Suriname

republicIndependence 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands

Suriname as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 66 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalParamaribo

Area163,270 km2

Populationas each edition published it

402,385 people July 1991 · 396,813 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.54% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 25.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 69.14 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.9 children per woman 1991 · 2.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

39 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 40 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $3,300 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -2.5% in 1993

Geography

10 fields

Total area

163,270km2

land area: 161,470 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries

1,707km total

Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km

Coastline

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

Disputes

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)

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

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

People

14 fields

Population

402,385

(July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

26Death

Ethnic divisions

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

Religion

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

Labor force

104,000

(1984)

Literacy

95%

(male 95%, female 95%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun--Surinamer(s); adjective--Surinamese

Language

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

Government

Republic

15 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

80%

elected by the National Assembly--Ronald VENETIAAN (NF) (645 votes) 80%Jules WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) (115 votes) 14%Hans PRADE (DA '91) (49 votes) National Assembly--last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held May 1996) 6%6 September 1991 (next to be held May 1996)

Hans PRADE (DA '91) 6% (49 votes) National Assembly, 51 seats, elected 25 May 1991one dot, one seat

NF 30NDP 12DA '91 9

Long-form name

Republic of Suriname

Type

republic

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; formerly Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana)

Constitution

ratified 30 September 1987

Legal system

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

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 Chief of State and Head of Government--President Ronald VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991);
Vice President and Prime Minister Jules AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991) traditional ethnic-based parties--The New Front (NF), Henck ARRON, a coalition formed of four parties following the 24 December 1990 military coup--Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath LACHMON;
National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck ARRON;
Indonesian Peasants Party (KTPI), Willy SOEMITA;
and Suriname Labor Party (SLP), Frank DERBY;
promilitary New Democratic Party (NDP), Jules Albert WIJDENBOSCH, Frank PLAYFAIR;
Democratic Alternative '91 (DA '91), Gerard BRUNINGS, a coalition of five parties formed in January 1991--Alternative Forum, Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN;
Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalall PARMISSER;
Party for Brotherhood and Unity in Politics (BEP), Caprino ALLENDY;
Pendawalima, Marsha JAMIN;
and Independent Progressive Group, Karam RAMSUNDERSINGH;
leftists--Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael NAARENDORP;
Progressive Workers and Farmers (PALU), Iwan KROLIS

Suffrage

universal at age 18 President--last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held 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--last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held May 1996);
results--percent of vote NA;
seats--(51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9

Member of

ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT;
Chancery at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through 7492;
there is a Surinamese Consulate General in Miami;
US--Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD;
Embassy at Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129, Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo);
telephone [597] 72900, 77881, or 76459

Flag

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

The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about 70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$1.35billion

per capita $3,400; real growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

50%

(1989 est.)

Unemployment rate

33%

(1990)

External debt

$138million

(1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$466 millionExpenditures

$716 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $123 million (1989 est.)

Overview

The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about 70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The economy has been in trouble since the Dutch ended development aid in 1982. A drop in world bauxite prices that started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986, was followed by the outbreak of a guerrilla insurgency in the interior.

The guerrillas targeted the economic infrastructure, crippling the important bauxite sector and shutting down other export industries. These problems have created high inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market activity, and a bad climate for foreign investment. A small gain in economic growth of 2.0% was registered in 1989 due to reduced guerrilla activity and improved international markets for bauxite.

Exports

$425 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products, shrimp and fish, bananas;
partners--Norway 33%, Netherlands 20%, US 15%, FRG 9%, Brazil 5%, UK 5%, Japan 3%, other 10%

Imports

$370 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods;
partners--US 37%, Netherlands 15%, Netherlands Antilles 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Brazil 5%, UK 3%, other 20%

Industrial production

growth rate 16.4% (1988 est.); accounts for 22% of GDP

Electricity

458,000 kW capacity; 2,018 million kWh produced, 5,090 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 11% of both GDP and labor force;
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

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $2.5 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.45 billion

Currency

Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 2container 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT

Airports, 46 total, 42 usable

permanent-surface runways

6runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

8,300Railroads

166Inland waterways

1,200

Highways: ; 500 km paved; 5,400 km bauxite gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 2,400 km sand or clay · Railroads: ; 86 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, and 80 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; all single track · Inland waterways: ; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging from 4.2 m to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways

Railroads

166 km total;
86 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, and 80 km 1.435-meter standard gauge;
all single track

Highways

8,300 km total;
500 km paved;
5,400 km bauxite gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth;
2,400 km sand or clay

Inland 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

international facilities good;
domestic radio relay system;
27,500 telephones;
stations--5 AM, 14 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave;
2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Defense Forces

National Army (including Navy which is company-size, small Air Force element), Civil Police

3 fields

Defense expenditures

$91million

7.2% of GDP (1990 est.)

Branches

National Army (including Navy which is company-size, small Air Force element), Civil Police

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 107,544; 64,146 fit for military service

Central Intelligence Agency. “Suriname.” The World Factbook 1991. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/suriname/1991.

How to cite ← 1990 edition 1992 edition →