LOCATION:

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana

AREA:

total: 163,270 sq km
land: 161,470 sq km
water: 1,800 sq km
Area - comparative:
  
slightly larger than Georgia

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.)

POPULATION GROWTH:

0.25%

(2005 est.)

INFANT MORTALITY RATE:

total: 23.57 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 27.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.37 deaths/1,000 live births

(2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:

1.3 %

(World Fact Book estimates 1.7%)

HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :

5,000

low estimate:
1,400

high estimate:
18,000

HIV/AIDS-DEATH

low estimate:
less than 500

high estimate:
less than 1,000

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

LITERACY:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 95%
female: 91%

(1995 est.)

GOVERNMENT TYPE:

constitutional democracy

CAPITAL:

Paramaribo

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

INDEPENDENCE:

25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)

ECONOMY:

The economy is dominated by the alumina industry, which accounts for more than 15% of GDP and 70% of export earnings. Suriname's economic prospects for the medium term will depend on continued commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. The government of Ronald VENETIAAN has begun an austerity program, raised taxes, and attempted to control spending. While - in 2002 - President VENETIAAN agreed to a large pay raise for civil servants, threatening his earlier gains in stabilizing the economy, he has not repeated this promise in the run-up to the May 2005 elections. The Dutch Government has agreed to restart the aid flow, which will allow Suriname to access international development financing, but plans to phase out funds over the next five years. The short-term economic outlook depends on the government's ability to control inflation and on the development of projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors. Prospects for local onshore oil production are good, as a drilling program is underway. Offshore oil drilling was given a boost
in 2004 when the State Oil Company (Staatsolie)
signed exploration agreements with Repsol and Mearsk.

GDP

   
purchasing power parity - $1.885 billion

(2004 est.)

POPULATION BELOW POVERT LINE:

70%

(2002 est.)

UNEMPLOYMENT:

17%

(2000)

EXCHANGE RATES:

Surinamese dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004), Surinamese guilders per US dollar - 2,346.75 (2003), 2,346.75 (2002), 2,178.5 (2001), 1,322.47 (2000)
note: during 1998, the exchange rate splintered into four distinct rates; in January 1999 the government floated the guilder, but subsequently fixed it when the black-market rate plunged; in January 2004, the government introduced the Surinamese dollar as replacement for the guilder, tied to a US dollar-dominated currency basket

ILLICIT DRUGS:

growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing