President: The presidency rotates every eight months between a Serb, a Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) and a Croat. Prime minister: Vjekoslav Bevanda
Population
560,157
3,879,296
Life Expectancy
71.120 years
78.960 years
Capital City
Paramaribo
Sarajevo
Largest city
Paramaribo (population: 223,757)
Sarajevo (population: 696,731)
Human Development Index
0.77
0.802
GDP per capita
$9,600 US
$8,200 US
Literacy Rate
89.6%
96.7%
Corruption Perception Index
3.6
3.2
Percentage of Women in Parliament
25.5%
12.3%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
9.000%
43.300%
Death Penalty
Abolished in practice
NA
Political System
constitutional democracy
emerging federal democratic republic
Independence date
25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence completed 1 March 1992; independence declared 3 March 1992)
Religions
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%
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
Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Exports
alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
metals, clothing, wood products
External Debt
$504,300,000 $
$10,540,000,000 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
konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar - 1.3083 (2008 est.), 1.4419 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004) note: the convertible mark is pegged to the euro
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.600%
1.400%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia
Area
163,820 km sq
51,197 km sq
Coastline
386 km
20 km
Climate
tropical; moderated by trade winds
hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast
