1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

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

Airports

total: 46 usable: 38 with permanent-surface runways: 5 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 3

Area

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

Birth rate

25.31 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

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

Budget

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

Capital

Paramaribo

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds

Coastline

386 km

Constitution

ratified 30 September 1987

Currency

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

Death rate

6 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

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

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

Electricity

capacity: 458,000 kW production: 2.018 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,920 kWh (1992)

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

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%

Exchange rates

Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1 - 1.7850 (fixed rate); parallel rate 109 (January 1994)

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

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)

External debt

$180 million (March 1993 est.)

FAX

(202) 244-5878 consulate(s) general: Miami

[597] 410025

Fiscal year

calendar year

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

Highways

total: 8,300 km paved: 500 km unpaved: bauxite, gravel, crushed stone, improved earth 5,400 km; sand, clay 2,400 km

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)

Independence

25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)

Industrial production

growth rate -5% (1991 est.); accounts for 27% of GDP

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

31.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

109% (1993 est.)

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

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)

Irrigated land

590 sq km (1989 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force

104,000 (1984) by occupation: NA

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%

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

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.45 years male: 66.94 years female: 72.08 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

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

Location

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

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 113,963; fit for military service 67,648

Map references

South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Merchant marine

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT, cargo 2, container 1

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 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

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.17 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$2,800 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

-0.3% (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun: Surinamer(s) adjective: Surinamese

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

-3.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

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

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

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.

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;

Population

422,840 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

1.57% (1994 est.)

Ports

Paramaribo, Moengo, Nieuw Nickerie

Railroads

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

Religions

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

Terrain

mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Total fertility rate

2.79 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

republic

Unemployment rate

16.5% (1990)

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