Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 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) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
Exports
alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products
External Debt
$504,300,000 $
$2,352,000,000,000 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
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.600%
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
3
Location
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Area
163,820 km sq
70,273 km sq
Coastline
386 km
1,448 km
Climate
tropical; moderated by trade winds
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
