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 African slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. The Netherlands granted the colony independence in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared Suriname 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. President BOUTERSE was reelected unopposed in 2015.

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

highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m

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

arable land 0.4%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0.1%

570 sq km (2012)

population concentrated along the northern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

flooding

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

591,919 (July 2017 est.)

Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 27.4%, "Maroon" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 21.7%, Creole (mixed white and black) 15.7%, Javanese 13.7%, mixed 13.4%, other 7.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2012 est.)

Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is the native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Protestant 23.6% (includes Evangelical 11.2%, Moravian 11.2%, Reformed .7%, Lutheran .5%), Hindu 22.3%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Muslim 13.8%, other Christian 3.2%, Winti 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 3.2% (2012 est.)

Suriname is a pluralistic society consisting primarily of Creoles (persons of mixed African and European heritage), the descendants of escaped African slaves known as Maroons, and the descendants of Indian and Javanese contract workers. The country overall is in full, post-industrial demographic transition, with a low fertility rate, a moderate mortality rate, and a rising life expectancy. However, the Maroon population of the rural interior lags behind because of lower educational attainment and contraceptive use, higher malnutrition, and significantly less access to electricity, potable water, sanitation, infrastructure, and health care.

Some 350,000 people of Surinamese descent live in the Netherlands, Suriname's former colonial ruler. In the 19th century, better-educated, largely Dutch-speaking Surinamese began emigrating to the Netherlands. World War II interrupted the outflow, but it resumed after the war when Dutch labor demands grew - emigrants included all segments of the Creole population. Suriname still is strongly influenced by the Netherlands because most Surinamese have relatives living there and it is the largest supplier of development aid. Other emigration destinations include French Guiana and the United States. Suriname's immigration rules are flexible, and the country is easy to enter illegally because rainforests obscure its borders. Since the mid-1980s, Brazilians have settled in Suriname's capital, Paramaribo, or eastern Suriname, where they mine gold. This immigration is likely to slowly re-orient Suriname toward its Latin American roots.

1.02% (2017 est.)

15.8 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

population concentrated along the nothern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

PARAMARIBO (capital) 234,000 (2014)

155 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

1.93 children born/woman (2017 est.)

47.6% (2010)

5.7% of GDP (2014)

3.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)

urban: 98.1% of population

rural: 88.4% of population

total: 94.8% of population

urban: 1.9% of population

rural: 11.6% of population

total: 5.2% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 88.4% of population

rural: 61.4% of population

total: 79.2% of population

urban: 11.6% of population

rural: 38.6% of population

total: 20.8% of population (2015 est.)

1.4% (2016 est.)

4,900 (2016 est.)

<200 (2016 est.)

26.4% (2016)

5.8% (2010)

NA

presidential republic

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)

previous 1975; latest ratified 30 September 1987, effective 30 October 1987; amended 1992 (2016)

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

Alternative Combination or A-Com (coalition includes ABOP, KTPI, Party for Democracy and Development)

Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP [Celsius WATERBERG]

Democratic Alternative '91 or DA91 [Angelique DEL CASTILLO]

General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK}

National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire Delano BOUTERSE]

National Party of Suriname or NPS [Gregory RUSLAND]

Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Carl BREEVELD]

Party for National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA]

People's Alliance, Pertjaja Luhur or PL [Paul SOMOHARDJO]

Progressive Worker and Farmer's Union or PALU [Jim HOK]

Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Guno CASTELEN]

Progressive Reform Party or VHP [Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI]

Victory 7 or V7 [Chandrikapresad SANTOKHI] (formerly the New Front for Democracy and Development or NF; an electoral coalition of NPS, VHP, DA91, PL, SPA formed only for the May 2015 election)

Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Lesley ARTIST]

Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroons [Stiefen PETRUSI]

Women's Parliament Forum or WPF (Vrouwen Parlement Forum or VPF) [Iris GILLIAD]

ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, 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

royal palm, faya lobi (flower); national colors: green, white, red, yellow

Suriname’s economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of oil and gold accounting for approximately 85% of exports and 27% of government revenues. This makes the economy highly vulnerable to mineral price volatility. The worldwide drop in international commodity prices and the cessation of alumina mining in Suriname significantly reduced government revenue and national income during the past few years. After 99 years of operations, a major US aluminum company recently discontinued its activities in Suriname. Public sector revenues fell, together with exports, international reserves, employment, and private sector investment.

Economic growth declined annually from just under 5% in 2012 to -10.4% in 2016. In January 2011, the government devalued the currency by 20% and raised taxes to reduce the budget deficit. Suriname began instituting macro adjustments between September 2015 and 2016; these included another 20% currency devaluation in November 2015 and foreign currency interventions by the Central Bank until March 2016, after which time the Bank allowed the Surinamese dollar (SRD) to float. By December 2016, the SRD had lost 46% of its value against the dollar. High import price pass-through from depreciation and electricity tariff increases caused inflation to increase 55.5% year-over-year in December 2016.

Suriname's economic prospects for the medium-term will depend on continued commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and on the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. The government's over-reliance on revenue from the extractive sector colors Suriname's economic outlook. One credit bureau forecasted that the economy would contract 2% in 2017. Rising international oil prices and higher production by Suriname’s oil company, Staatsolie’s, will lift oil exports. Two new offshore oil exploration wells will draw 100 million dollars in foreign direct investment inflows. Higher gold prices and increased production from the Merian gold mine also will lift exports. However, investment overall is slowing and unemployment is rising, reflecting government spending cuts, weak business confidence, and the completion of large mining infrastructure projects. Fiscal problems, such as a failure to secure sufficient external financing, could result in additional pressure on the exchange rate and inflation.

$7.885 billion (2016 est.)

$8.699 billion (2015 est.)

$8.845 billion (2014 est.)

$3.625 billion (2016 est.)

-10.5% (2016 est.)

-2.7% (2015 est.)

0.4% (2014 est.)

$14,000 (2016 est.)

$15,800 (2015 est.)

$16,400 (2014 est.)

57.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

51.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

65.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

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

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

-8.3% (2016 est.)

144,000 (2014 est.)

11% (2016 est.)

8.5% (2013 est.)

70% (2002 est.)

15.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

-8.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

64.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

45.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

calendar year

55.5% (2016 est.)

6.9% (2015 est.)

10% (2013)

9% (2012)

13.5% (31 December 2016 est.)

12.62% (31 December 2015 est.)

$921.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.231 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$2.182 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$2.66 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.402 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$2.224 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$NA

$-102 million (2016 est.)

$-798.1 million (2015 est.)

$1.449 billion (2016 est.)

$1.666 billion (2015 est.)

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

Switzerland 28.3%, UAE 27.1%, Belgium 9.1%, Guyana 9%, US 4.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.5% (2016)

$1.197 billion (2016 est.)

$1.973 billion (2015 est.)

capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods

US 21.2%, Netherlands 10.9%, China 10.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.1%, St. Lucia 7% (2016)

$381.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$330.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.625 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.15 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar -

6.229 (2016 est.)

6.229 (2015 est.)

3.4167 (2014 est.)

3.3 (2013 est.)

3.3 (2012 est.)

2.19 billion kWh (2015 est.)

1.948 billion kWh (2015 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

435,000 kW (2015 est.)

54.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

43.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

1.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

17,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

83.98 million bbl (1 January 2017 es)

7,632 bbl/day (2014 est.)

14,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

10,620 bbl/day (2014 est.)

9,938 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2011 es)

2.4 million Mt (2013 est.)

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

.sr

PZ (2016)

55 (2013)

oil 50 km (2013)

1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2011)

Suriname Army (National Leger, NL): Army, Coast Guard, Air Force (2017)

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2012)

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 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea arbitration to resolve the longstanding 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