2022 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. Opposition parties campaigned hard against BOUTERSE in the lead up to the May 2020 elections and, in July 2020, a coalition led by Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI’s VHP and Ronnie Brunswijk’s ABOP was installed. The SANTOKHI government promised to tackle COVID-19, the economic crisis it inherited, and corruption.

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

highest point

Juliana Top 1,230 m

lowest point

unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m

mean elevation

246 m

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

600 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

1,907 km

Land use

agricultural land

0.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.1% (2018 est.)

forest

94.6% (2018 est.)

other

4.9% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km)

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

23.38% (male 72,642/female 69,899)

15-24 years

17.2% (male 53,427/female 51,438)

25-54 years

44.09% (male 136,889/female 131,868)

55-64 years

8.78% (male 26,435/female 27,066)

65 years and over

6.55% (male 17,437/female 22,468) (2020 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.87 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

6.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

15.38 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

19.6% (2018 est.)

women married by age 15

8.8%

women married by age 18

36%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

6.7% (2018)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

39.1% (2018)

Current health expenditure

9.7% of GDP (2019)

Death rate

6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2022 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

11

potential support ratio

9.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.9

youth dependency ratio

40

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 98.2% of population

improved: total

total: 99.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.5% of population

Education expenditures

5% of GDP (2020 est.)

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.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.3% (2021 est.)

Hospital bed density

3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

21.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

38.27 deaths/1,000 live births

total

30.25 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

major-language sample(s)

Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.27 years (2022 est.)

male

68.81 years

total population

72.42 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

92.7% (2018)

male

96.1%

total population

94.4%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

Major urban areas - population

239,000 PARAMARIBO (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

120 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

31.4 years (2020 est.)

male

30.6 years

total

31 years

Nationality

adjective

Surinamese

noun

Surinamer(s)

Net migration rate

2.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

26.4% (2016)

Physicians density

0.82 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

632,638 (2022 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

1.13% (2022 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: rural

rural: 91.2% of population

improved: total

total: 96% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 8.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 4% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.5% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.55 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.92 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

66.4% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

39.9% (2016 est.)

male

18.7%

total

26.5%

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

the name may be the corruption of a Carib (Kalina) village or tribe named Parmirbo

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

history

previous 1975; latest ratified 30 September 1987, effective 30 October 1987

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 Karen Lynn WILLIAMS (since 20 November 2018)

email address and website

caparamar@state.govhttps://sr.usembassy.gov/

embassy

165 Kristalstraat, Paramaribo

FAX

[597] 551-524

mailing address

3390 Paramaribo Place, Washington DC  20521-3390

telephone

[597] 556-700

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Jan Marten Willem SCHALKWIJK (since 19 April 2022)

consulate(s) general

Miami

email address and website

amb.vs@gov.srhttps://www.surinameembassy.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 629-4769

telephone

[1] (202) 629-4302

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI (since 16 July 2020); Vice President Ronnie BRUNSWIJK (since 16 July 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI elected 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 13 July 2020 (next to be held in May 2025)

head of government

President Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI (since 16 July 2020); Vice President Ronnie BRUNSWIJK (since 16 July 2020)

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 court(s)

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 - a new criminal code was enacted in 2017

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members directly elected in 10 multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote, using the D'Hondt method, to serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - VHP 41.1%, NDP 29.4%, ABOP 17.6%, NPS 7.8%, other 3.9%; seats by party - VHP 21, NDP 15, ABOP 9, NPS 4, other 2; composition - men 36, women 15, percent of women 29.4%

elections

last held on 25 May 2020 (next to be held in May 2025)

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

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

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Central Suriname Nature Reserve (n); Historic Inner City of Paramaribo (c)

total World Heritage Sites

2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)

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

Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP [Ronnie ASABINA]Democratic Alternative '91 or DA91 [Angelique DEL CASTILHO]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 [Iwan GANGA]People's Alliance (Pertjajah Luhur) or PL [Paul SOMOHARDJO]Progressive Workers' and Farmers' Union or PALU [Jim HOK]Progressive Reform Party or VHP [Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI]Reform and Renewal Movement or HVB [Mike NOERSALIM]Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Guno CASTELEN]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

rice, sugar cane, bananas, oranges, vegetables, plantains, coconuts, poultry, cassava, eggs

Budget

expenditures

827.8 million (2017 est.)

revenues

560.7 million (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

C (2020)

Moody's rating

Caa3 (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

SD (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$169 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$2 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$1.436 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$1.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic 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

Currency

Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

3.3 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

3.4167 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

6.229 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

6.229 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

7.53 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$2.24 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2019

$2.29 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, lumber, refined petroleum, fish, cigarettes (2019)

Exports - partners

Switzerland 39%, United Arab Emirates 31%, Belgium 10% (2019)

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.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2018

$2.07 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2019

$2.41 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, delivery trucks, excavation machinery, cars, construction vehicles (2019)

Imports - partners

United States 22%, Netherlands 14%, China 13%, Trinidad and Tobago 7%, Antigua and Barbuda 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (2017 est.)

Industries

gold mining, oil, lumber, food processing, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

55.5% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

22% (2017 est.)

Labor force

144,000 (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

11.2%

industry

19.5%

services

69.3% (2010)

Population below poverty line

70% (2002 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

75.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

69.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$10.95 billion (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$11.07 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$9.46 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

-2.6% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

-5.1% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

1.9% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$19,000 (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$19,000 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$16,100 (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$381.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$424.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

16.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

9.7% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

8.9% (2017 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

39.9% (2016 est.)

male

18.7%

total

26.5%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

11,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

2.361 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

2.372 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

2,938,391,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

808 million kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

542,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

234 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

94.3% (2018)

electrification - total population

97.4% (2018)

electrification - urban areas

99% (2018)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

40.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

58.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

82.356 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

200 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

89 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

15,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

14,800 bbl/day (2021 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

16 (2020 est.)

total

92,270 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

2 state-owned TV stations; 1 state-owned radio station; multiple private radio and TV stations (2019)

Internet country code

.sr

Internet users

percent of population

70% (2020 est.)

total

410,644 (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line nearly 18 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity over 153 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay network is in place (2020)

general assessment

Suriname is the smallest nation on the South American continent, with about 580,000 inhabitants; the only Dutch-speaking nation in South America, it has close affinities with the Caribbean, and is a member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM); the country’s fixed-line infrastructure is reasonably reliable in the more populated coastal region, though poor in the interior; fixed teledensity and broadband penetration are slightly lower than average for Latin America and the Caribbean, while mobile penetration is significantly above the regional average and much higher than would be expected given the country’s relatively low GDP per capita; many Surinamese have up to three mobile lines with different providers, which has pushed up penetration figures although the number of subscribers has fallen in recent years as consumers have responded to economic pressures (2021)

international

country code - 597; landing point for the SG-SCS submarine cable linking South America with the Caribbean; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

103,240 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

139.99 (2019)

total subscriptions

813,844 (2019)

Airports

total

55 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1

total

6

under 914 m

5 (2021)

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

4

total

49

under 914 m

45 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

PZ

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 5, oil tanker 3, other 2 (2021)

total

10

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

33.2 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

272,347 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

20

number of registered air carriers

4 (2020)

Pipelines

50 km oil (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Paramaribo, Wageningen

Roadways

paved

1,119 km (2003)

total

4,304 km (2003)

unpaved

3,185 km (2003)

Waterways

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

Military - note

key missions for the National Leger include border control and supporting domestic security; the military police has direct responsibility for immigration control at the country’s ports of entry; in addition, the military assists the police in combating crime, particularly narco-trafficking, including joint military and police patrols, as well as joint special security teams (2022)

Military and security forces

Suriname Army (National Leger, NL): Army, Navy, Air Force, Military Police (2022)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 2,000 total personnel (2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Suriname Army has a limited inventory comprised of a mix of older, foreign-supplied equipment; since 2010, Suriname has received small quantities of military hardware from several countries, including the US (2022)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2015

1.4% of GDP (2015 est.) (approximately $110 million)

Military Expenditures 2016

1.2% of GDP (2016 est.) (approximately $85 million)

Military Expenditures 2017

1.1% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $95 million)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.1% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $95 million)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.2% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $100 million)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2022)

Disputes - international

Suriname-Brazil: none identified Suriname-France (French Guiana): in March 2021, Suriname and France signed an agreement to  establish their border along the Maroni River and its tributary the Lawa River and to cooperate in combatting illegal gold mining; however, the area further south between the Litani and Marouini Rivers is still disputed, with Suriname claiming the border is along the Marouini to the east and France arguing it is along the Litani River to the west Suriname-Guyana: the two countries dispute the territory between two rivers, known as the New River Triangle, with Suriname contending that the New River (also called the Upper Corentyne) to the west marks their common border, while Guyana asserts that the Kutari River to the east forms the border; each side claims that their river is the source of the Corentyne River that forms a border further north between the two countries; the Permanent Court of Arbitration settled the maritime boundary between Suriname and Guyana in 2007 in an area with potentially substantial oil reserves  

Illicit drugs

a transit country for South American cocaine en route to Europe, the United States and Africa; marijuana is the primary drug consumed locally

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

1.74 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

2.28 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

23.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds

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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

0.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.1% (2018 est.)

forest

94.6% (2018 est.)

other

4.9% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

2.36% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

99 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

431.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

135.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

49.3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

66.4% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

78,620 tons (2010 est.)