Suriname

republicIndependence 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands

Suriname as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 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

410,016 people July 1992 · 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 1992 · 2.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

34 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 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

12 fields

Total area

163,270km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia

Coastline

386km

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,707km total

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

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

410,016

(July 1992), growth rate 1.5% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

26Death

6Net migration

-5

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%

Religions

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

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

Government

Republic

18 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) 6%

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)

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)

Leaders

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)

Political parties and leaders

traditional ethnic-based parties:: The New Front (NF), 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), Willie SOEMITA;
and Suriname Labor Party (SPA) Fred DERBY;
promilitary:: National Democratic Party (NDP), Orlando VAN AMSON;
Democratic Alternative '91 (DA '91), Winston JESSURUN, a coalition of five parties formed in January 1991 - Alternative Forum (AF), Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN;
Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalal PARMESSAR;
Party for Brotherhood and Unity in Politics (BEP), Cipriano 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

Elections

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:: last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held NA 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] 472900, 477881, or 476459;
FAX [597] 410025

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

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.)

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 which started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986 was followed by the outbreak of a guerrilla insurgency in the interior that crippled the important bauxite sector.

Although the insurgency has since ebbed 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.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion, per capita $3,400; real growth rate 0% (1989 est.)

Exports

$549 million (f.o.b., 1989 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

$331 million (f.o.b., 1989 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 NA; accounts for 22% of GDP

Electricity

458,000 kW capacity; 2,018 million kWh produced, 5,015 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 11% of GDP;
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 (1970-89), $1.5 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, 40 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 up to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways