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.

Map reference: South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 163,270 km²
Land: 161,470 km²

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 386 km
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds

Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 97%
Other: 3%

Irrigated land: 590 km² (1989 est.)

Population: 416,321 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 1.54% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Surinamer(s)
Adjective: Surinamese

Ethnic groups:

Languages:

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

Population growth rate: 1.54% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 25.85 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 6.1 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.33 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Environment
Current issues: mostly tropical rain forest

Infant mortality rate: 32.4 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.14 years
Male: 66.65 years
Female: 71.76 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.85 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 95%
Female: 95%

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: republic

Capital: Paramaribo

Administrative divisions:

Independence: 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987

Legal system: NA

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
President: last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - elected by the National Assembly - Ronald VENETIAAN (NF) 80% (645 votes), Jules WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) 14% (115 votes), Hans PRADE (DA '91) 6% (49 votes)
National Assembly:

Executive branch: president, vice president and prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers, Council of State; note - Commander in Chief of the National Army maintains significant power

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT
In the us chancery: Suite 108, 4,301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 244-7,488 or 7,490 through 7,492
In the us consulate general: Miami
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD
From the us embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129, Paramaribo
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo
From the us telephone: 597 472,900, 477,881, or 476,459
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; there is a large yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band

Economy overview: The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for 15% of GDP and about 70% of export earnings. The economy has been in trouble since the Dutch ended development aid in 1982. A drop in world bauxite prices which started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986 was and the bauxite sector recovered, a military coup in December 1990 reflected continued political instability and deterred investment and economic reform. High inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market activity, and hard currency shortfalls continue to mark the economy.

Real gdp growth rate: -2.5% (1991 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $3,300 (1991 est.)

Agriculture products: accounts for 10.4% of GDP and 25% of export earnings; paddy rice planted on 85% of arable land: and represents 60% of total farm output; other products - bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts, beef, chicken; shrimp and forestry products of increasing importance; self-sufficient in most foods

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

Industrial production growth rate:

Labor force: 104,000 (1984)
By occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 16.5% (1990)

Budget: revenues $466 million; expenditures $716 million, including capital expenditures of $123 million (1989 est.)

Exports: $417 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: alumina, aluminum, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
Partners: Norway 36%, Netherlands 28%, US 11%, Japan 7%, Brazil 5%, UK 5% (1989)

Imports: $514 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
Partners: US 41%, Netherlands 24%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Brazil 4% (1989)

Exchange rates: Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1 - 1.7850 (fixed rate until October 1992), 25.04 (January 1992)

Electricity
Production: 458,000 kW capacity; 2,018 million kWh produced, 4,920 kWh per capita (1992)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Airports: 46
Usable: 39
With permanentsurface runways: 6
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 3

Waterways: 1,200 km; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging up 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

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/Koetari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)