| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
conventional short form: Suriname
local long form: Republiek Suriname
local short form: Suriname
former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana |
| Capital: |
Paramaribo |
| Location: |
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
4 00 N, 56 00 W |
| Area: |
total: 163,270 sq km
land: 161,470 sq km
water: 1,800 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
slightly larger than Georgia |
| Land
Boundaries: |
total: 1,707 km
border countries: Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km |
| Coastline: |
386 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
tropical; moderated by trade winds |
| Terrain: |
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
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, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
constitutional democracy |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica |
| Independence |
25 November 1975 (from Netherlands) |
| National
Holiday: |
Independence Day, 25 November (1975) |
| Constitution: |
ratified 30 September 1987 |
| Legal
System; |
based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age; universal |
| Executive
Branch: |
chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August 2000); Vice President Jules Rattankoemar AJODHIA (since 12 August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August 2000); Vice President Jules Rattankoemar AJODHIA (since 12 August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate receives a a two-thirds constitutional majority in the National Assembly after two votes, by a simple majority in the larger People's United Assembly (869 representatives from the national, local, and regional councils), for five-year terms; election last held 25 May 2000 (next to be held 25 May 2005) |
| Legislative
Branch: |
unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 2 May 2000 (next to be held May 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NF 33, MC 10, DNP-2000 3, DA-91 2, PVF 2, PALU 1 |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Cantonal Courts and a Court of Justice as an appellate court (justices are nominated for life) |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
A-Combinatie (coalition of Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP [Caprino ALENDY], General Interior Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK], Progressive Laborers and Farmers Union or PALU [Jim HOK], Seeka [Paul ABENA]); Alternative-1 or A-1 (a coalition of Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91 [Winston JESSURUN], Democrats of the 21st Century or D-21 [Soewarto MOESTADJA], Nieuw Suriname or NS [Radjen Nanan PANDAY], Political Wing of the FAL or PVF [Jiwan SITAL], Trefpunt 2000 or T-2000 [Arti JESSURUN]); National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE]; New Front for Democracy and Development or NF (a coalition includes National Party Suriname or NPS (Ronald VENETIAAN], United Reform Party or VHP [Ram SARDJOE], Pertjaja Luhur or PL [Salam Paul SOMOHARDJO], Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Siegfried GILDS]); Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Marten Schalkwijk]; People's Alliance for Progress or VVV (a coalition of Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP-2000 [Jules WIJDENBOSCH], Grassroots Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD [Tjan GOBARDHAN], Party for National Unity and Solidarity of the Highest Order or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA], Party for Progression, Justice, and Perserverance or PPRS [Renee KAIMAN], Pendawalima or PL [Raymond SAPOEN]); Union of Progressive Surinamers or UPS [Sheoradj PANDAY] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
438,144 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 29.6% (male 66,537/female 63,182)
15-64 years: 64.2% (male 144,285/female 136,942)
65 years and over: 6.2% (male 12,092/female 15,106) (2005 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 26.13 years
male: 25.72 years
female: 26.58 years (2005 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Surinamer(s)
adjective: Surinamese |
| 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 in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2% |
| Religions: |
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5% |
| Languages: |
Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
79,800 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
168,100 (2003) |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 4, FM 13, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
3 (plus seven repeaters) (2000) |
| Internet country
code: |
.sr |
| Internet hosts: |
18 (2003) |
| Internet users: |
20,000 (2002) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
|
| Highways: |
total: 4,492 km
paved: 1,168 km
unpaved: 3,324 km (2002) |
| Waterways: |
1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2003) |
| Pipelines: |
oil 51 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: |
Albina, Moengo, New Nickerie, Paramaribo, Paranam, Wageningen |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,078 GRT/1,214 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2005) |
| Airports: |
46 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 41
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: |
|
