1985 Edition

Agriculture

main crops — sorghum, millet, wheat, sesame, peanuts, beans, barley; not self-sufficient in food production; main cash crops — cotton, gum arabic, peanuts, sesame

Airfields

89 total, 79 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways 2,4403,659 m, 32 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

President and Cabinet; unicameral legislature (151-member National People's Assembly); regional assemblies

Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force

civilian government controlled by the military

Budget

(FY84) public revenue $1.24 billion, total expenditures $2.9 billion, including development expenditure of $498 million

Capital

Khartoum

Paramaribo

Civil air

13 major transport aircraft

Coastline

386 km People

Elections

presidential referendum last held in 1983 Political parties and leaders: all political parties outlawed since May 1969

none planned Political parties and leaders: 25 February National Unity Movement (November 1983) established by Bouterse; regular party activity officially suspended, although some continue low-level functioning; leftists (all small groups) — Revolutionary People s Party (RVP), Michael Naarendorp; Progressive Workers and Farmers (PALU), Iwan Krolis

Electric power

450,000 kW capacity (1984); 1.419 billion kWh produced (1984), 67 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

37% Hindustani (East Indian), 31% Creole (black and mixed), 15.3% Javanese, 10.3% Bush Negro, 2.6% Amerindian, 1.7% Chinese, 1.0% Europeans, 1.7% other

Exports

$790 million (f .o.b., FY84 proj.); cotton (31%), gum arabic, peanuts, sesame; $40 million exports to Communist countries (FY82)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June Communications

GDP

$7.31 billion at current prices (FY84), $346 per capita at current prices (FY83)

Government leader

General Abdel Rahman SUWAR EL DAHAB, Chairman, Transitional Military Council (since 9 April 1985)

Government leaders

Lt. Col. Desire BOUTERSE, Army Commander and strongman (since February 1980); Lachmipersad Frederick RAMDATMISIER, Acting President (figurehead; since February 1982); Willem Alfred UDENHOUT, Prime Minister (since February 1984)

Highways

20,000 km total; 2,000 km bituminous treated, 4,000 km gravel, 2,304 km improved earth; remainder unimproved earth and track

Imports

$1.8 billion (c.i.f., FY84 proj.); textiles, petroleum products, foodstuffs, transport equipment, manufactured goods

Inland waterways

5,310 km navigable

Labor force

100,000; unemployment 20% (1983)

Land boundaries

1,561 km Water

Language

Dutch (official); English widely spoken; Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others; Hindi; Ja-

Legal system

based on English common law and Islamic law; in September 1983 President Nimeiri declared the penal code would conform to Islamic law; some separate religious courts; permanent constitution promulgated April 1973; legal education at University of Khartoum and extension of Cairo University at Khartoum; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

suspended constitution; judicial system functions in ordinary civil and criminal cases

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (economic, including fishing, 200 nm)

Literacy

65%

Major industries

cotton ginning, textiles, brewery, cement, edible oils, soap, distilling, shoes, Pharmaceuticals

Major trade partners

UK, FRG, Italy, US, Saudi Arabia, France, Egypt, Japan

Member of

AfDB, APC, Arab League, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB — Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Economy

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 14 September 1985, $211.5 million; 10% of central government budget North Atlantic Ocean -*=~ PARAMARIBC Land 163,265 km2; slightly larger than Georgia; negligible arable land, meadow and pasture; 76% forest; 16% built on, waste, or other; 8% unused but potentially productive

Military manpower

males 15-49, 5,006,000; 3,059,000 fit for military service; 229,000 reach military age (18) annually

Monetary conversion rate

1.32 Sudanese pounds=US$l (October 1984) official; 2.60 Sudanese pounds=US$l free market (October 1984)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 January

Independence Day, 25 November

Nationality

noun — Surinamer(s); adjective— Surinamese

Official name

Republic of Suriname

Organized labor

approx. 33% of labor force Government

Other political or pressure groups

Muslim Brotherhood has participated actively in government since 1977; Ansar Muslim sect and National Unionist Party do not participate directly in government

Pipelines

refined products, 815 km

Political subdivisions

8 regions

9 districts, each headed by District Commissioner responsible to Minister of Internal Affairs, Local Administration, and Justice; 100 People's Committees" installed at local level

Population

377,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 1.8%

Ports

1 major (Port Sudan) Suriname

Railroads

5,516 km total; 4,800 km 1.067meter gauge, 716 km 1.6096-meter gauge •plantation line

Religion

Hindu, Muslim, Roman Catholic, Moravian, other

Suffrage

universal adult

suspended

Telecommunications

large system by African standards, but barely adequate; consists of radio relay, cables, radio communications, and troposcatter; domestic satellite system with 14 stations; 68,500 telephones (0.4 per 100 popl.); 4 AM, no FM, 2 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station Defense Forces

Type

republic under military control since coup in May 1969

military-civilian rule