Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general Prime minister: Baldwin Spencer
Population
560,157
89,018
Life Expectancy
71.120 years
75.690 years
Capital City
Paramaribo
Saint John's
Largest city
Paramaribo (population: 223,757)
Saint John's (population: 24,226)
Human Development Index
0.77
0.83
GDP per capita
$9,600 US
$18,200 US
Literacy Rate
89.6%
85.8%
Corruption Perception Index
3.6
NA
Percentage of Women in Parliament
25.5%
16.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
9.000%
11.000%
Death Penalty
Abolished in practice
Legal
Political System
constitutional democracy
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government
Independence date
25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
1 November 1981 (from UK)
Religions
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
Anglican 25.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Roman Catholic 10.4%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census)
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), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
English (official), local dialects
Exports
alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals
External Debt
$504,300,000 $
$359,800,000 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
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003) note: fixed rate since 1976
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.600%
0.500%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Area
163,820 km sq
443 km sq
Coastline
386 km
153 km
Climate
tropical; moderated by trade winds
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
