2018 Edition

Background

First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of African slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. The Netherlands granted the colony independence in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared Suriname a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government - a four-party coalition - returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until August 2010, when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power. President BOUTERSE was reelected unopposed in 2015.

Area

land

156,000 sq km

total

163,820 sq km

water

7,820 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly larger than Georgia

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds

Coastline

386 km

Elevation

elevation extremes

-2 m lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain

mean elevation

246 m

note

1230 highest point: Juliana Top

Environment Current Issues

deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities

Environment International Agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

4 00 N, 56 00 W

Geography Note

smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast

Irrigated Land

570 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (3)

Brazil 515 km, French Guiana 556 km, Guyana 836 km

total

1,907 km

Land Use

arable land: 0.4% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 0.1% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

0.5% (2011 est.)

forest

94.6% (2011 est.)

other

4.9% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map References

South America

Maritime Claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

flooding

Natural Resources

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

Population Distribution

population concentrated along the nothern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

Terrain

mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Age Structure

0-14 years

24.11% (male 73,466 /female 70,704)

15-24 years

17.36% (male 52,876 /female 50,913)

25-54 years

44.42% (male 135,282 /female 130,327)

55-64 years

7.94% (male 23,377 /female 24,085)

65 years and over

6.17% (male 16,019 /female 20,878) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

15.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

5.8% (2010)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

47.6% (2010)

Death Rate

6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Suriname is a pluralistic society consisting primarily of Creoles (persons of mixed African and European heritage), the descendants of escaped African slaves known as Maroons, and the descendants of Indian and Javanese (Indonesian) contract workers. The country overall is in full, post-industrial demographic transition, with a low fertility rate, a moderate mortality rate, and a rising life expectancy. However, the Maroon population of the rural interior lags behind because of lower educational attainment and contraceptive use, higher malnutrition, and significantly less access to electricity, potable water, sanitation, infrastructure, and health care.Some 350,000 people of Surinamese descent live in the Netherlands, Suriname's former colonial ruler. In the 19th century, better-educated, largely Dutch-speaking Surinamese began emigrating to the Netherlands. World War II interrupted the outflow, but it resumed after the war when Dutch labor demands grew - emigrants included all segments of the Creole population. Suriname still is strongly influenced by the Netherlands because most Surinamese have relatives living there and it is the largest supplier of development aid. Other emigration destinations include French Guiana and the United States. Suriname's immigration rules are flexible, and the country is easy to enter illegally because rainforests obscure its borders. Since the mid-1980s, Brazilians have settled in Suriname's capital, Paramaribo, or eastern Suriname, where they mine gold. This immigration is likely to slowly re-orient Suriname toward its Latin American roots.

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

10.1 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

9.9 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.7 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

40.6 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 98.1% of population

rural: 88.4% of population

total: 94.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.9% of population

rural: 11.6% of population

total: 5.2% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

NA

Ethnic Groups

Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 27.4%, "Maroon" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 21.7%, Creole (mixed white and black) 15.7%, Javanese 13.7%, mixed 13.4%, other 7.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2012 est.)

Health Expenditures

5.7% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

1.3% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

<200 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

4,800 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

3.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

19.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

27.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

23.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

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

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

75.3 years (2018 est.)

male

70.3 years (2018 est.)

total population

72.8 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

female

95% (2015 est.)

male

96.1% (2015 est.)

total population

95.6% (2015 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases

degree of risk

very high (2016)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)

note

active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

239,000 PARAMARIBO (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

155 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

30.6 years (2018 est.)

male

29.8 years

total

30.2 years

Nationality

adjective

Surinamese

noun

Surinamer(s)

Net Migration Rate

0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

26.4% (2016)

Population

597,927 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 23.6% (includes Evangelical 11.2%, Moravian 11.2%, Reformed .7%, Lutheran .5%), Hindu 22.3%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Muslim 13.8%, other Christian 3.2%, Winti 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 3.2% (2012 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 88.4% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 61.4% of population (2015 est.)

total: 79.2% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 11.6% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 38.6% of population (2015 est.)

total: 20.8% of population (2015 est.)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.76 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.9 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

21.9% (2015 est.)

male

9% (2015 est.)

total

13.4% (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.9% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

66.1% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

5 50 N, 55 10 W

name

Paramaribo

time difference

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Suriname

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership; amended 1992 (2018)

history

previous 1975; latest ratified 30 September 1987, effective 30 October 1987 (2018)

Country Name

conventional long form

Republic of Suriname

conventional short form

Suriname

etymology

name may derive from the indigenous "Surinen" people who inhabited the area at the time of European contact

former

Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana

local long form

Republiek Suriname

local short form

Suriname

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Edwin "Ned" Richard NOLAN, Jr.(since 11 January 2016)

embassy

165 Kristalstraat, Paramaribo

FAX

[597] 410-972

mailing address

US Department of State, PO Box 1821, Paramaribo

telephone

[597] 472-900

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Niermala Sakoentala BADRISING (since 21 July 2017)

consulate(s) general

Miami

FAX

[1] (202) 244-5878

telephone

[1] (202) 244-7488

Executive Branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Ashwin ADHIN (since 12 August 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Desire Delano BOUTERSE reelected president unopposed; National Assembly vote - NA

elections/appointments

president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly; president and vice president serve a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 25 May 2015 (next to be held in May 2020)

head of government

President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Ashwin ADHIN (since 12 August 2015)

Flag Description

five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); a large, yellow, five-pointed star is centered in the red band; red stands for progress and love, green symbolizes hope and fertility, white signifies peace, justice, and freedom; the star represents the unity of all ethnic groups; from its yellow light the nation draws strength to bear sacrifices patiently while working toward a golden future

Government Type

presidential republic

Independence

25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

highest courts

High Court of Justice of Suriname (consists of the court president, vice president, and 4 judges); note - appeals beyond the High Court are referred to the Caribbean Court of Justice; human rights violations can be appealed to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights with judgments issued by the Inter-American Court on Human Rights

judge selection and term of office

court judges appointed by the national president in consultation with the National Assembly, the State Advisory Council, and the Order of Private Attorneys; judges serve for life

subordinate courts

cantonal courts

Legal System

civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - the Commissie Nieuw Surinaamse Burgerlijk Wetboek completed drafting a new civil code in February 2009

Legislative Branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NDP 45.5%, V7 37.2%, A-Com 10.5%, DOE 4.3%, PALU 0.7%, other 1.8%; seats by party - NDP 26, V7 18, A-Com 5, DOE 1, PALU 1;

elections

last held on 25 May 2015 (next to be held in May 2020)

note

seats by party as of April 2017 - seats by party - NDP 26, VHP 9, ABOP 5, PL 3, NPS 2, BEP 2, DOE 1, PALU 1, independent 2

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Cornelis Atses HOEKSTRA and Henry DE ZIEL/Johannes Corstianus DE PUY

name

"God zij met ons Suriname!" (God Be With Our Suriname)

note

adopted 1959; originally adapted from a Sunday school song written in 1893 and contains lyrics in both Dutch and Sranang Tongo

National Holiday

Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

National Symbol S

royal palm, faya lobi (flower); national colors: green, white, red, yellow

Political Parties And Leaders

Alternative Combination or A-Com (coalition includes ABOP, KTPI, Party for Democracy and Development)Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP [Celsius WATERBERG]Democratic Alternative '91 or DA91 [Angelique DEL CASTILLO]General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK}National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire Delano BOUTERSE]National Party of Suriname or NPS [Gregory RUSLAND]Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Carl BREEVELD]Party for National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA]People's Alliance (Pertjaja Luhur) or PL [Paul SOMOHARDJO]Progressive Workers' and Farmers' Union or PALU [Jim HOK]Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Guno CASTELEN]Progressive Reform Party or VHP [Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI]Victory 7 or V7 [Chandrikapresad SANTOKHI] (formerly the New Front for Democracy and Development or NF; an electoral coalition of NPS, VHP, DA91, PL, SPA formed only for the May 2015 election)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

rice, bananas, seabob shrimp, yellow-fin tuna, vegetables

Budget

expenditures

827.8 million (2017 est.)

revenues

560.7 million (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-7.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

10% (2013)

9% (2012)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

14.43% (31 December 2017 est.)

13.49% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$2 million (2017 est.)

-$169 million (2016 est.)

Debt External

$1.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.436 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Economy Overview

Suriname’s economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of oil and gold accounting for approximately 85% of exports and 27% of government revenues. This makes the economy highly vulnerable to mineral price volatility. The worldwide drop in international commodity prices and the cessation of alumina mining in Suriname significantly reduced government revenue and national income during the past few years. In November 2015, a major US aluminum company discontinued its mining activities in Suriname after 99 years of operation. Public sector revenues fell, together with exports, international reserves, employment, and private sector investment.Economic growth declined annually from just under 5% in 2012 to -10.4% in 2016. In January 2011, the government devalued the currency by 20% and raised taxes to reduce the budget deficit. Suriname began instituting macro adjustments between September 2015 and 2016; these included another 20% currency devaluation in November 2015 and foreign currency interventions by the Central Bank until March 2016, after which time the Bank allowed the Surinamese dollar (SRD) to float. By December 2016, the SRD had lost 46% of its value against the dollar. Depreciation of the Surinamese dollar and increases in tariffs on electricity caused domestic prices in Suriname to rise 22.0% year-over-year by December 2017.Suriname's economic prospects for the medium-term will depend on its commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and on the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. The government's over-reliance on revenue from the extractive sector colors Suriname's economic outlook. Following two years of recession, the Fitch Credit Bureau reported a positive growth of 1.2% in 2017 and the World Bank predicted 2.2% growth in 2018. Inflation declined to 9%, down from 55% in 2016 , and increased gold production helped lift exports. Yet continued budget imbalances and a heavy debt and interest burden resulted in a debt-to-GDP ratio of 83% in September 2017. Purchasing power has fallen rapidly due to the devalued local currency. The government has announced its intention to pass legislation to introduce a new value-added tax in 2018. Without this and other measures to strengthen the country’s fiscal position, the government may face liquidity pressures.

Exchange Rates

Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar -

7.53 (2017 est.)

6.229 (2016 est.)

6.229 (2015 est.)

3.4167 (2014 est.)

3.3 (2013 est.)

Exports

$2.028 billion (2017 est.)

$1.449 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas

Exports Partners

Switzerland 38%, Hong Kong 21.9%, Belgium 10.1%, UAE 7.2%, Guyana 6.1% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

68.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption

11.7% (2017 est.)

household consumption

27.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-60.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

52.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

26.5% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

11.6% (2017 est.)

industry

31.1% (2017 est.)

services

57.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$3.419 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$14,900 (2017 est.)

$14,800 (2016 est.)

$15,900 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$8.688 billion (2017 est.)

$8.526 billion (2016 est.)

$8.988 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

1.9% (2017 est.)

-5.1% (2016 est.)

-2.6% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

46.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

55.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

53.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

$1.293 billion (2017 est.)

$1.203 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods

Imports Partners

US 30.6%, Netherlands 14.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.4%, China 7.6% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

1% (2017 est.)

Industries

gold mining, oil, lumber, food processing, fishing

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

22% (2017 est.)

55.5% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

144,000 (2014 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

11.2%

industry

19.5%

services

69.3% (2010)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

note

NA

Population Below Poverty Line

70% (2002 est.)

Public Debt

69.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

75.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$424.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$381.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$1.158 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$921.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

(31 December 2009 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$1.608 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.404 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$1.158 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$921.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

16.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

8.9% (2017 est.)

9.7% (2016 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

2.075 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

820 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

17,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

84.2 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - total population

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

1.75 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

61% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

38% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

504,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

1.967 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

13,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

14,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

10,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

7,571 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

12 (2017 est.)

total

71,217 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

2 state-owned TV stations; 1 state-owned radio station; multiple private radio and TV stations (2007)

Internet Country Code

.sr

Internet Users

percent of population

45.4% (July 2016 est.)

total

265,964 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 150 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay network is in place (2017)

general assessment

international facilities are good (2017)

international

country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2017)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

15 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

89,030 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

134 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

795,871 (2017 est.)

Airports

55 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

6 (2013)

under 914 m

5 (2013)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

914 to 1,523 m

4 (2013)

total

49 (2013)

under 914 m

45 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

PZ (2016)

Merchant Marine

by type

general cargo 5, oil tanker 3, other 2 (2017)

total

10 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

29,324,319 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

259,682 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

5 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

2 (2015)

Pipelines

50 km oil (2013)

Ports And Terminals

major seaport(s)

Paramaribo, Wageningen

Roadways

paved

1,130 km (2003)

total

4,304 km (2003)

unpaved

3,174 km (2003)

Waterways

1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2011)

Military Branches

Suriname Army (National Leger, NL): Army, Coast Guard, Air Force (2017)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2012)

Disputes International

area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the CourantyneGuyana seeks UN Convention on the Law of the Sea arbitration to resolve the longstanding dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

Illicit Drugs

growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing

Trafficking In Persons

current situation

Suriname is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking and men, women, and children subjected to forced labor; women and girls from Suriname, Guyana, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic are subjected to sex trafficking in the country, sometimes in interior mining camps; migrant workers in agriculture and on fishing boats and children working in informal urban sectors and gold mines are vulnerable to forced labor; traffickers from Suriname exploit victims in the Netherlands

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Suriname does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, Suriname was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; authorities increased the number of trafficking investigations, prosecutions, and convictions as compared to 2013, but resources were insufficient to conduct investigations in the country’s interior; more trafficking victims were identified in 2014 than in 2013, but protective services for adults and children were inadequate, with a proposed government shelter for women and child trafficking victims remaining unopened (2015)