Eternal president: Kim Il-sung (deceased) Chairman, National Defence Commission: Kim Jong-il
President: Desire "Desi" Bouterse
Population
24,589,122
560,157
Life Expectancy
69.200 years
71.120 years
Capital City
Paramaribo
Largest city
Pyongyang (population: 3,222,000)
Paramaribo (population: 223,757)
Human Development Index
0
0.77
GDP per capita
$9,600 US
Literacy Rate
99%
89.6%
Corruption Perception Index
NA
3.6
Percentage of Women in Parliament
20.1%
25.5%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
9.000%
Death Penalty
NA
Abolished in practice
Political System
Communist state one-man dictatorship
constitutional democracy
Independence date
25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
Religions
traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
Languages
Korean
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
Exports
alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
External Debt
$504,300,000 US
Exchange Rate
Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar - 2.745 (2007), 2.745 (2006), 2.7317 (2005), 2.7336 (2004), 2.6013 (2003) note: in January 2004, the government replaced the guilder with the Surinamese dollar, tied to a US dollar-dominated currency basket
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
6
0
Location
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
