Suriname
Republic of Suriname
Capital: Paramaribo
History
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. Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared 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.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
163,820
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
1,703
km
|
| Border Countries |
Brazil 593 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km |
| Coastline |
386
km
|
| Terrain |
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps |
| Minimum Elevation |
-2
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
1,230
m
|
| Climate |
tropical; moderated by trade winds |
| Natural Resources |
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore |
| Arable Land |
0.36% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.04% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$2.93 billion |
| Export Items |
alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas |
| Export Partners |
US 23.9%, Canada 19.5%, Belgium 17.2%, UAE 8.9%, Norway 6.2%, Guyana 4.8%, France 4.1% (2011) |
| Imports |
$1.84 billion |
| Import Items |
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods |
| Import Partners |
US 26.1%, Netherlands 15.6%, UAE 8.6%, China 8.2%, Antigua and Barbuda 7.4%, the former countries of Netherlands Antilles 5.5%, Brazil 4.4%, Japan 4.1% (2011) |
People
| Population |
566,846 |
| Population Growth |
1.15% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country i |
| Religion |
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5% |
| Life Expectancy |
71.41 years |
| Infant Mortality |
1.01 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
1.5 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
