Suriname




                                 Geography


Location:
     Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between
     French Guiana and Guyana
Map references:
     South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     163,270 sq km
land area:
     161,470 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries:
     total 1,707 km, Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
Coastline:
     386 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and Riviere
     Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa Rivier); claims area in Guyana
     between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Koetari Rivers (all
     headwaters of the Courantyne)
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:
arable land:
     0%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     0%
forest and woodland:
     97%
other:
     3%
Irrigated land:
     590 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
     NA
natural hazards:
     NA




international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship
     Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate
     Change, Law of the Sea
Note:
     mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna which
     for the most part is not threatened because of the lack of
     development; relatively small population most of which lives along the
     coast


                                  People


Population:
     422,840 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     1.57% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     25.31 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     6 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -3.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     31.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     69.45 years
male:
     66.94 years
female:
     72.08 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     2.79 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Surinamer(s)
adjective:
     Surinamese
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%
Religions:
     Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2%
     (predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5%
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
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     95%




male:
     95%
female:
     95%
Labor force:
     104,000 (1984)
by occupation:
     NA


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Suriname
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Republiek Suriname
local short form:
former:
     Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
Digraph:
     NS
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)
National holiday:
     Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Constitution:
     ratified 30 September 1987
Legal system:
     NA
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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); election 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)
cabinet:
     Cabinet of Ministers; appointed by the president from members of the
     National Assembly
note:
     Commander in Chief of the National Army maintains significant power




Legislative branch:
     unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):
     elections 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
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
     The New Front (NF), a coalition of four parties (NPS, VHP, KTPI, SPA),
     leader Ronald R. VENETIAAN; 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 DERBY; 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), Caprino ALLENDY;
     Pendawa Lima, Marsha JAMIN; National Democratic Party (NDP), Desire
     BOUTERSE; Progressive Workers' and Farm Laborers' Union (PALU), Ir
     Iwan KROLIS, chairman;
Other political or pressure groups:
     Surinamese Liberation Army (SLA), Ronnie BRUNSWIJK, Johan "Castro"
     WALLY; Union for Liberation and Democracy, Kofi AFONGPONG; Mandela
     Bushnegro Liberation Movement, Leendert ADAMS; Tucayana Amazonica,
     Alex JUBITANA, Thomas SABAJO
Member of:
     ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO,
     ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, INTELSAT (nonsignatory
     user), ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
     UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
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
FAX:
     (202) 244-5878
consulate(s) general:
     Miami
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Roger R. GAMBLE
embassy:
     Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129, Paramaribo
mailing address:
     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


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,
     Paramaribo has failed to initiate the economic reforms necessary to
     stabilize the economy or win renewed Dutch aid disbursements. High
     inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market activity, and
     hard currency shortfalls continue to mark the economy.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.17 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     -0.3% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $2,800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     109% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     16.5% (1990)
Budget:
revenues:
     $466 million
expenditures:
     $716 million, including capital expenditures of $123 million (1989
     est.)
Exports:
     $290 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
     alumina, aluminum, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
partners:
     Norway 33%, Netherlands 26%, US 13%, Japan 6%, Brazil 6%, UK 3% (1992)
Imports:
     $250 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
     capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
partners:
     US 42%, Netherlands 22%, Trinidad and Tobago 10%, Brazil 5% (1992)
External debt:
     $180 million (March 1993 est.)
Industrial production:
     growth rate -5% (1991 est.); accounts for 27% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     458,000 kW




production:
     2.018 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     4,920 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food
     processing, fishing
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
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $2.5 billion; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5
     billion
Currency:
     1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
     Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1 - 1.7850 (fixed
     rate); parallel rate 109 (January 1994)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     166 km total; 86 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, and 80 km
     1.435-meter standard gauge; all single track
Highways:
total:
     8,300 km
paved:
     500 km
unpaved:
     bauxite, gravel, crushed stone, improved earth 5,400 km; sand, clay
     2,400 km
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
Ports:
     Paramaribo, Moengo, Nieuw Nickerie
Merchant marine:
     3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT, cargo 2,
     container 1
Airports:
total:
     46
usable:
     38
with permanent-surface runways:
     5




with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     3
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


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     National Army (including Navy which is company-size, small Air Force
     element), Civil Police
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 113,963; fit for military service 67,648
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP