Suriname

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Facts

Background: First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government - a four-party coalition - returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until August 2010, when voters returned Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power.
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Area land: 156,000 sq km
Area water: 7,820 sq km
Coastline: 386 km
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
Country name conventional short form: Suriname
Country name former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
Population: 491,989 (July 2011 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 26.4% (male 66,440/female 63,469); 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 164,739/female 166,139); 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 13,300/female 17,902) (2011 est.);
Population growth rate: 1.087% (2011 est.)
Birth rate: 16.42 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death rate: 5.54 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.068 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female; total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.);
Infant mortality rate: total: 17.61 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 20.79 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 14.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.);
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.22 years; male: 71.47 years; female: 77.16 years (2011 est.);
Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (2011 est.);
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1% (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3,700 (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 200 (2009 est.);
Nationality: noun: Surinamer(s); adjective: Surinamese;
Ethnic groups: Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%;
Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%;
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;
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 89.6%; male: 92%; female: 87.2% (2004 census);
GDP (purchasing power parity): $4.794 billion (2010 est.); $4.632 billion (2009 est.); $4.541 billion (2008 est.);

GDP (official exchange rate): $3.297 billion (2010 est.);
GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (2010 est.); 2% (2009 est.); 7% (2008 est.);
GDP - per capita (PPP): $9,900 (2010 est.); $9,600 (2009 est.); $9,500 (2008 est.);
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10.8%; industry: 24.4%; services: 64.8% (2005 est.);
Population below poverty line: 70% (2002 est.);
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%; highest 10%: NA%;
Labor force: 165,600 (2007);
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 8%; industry: 14%; services: 78% (2004);
Unemployment rate: 9.5% (2004);
Budget: revenues: $392.6 million; expenditures: $425.9 million (2004);
Industries: bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing;
Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (1994 est.);
Electricity - production: 1.605 billion kWh (2007 est.);
Electricity - consumption: 1.467 billion kWh (2007 est.);
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.);
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.);

Statistics: CIA World Factbook.

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