SURINAME
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 163,270 km2; land area: 161,470 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries: 1,707 km total; Brazil 597 km, French Guiana
510 km, Guyana 600 km
Coastline: 386 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and
Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); claims area in Guyana
between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all
headwaters of the Courantyne)
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Natural resources: timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp,
bauxite, iron ore, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold
Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 97%; other 3%; includes irrigated
NEGL%
Environment: mostly tropical rain forest
PEOPLE
Population: 402,385 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1991)
Ethnic divisions: Hindustani (East Indian) 37.0%, Creole (black and
mixed) 31.0%, Javanese 15.3%, Bush black 10.3%, Amerindian 2.6%, Chinese
1.7%, Europeans 1.0%, other 1.1%
Religion: Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%,
Protestant (predominantly Moravian) 25.2%, indigenous beliefs
about 5%
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
Literacy: 95% (male 95%, female 95%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)
Independence: 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands; formerly
Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana)
Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Executive branch: president, vice president and prime minister,
Cabinet of Ministers, Council of State; note--commander in chief of the
National Army maintains significant power
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee
Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President
Ronald VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991); Vice President and
Prime Minister Jules AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
traditional ethnic-based parties--The New Front (NF), Henck
ARRON, a coalition formed of four parties following the 24 December
1990 military coup--Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath LACHMON;
National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck ARRON;
Indonesian Peasants Party (KTPI), Willy SOEMITA; and
Suriname Labor Party (SLP), Frank DERBY;
promilitary New Democratic Party (NDP), Jules Albert WIJDENBOSCH,
Frank PLAYFAIR;
Democratic Alternative '91 (DA '91),
Gerard BRUNINGS, a coalition of five parties formed in
January 1991--Alternative Forum, Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN;
Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalall PARMISSER;
Party for Brotherhood and Unity in Politics (BEP), Caprino ALLENDY;
Pendawalima, Marsha JAMIN; and
Independent Progressive Group, Karam RAMSUNDERSINGH;
leftists--Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael NAARENDORP;
Progressive Workers and Farmers (PALU), Iwan KROLIS
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
President--last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held 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)
National Assembly--last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held
May 1996);
results--percent of vote NA;
seats--(51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT; Chancery
at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through 7492; there is a Surinamese
Consulate General in Miami;
US--Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD; Embassy at Dr. Sophie
Redmonstraat 129, Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821,
Paramaribo); telephone 597 72900, 77881, or 76459
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
ECONOMY
Overview: The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which
accounts for about 70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The
economy has been in trouble since the Dutch ended development aid in
1982. A drop in world bauxite prices that started in the late 1970s and
continued until late 1986, was followed by the outbreak of a guerrilla
insurgency in the interior. The guerrillas targeted the economic
infrastructure, crippling the important bauxite sector and shutting down
other export industries. These problems have created high inflation,
high unemployment, widespread black market activity, and a bad climate
for foreign investment. A small gain in economic growth of 2.0% was
registered in 1989 due to reduced guerrilla activity and improved
international markets for bauxite.
GDP: $1.35 billion, per capita $3,400; real growth rate 2.0%
(1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 33% (1990)
Budget: revenues $466 million; expenditures $716 million,
including capital expenditures of $123 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $425 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood
products, shrimp and fish, bananas;
partners--Norway 33%, Netherlands 20%, US 15%, FRG 9%,
Brazil 5%, UK 5%, Japan 3%, other 10%
Agriculture: accounts for 11% of both GDP and labor force; 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
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $2.5
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-87), $1.45 billion
Currency: Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders,
gulden, or florins); 1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) =
100 cents
Exchange rates: Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.)
per US$1--1.7850 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 166 km total; 86 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned,
and 80 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; all single track
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
Ports: Paramaribo, Moengo
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 container
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 46 total, 42 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
