| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
South America |
| Geographical Location |
4° 00' North Latitude
56° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
163,270 sq km |
| Climate |
Tropical; moderated by trade winds |
| Natural Resources |
Timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Suriname |
| Capital City |
Paramaribo |
| Government Type |
Constitutional democracy |
| Administrative Divisions |
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica |
| Independence Day |
25 November 1975 (from Netherlands) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
438,144 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
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% |
| Religion |
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 |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.25% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Surinamese guilder (SRG) |
| Industries |
Bauxite and gold mining, alumina production, oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing |
| Labor Force |
104,000 (2003) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
| Agriculture Products |
Paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; forest products; shrimp |
| Export Commodities |
Alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas |
| Export Partners |
Norway 31.1%, US 16%, Canada 13.2%, Belgium 10.8%, France 8.8%, Iceland 4.6% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods |
| Import Partners |
US 28.2%, Netherlands 21.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.4%, Japan 7.2%, China 4.3% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
4,492 km |
| Pipelines |
Oil 51 km (2004) |
| Airports |
46 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Albina, Moengo, New Nickerie, Paramaribo, Paranam, Wageningen |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+597 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.sr |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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 rule through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1989,
the military overthrew the civilian government, but a democratically-elected government returned to power in 1991. |
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