Suriname
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.

geography

location

4.0° N, 56. 0° W
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana

area

163,820 sq km
land
156,000 sq km
water
7,820 sq km

land boundaries

1,907 km

coastline

386 km

climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds

terrain

mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

elevation

246 m
lowest point
unnamed location in the coastal plain
-2 m
highest point
Juliana Top
1,230 m

natural resources

  • timber
  • hydropower
  • fish
  • kaolin
  • shrimp
  • bauxite
  • gold
  • nickel
  • copper
  • platinum
  • iron ore

land use

arable land
0.4 %
permanent crops
0 %
permanent pasture
0.1 %
forest
94.6 %
other
4.9 %

population distribution

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

people

population

  • 609,569
  • 172
    global rank

nationality

  • Surinamer(s)
    noun
  • Surinamese
    adjective

ethnic groups

Hindustani
27.4 %
"Maroon"
21.7 %
Creole
15.7 %
Javanese
13.7 %
mixed
13.4 %
other
7.6 %
unspecified
0.6 %

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

religions

Protestant
23.6 %
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 %

birth rate

  • 14.9
    per 1,000 population
  • 120
    global rank

death rate

  • 6.2
    per 1,000 population
  • 158
    global rank

urban population

66.1 %

major urban areas

  • Paramaribo
    pop. 239,000

life expectancy

  • 73.3
    total population
  • 148
    global rank
70.8
male
75.9
female

adult obesity rate

  • 26.4%
    percent of adults
  • 42
    global rank

government

country name

    conventional

  • Republic of Suriname
    long form
  • Suriname
    short form

    local

  • Republiek Suriname
    long form
  • Suriname
    short form

government type

presidential republic

capital

Paramaribo
5.50 N, 55.10 W

independence

national holidays

  • Independence Day
    25 November

legal system

civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - a new criminal code was enacted in 2017

age of suffrage

18

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

national colors

  • green
  • white
  • red
  • yellow

national anthem

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

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.

GDP

8,688,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

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

poverty level

70%
2002

budget

  • 560,700,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 827,800,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 88,098
    total subscriptions
  • 144
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 752,270
    total subscriptions
  • 164
    global rank

broadcast media

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

internet

.sr
country code

    users

  • 292,685
    total
  • 48.95
    % of population
  • 166
    global rank

energy

electricity access

87.2%
2016

transportation

air transport

    national system

  • 2
    registered air carriers
  • 259,682
    annual passenger traffic

    airports

  • 55
    total
  • 6
    paved

roadways

4,304 km
total length

waterways

1,200 km
total length

military

service age

18