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NAVIGATION
Republic of Suriname
Republiek Suriname
former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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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 rule through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1989, the military overthrew the civilian government, but a democratically-elected government returned to power in 1991. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana |
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Geographic coordinates:
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4 00 N, 56 00 W |
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Map references:
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South America |
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Area:
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total: 163,270 sq km
land: 161,470 sq km water: 1,800 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Georgia |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,707 km
border countries: Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km |
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Coastline:
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386 km |
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; moderated by trade winds |
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Terrain:
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mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m |
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Natural resources:
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timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore |
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Land use:
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arable land: 0.37%
permanent crops: 0.06% note: there are 95,000 hectares of arable land, 7,000 hectares of permanent crops, and 15,000 hectares of permanent pastures (1998 est.) other: 99.57% |
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Irrigated land:
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490 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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435,449 (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 30.7% (male 68,536; female 65,165)
15-64 years: 63.3% (male 141,048; female 134,699) 65 years and over: 6% (male 11,686; female 14,315) (2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 25.5 years
male: 25.1 years female: 26 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.37% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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19.4 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-8.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 24.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 28.93 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 69.23 years
male: 66.79 years female: 71.78 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.4 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.2% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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3,700 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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330 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Surinamer(s)
adjective: Surinamese |
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Ethnic groups:
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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% |
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Religions:
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Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5% |
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Languages:
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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), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93% male: 95% female: 91% (1995 est.) |