1987 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1987 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Boundary disputes
claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and Riviére Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa), claims area in Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari rivers (all headwaters of the Conrantyne)
Climate
tropical; moderated by trade winds
Coastline
386 km
Environment
mostly tropical rain forest
Extended economic zone
200 nm
Land boundaries
1,561] km total
Land use
NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops, NEGL% meadows and pastures; 97% forest and woodland; 3% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Special notes
none
Terrain
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Territorial sea
12 nm
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
37.0% Hindustani (East Indian), 31.0% Creole (black and mixed), 15.38% Javanese, 10.38% Bush black, 2.6% Amerindian, 1.7% Chinese, 1.0% Europeans, 1.1% other
Infant mortality rate
23/1,000 (1984)
Labor force
104,000 (1984); unemployment 25% (1985); about 10.6% of work force engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, and fishing
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
Life expectancy
men 64.8, women 69.8
Literacy
65%
Nationality
noun—Surinamer(s), adjective—Surinamese
Organized labor
49,000 members of labor force organized
Population
388,636 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 1.61%
Religion
27.4% Hindu, 19.6% Muslim, 22.8% Roman Catholic, 25.2% Protestant (predominantly Moravian), about 5% indigenous beliefs
Government
Administrative divisions
9 districts, each headed by District Commissioner responsible to Minister of Internal Affairs and Local Administration; 100 People’s Committees installed at local level
Branches
civilian government controlled by the military
Capital
Paramaribo
Elections
none planned Political parties and leaders: 25 February National Unity Movement (November 1983) established by Bouterse; regular party activity limited; given greater freedom of assembly in 1985; leftists (all small groups)—Revolutionary People’s Party (RVP), Michael Naarendorp; Progressive Workers and Farmers (PALU), Iwan Krolis; traditional parties—Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggermath Lachmon; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck Awon; Indonesian Peasants Party (KTPI), Willy Soemita
Government leaders
Lt. Col. Desire BOUTERSE, Head of Government, Army Commander and strongman (since February 1980); Lachmipersad Frederick RAMDAT-MISIER, Acting President (figurehead; since February 1982); Jules Wijdenbosch, Prime Minister (since February 1987) Suriname (continued)
Legal system
suspended constitution; judicial system functions in ordinary civil and criminal cases
Member of
ECLA, FAO, GATT, G-77, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, 1DB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, LLO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
National holiday
Independence Day, 25 November
Official name
Republic of Suriname
Suffrage
suspended
Type
military-civilian rule
Economy
Agriculture
rice, bananas, palm oil, timber
Aid
bilateral commitments, including Ex-lm—US (FY70-83), $2.5 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF (1970-84), $1.4 billion
Budget
revenues, $270.9 million; expenditures, $469.0 million (1985)
Electric power
420,000 kW capacity; 1,610 million kWh produced, 4,230 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$314 million (f.0.b., 1985); alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$1.1 billion (1985); $2,920 per capita (1985); real growth rate 2.0% (1985); annual inflation rate 20-30% (1986)
Imports
$299 million (f.0.b., 1985); capital equipment, petroleum, iron and steel, cotton, flour, meat, dairy products
Major industries
bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food processing
Major trade partners
exports—26% Netherlands, 17% US, 18% FRG; imports—30% US, 21% Trinidad and Tobago, 9% Netherlands (1983)
Monetary conversion rate
1.78 Suriname guilders=US$1 (August 1986)
Natural resources
forests, hydroelectric power potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and other minerals
Communications
Airfields
45 total, 40 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
2 major transport aircraft
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 while native canoes navigate upper reaches
Ports
1 major (Paramaribo), 6 minor
Railroads
166 km total; 86 km 1.000meter gauge, government owned, and 80 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; all single track
Telecommunications
international facilities good; domestic radio-relay system; 27,500 telephones (6.3 per 100 popl.); 4 AM, 7 FM, and | shortwave stations; 6 TV stations; 2 Atlantic satellite stations
Military and Security
Branches
National Army (including Infantry Battalion, Military Police Brigade, Navy, Air Force)
Military budget
1983, $41.8 million; 8.2% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 100,278; 59,971 fit for military service