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 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.

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

4 00 N, 56 00 W

South America

slightly larger than Georgia

386 km

tropical; moderated by trade winds

mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

510 sq km (2008)

122 cu km (2003)

NA

deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities

smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast

491,989 (July 2011 est.)

1.087% (2011 est.)

16.42 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

5.54 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

PARAMARIBO (capital) 259,000 (2009)

1.95 children born/woman (2011 est.)

1% (2009 est.)

3,700 (2009 est.)

fewer than 200 (2009 est.)

urban: 97% of population

rural: 81% of population

total: 93% of population

urban: 3% of population

rural: 19% of population

total: 7% of population (2008)

urban: 90% of population

rural: 66% of population

total: 84% of population

urban: 10% of population

rural: 34% of population

total: 16% of population (2008)

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%

Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%

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), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

NA

constitutional democracy

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

25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)

Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

ratified 30 September 1987; effective 30 October 1987

civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - the Commissie Nieuw Surinaamse Burgerlijk Wetboek completed drafting a new civil code in February 2009

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Cantonal Courts and a Court of Justice as an appellate court (justices are nominated for life); member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

A-Combination (a coalition that includes the General Liberation and Development Party ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK], SEEKA [Paul ABENA], Union of Brotherhood and Unity in Politics BEP [Caprino ALENDY]; Basic Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD [Dilip SARDJOE]; Basic Party for Renewal and Democracy or PVF [Soedeschand JAIRAM]; Democratic Union Suriname or DUS [Japhet DIEKO]; Mega-Combination-Ruling Coalition (a coalition that joined with A-Combination and the PL to form a majority in Parliament in 2010 - includes the National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE] (largest party in the coalition), Progressive Worker and Farmer's Union or PALU [Jim HOK], Party for National Unity and Solidarity of the Highest Order or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA], DNP-2000 [Jules WIJDENBOSCH], and New Suriname or NS [Nanan PANDAY]); National Union or NU [P. VAN LEEUWAARDE]; New Front for Democracy and Development or NF (a coalition made up of the National Party of Suriname or NPS [Runaldo VENETIAAN], United Reform Party or VHP [Ramdien SARDJOE], Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91 - an independent, business-oriented party [Winston JESSURUN], Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Siegfried GILDS]); Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Carl BREEVELD]; Party for the Permanent Prosperity Republic Suriname or PVRS [NA]; People's Alliance, Pertjaja Luhur's or PL [Paul SOMOHARDJO](includes D-21 [Soewarta MOESTADJA] and Pendawa Lima [Raymond SAPEON], which merged with PL in 2010)

Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE]; Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE]; Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]

ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); a large, yellow, five-pointed star is centered in the red band; red stands for progress and love; green symbolizes hope and fertility; white signifies peace, justice, and freedom; the star represents the unity of all ethnic groups; from its yellow light the nation draws strength to bear sacrifices patiently while working toward a golden future

The economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of alumina, gold, and oil accounting for about 85% of exports and 25% of government revenues, making the economy highly vulnerable to mineral price volatility. In 2000, the government of Ronald VENETIAAN, returned to office and inherited an economy with inflation of over 100% and a growing fiscal deficit. He quickly implemented an austerity program, raised taxes, attempted to control spending, and tamed inflation. Economic growth reached about 7% in 2008, owing to sizeable foreign investment in mining and oil. Suriname has received aid for projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors from Netherlands, Belgium, and the European Development Fund. The economy slowed in 2009, however, as investment waned and the country earned less from its commodity exports when global prices for most commodities fell. Trade picked up, boosting Suriname's economic growth in 2010, but the government's budget remained strained, with increased social spending during the election. In January 2011, the government devalued the currency by 20% and raised taxes to reduce the budget deficit. 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.

$4.711 billion (2010 est.)

$4.512 billion (2009 est.)

$4.378 billion (2008 est.)

$3.682 billion (2010 est.)

4.4% (2010 est.)

3.1% (2009 est.)

4.7% (2008 est.)

$9,700 (2010 est.)

$9,400 (2009 est.)

$9,200 (2008 est.)

165,600 (2007)

9.5% (2004)

70% (2002 est.)

6.4% (2007 est.)

11.65% (31 December 2009 est.)

12.2% (31 December 2008 est.)

$608 million (31 December 2009)

$495.6 million (31 December 2008)

$1.809 billion (31 December 2009)

$1.573 billion (31 December 2008)

$793.1 million (31 December 2008 est.)

$651 million (31 December 2007 est.)

$NA

paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products

bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing

6.5% (1994 est.)

1.605 billion kWh (2007 est.)

1.467 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

15,190 bbl/day (2009 est.)

14,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

4,308 bbl/day (2007 est.)

6,296 bbl/day (2007 est.)

79.6 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

$24 million (2007 est.)

$1.391 billion (2006 est.)

alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas

Canada 35.47%, Belgium 14.92%, US 10.15%, UAE 9.87%, Norway 4.92%, Netherlands 4.7%, France 4.47% (2009)

$1.297 billion (2006 est.)

capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods

US 30.79%, Netherlands 19.17%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.04%, China 6.8%, Japan 5.85% (2009)

$263.3 million (2006)

$504.3 million (2005 est.)

Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar -

2.745 (2010)

2.745 (2009)

2.745 (2008)

2.745 (2007)

2.7438 (2006)

83,700 (2009)

763,900 (2009)

2 state-owned TV stations; 1 state-owned radio station; multiple private radio and TV stations (2007)

.sr

171 (2010)

163,000 (2009)

51 (2010)

oil 50 km (2010)

1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2010)

Paramaribo, Wageningen

National Army (Nationaal Leger, NL; includes Marine Section and Air Wing) (2010)

18 years of age (est.); recruitment is voluntary, with personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2007)

0.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

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