to office and inherited an economy with inflation of over 100% and a growing fiscal deficit. He quickly implemented an austerity program raised taxes attempted to control spending and tamed inflation. Economic growth reached about 7% in 2008 owing to sizeable foreign investment in mining and oil. Suriname has received aid for projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors from Netherlands Belgium and the European Development Fund. The economy slowed in 2009 however as investment waned and the country earned less from its commodity exports when global prices for most commodities fell. Trade picked up boosting Suriname's economic growth in 2010 but the government's budget remained strained with increased social spending during the election. In January 2011 the government devalued the currency by 20% and raised taxes to reduce the budget deficit. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 165
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 85

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 112
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10.8%
Industry: 24.4%
Services: 64.8% (2005 est.)

Agriculture products: paddy rice bananas palm kernels coconuts plantains peanuts; beef chickens; shrimp; forest products

Industries: bauxite and gold mining alumina production; oil lumbering food processing fishing

Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (1994 est.)
Rank: 62

Labor force: 165,600 (2007)
Rank: 176
By occupation agriculture: 8%
By occupation industry: 14%
By occupation services: 78% (2004)

Unemployment rate: 9.5% (2004)
Rank: 106

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 70% (2002 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $392.6 million
Expenditures: $425.9 million (2004)
Surplus or deficit: -0.9% of GDP (2004)
Surplus or deficit rank: 59

Taxes and other revenues: 10.7% of GDP (2004)
Rank: 205

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: -0.1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 176

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 11.65% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 89

Stock of narrow money: $609.1 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 153

Stock of broad money: $1.808 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 145

Stock of domestic credit: $765 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 152

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $209.5 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 57

Exports: $1.404 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 142
Commodities: alumina gold crude oil lumber shrimp and fish rice bananas
Partners: Canada 36.8% US 12% Belgium 11.6% UAE 9.5% Netherlands 6.1% Norway 5.5% (2010)

Imports: $1.296 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 167
Commodities: capital equipment petroleum foodstuffs cotton consumer goods
Partners: US 26.6% Netherlands 16% Trinidad and Tobago 15.1% China 8.4% Japan 5.5% Brazil 4.7% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $263.3 million (2006)
Rank: 159

Debt external: $504.3 million (2005 est.)
Rank: 163

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 1.58 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 139
Consumption: 1.44 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 144
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 110
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 133
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 155
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 165
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 177

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 85,000 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 150
Mobile cellular: 890,000 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 154

Telephone system
General assessment: international facilities are good
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 175 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay network
International: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media: 2 state-owned TV stations; 1 state-owned radio station; multiple private radio and TV stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .sr
Hosts: 171 (2010)
Hosts rank: 199
Users: 163,000 (2009)
Users rank: 146

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Rank: 157

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); recruitment is voluntary with personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2007)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 51 (2010)
Rank: 91
With paved runways total: 5
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 4 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 46
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 41 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines: oil 50 km (2010)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 4,304 km
Rank: 154
Paved: 1130 km
Unpaved: 3,174 km (2003)

Waterways: 1200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2010)
Rank: 61

Merchant marine
Total: 1
Rank: 161
By type: cargo 1 (2008)

Ports and terminals: Paramaribo Wageningen


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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 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing