Suriname

Airports

total: 46 usable: 39 with permanent-surface runways: 6 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 3

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 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

Ports

Paramaribo, Moengo, Nicuw Nickerie

Railroads

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

Telecommunications

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

Affiliation

(territory of Norway)

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 111,716; fit for military service 66,429 (1993 est.)

Agriculture

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

Budget

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

Currency

1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) = 100 cents

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

Electricity

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

Exchange rates

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

Exports

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

External debt

$138 million (1990 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

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

Industrial production

growth rate -5.0% (1991 est.); accounts for 27% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

26% (1991)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.35 billion (1991 est.)

National product per capita

$3,300 (1991 est.)

National product real growth rate

-2.5% (1991 est.)

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 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.

Unemployment rate

16.5% (1990)

Area

total area: 163,270 km2 land area: 161,470 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds

Coastline

386 km

Environment

mostly tropical rain forest

International 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/Koetari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)

Irrigated land

590 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 1,707 km, Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 97% other: 3%

Location

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

Map references

South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Paramaribo

Constitution

ratified 30 September 1987

Digraph

NS

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT chancery: Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through 7492 consulate general: Miami

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 10, DA '91 9, Independent 2

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

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

Independence

25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Ronald R. VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991); Vice President and Prime Minister Jules R. AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991)

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

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

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Suriname conventional short form: Suriname local long form: Republiek Suriname local short form: Suriname former: Netherlands Guiana Dutch Guiana

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

Other political or pressure groups

Surinamese Liberation Army (SLA), Ronnie BRUNSWIJK, Johan "Castro" WALLY; Union for Liberation and Democracy, Kofi AFONGPONG; Saramaccaner Bosneger Angula Movement, Carlos MAASSI; Mandela Bushnegro Liberation Movement, Leendert ADAMS; Tucayana Amazonica, Alex JUBITANA, Thomas SABAJO

Political parties and leaders

The New Front (NF), leader NA, a coalition of four parties (NPS, VHP, KTPI, SPA); Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath LACHMON; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Ronald VENETIAAN; Party of National Unity and Solidarity (KTPI), Willy SOEMITA; Suriname Labor Party (SPA) Fred DARBY; Democratic Alternative '91 (DA '91), Winston JESSURUN, a coalition of four parties (AF, HPP, Pendawa Lima, BEP) 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; Pendawa Lima, Marsha JAMIN; National Democratic Party (NDP), Desire BOUTERSE; Progressive Workers' and Farm Laborers' Union (PALU), Ir Iwan KROLIS, chairman; National Republic Party (PNR), Robin RAVALES

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129, Paramaribo mailing address: P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo telephone: [597] 472900, 477881, or 476459 FAX: [597] 410025

Birth rate

25.85 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

6.1 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Hindustani (East Indian) 37%, Creole (black and mixed) 31%, Javanese 15.3%, Bush black 10.3%, Amerindian 2.6%, Chinese 1.7%, Europeans 1%, other 1.1%

Infant mortality rate

32.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force

104,000 (1984) by occupation: NA

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, Hindi Suriname Hindustani (a variant of Bhoqpuri), Javanese

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.14 years male: 66.65 years female: 71.76 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 95% male: 95% female: 95%

Nationality

noun: Surinamer(s) adjective: Surinamese

Net migration rate

-4.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

416,321 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

1.54% (1993 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

2.85 children born/woman (1993 est.)