Republic of Suriname

National name: Republiek Suriname

President: Ronald Venetiaan (2000)

Prime Minister: Jules Ajodhia (2000)

Land area: 62,344 sq mi (161,471 sq km); total area: 63,039 sq mi (sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 439,117 (growth rate: 0.2%); birth rate: 18.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 23.0/1000; life expectancy: 69.0; density per sq mi: 7

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Paramaribo, 217,300

Monetary unit: Surinamese dollar

Languages: Dutch (official), Surinamese (lingua franca), English widely spoken, Hindustani, Javanese

Ethnicity/race: East Indians (Hindustanis) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, “Bush Negroes” (also known as Maroons) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%

Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Islam 19.6%, indigenous 5%

Literacy rate: 93% (1995 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $2.081 billion; per capita $4,100. Real growth rate: 2%. Inflation: 9.5%. Unemployment: 9.5% (2004). Arable land: 0.4%. Agriculture: paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products. Labor force: 156,700 (2004); agriculture 8%, industry 14%, services 78%. Industries: bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing. Natural resources: timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore. Exports: $881 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas. Imports: $750 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods. Major trading partners: Norway, U.S., Canada, Belgium, France, UAE, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, China, Brazil (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 64,000 (1997); mobile cellular: 4,090 (1997). Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 13, shortwave 1 (1998). Radios: 300,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus seven repeaters) (2000). Televisions: 63,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000). Internet users: 14,500 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 166 km (single track) (2001). Highways: total: 4,492 km; paved: 1,168 km; unpaved: 3,324 km (2000). Waterways: 1,200 km; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging up to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways. Ports and harbors: Albina, Moengo, New Nickerie, Paramaribo, Paranam, Wageningen. Airports: 46 (2002).

International disputes: area disputed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); area disputed by Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Koetari [Kutari] rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne); territorial sea boundary with Guyana is in dispute.

 

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