Head of state: Emperor Akihito Prime minister: Yoshihiko Noda
Population
560,157
127,368,088
Life Expectancy
71.120 years
83.910 years
Capital City
Paramaribo
Tokyo
Largest city
Paramaribo (population: 223,757)
Tokyo (population: 8,336,600)
Human Development Index
0.77
0.956
GDP per capita
$9,600 US
$35,200 US
Literacy Rate
89.6%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
3.6
7.3
Percentage of Women in Parliament
25.5%
12.3%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Tadashi Yanai & family ($6.0bn US)
Unemployment Rate
9.000%
4.600%
Death Penalty
Abolished in practice
Legal
Political System
constitutional democracy
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Independence date
25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU)
Religions
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
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
Japanese
Exports
alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, chemicals
External Debt
$504,300,000 $
$2,719,000,000,000 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
yen (JPY) per US dollar - 103.58 (2008 est.), 117.99 (2007), 116.18 (2006), 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.600%
0.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
25
Location
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Area
163,820 km sq
377,915 km sq
Coastline
386 km
29,751 km
Climate
tropical; moderated by trade winds
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
