Surinam.us

Information about the Republic of Surinam

The country of Suriname is located in the North East of the continent South America. Suriname is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by French Guiana, on the south by Brazil, and on the west by Guyana.  Before Suriname gained it's independence in 1975,it was a colony of the Netherlands and was called Dutch Guiana, Netherlands Guiana and also Surinam. That's why the official national language of Suriname is Dutch. The country area is 163,265 sq km (63,037 sq mi). It's the smallest independent country on the 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 which is mostly along the coast. The capital of Suriname is Paramaribo. Suriname is fully open for tourism and tourist arrangements can also be made in English ,because the English language is also widely spoken in Suriname. The food in Surinam is spicey, and not expensive. People from Suriname loves music. There is a varity of music avilable in Surinam.

Geographic coordinates:
4 00 N, 56 00 W

Area:
total: 163,270 sq km
land: 161,470 sq km
water: 1,800 sq km

Land boundaries:
total: 1,707 km
border countries: Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km

Coastline:
386 km
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical

Terrain:
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
 there are 95,000 hectares of arable land, 7,000 hectares of permanent crops, and 15,000 hectares of permanent pastures (1998)
other: 100%
Irrigated land:
490 sq km (1998)

Nationality:

Surinamese.

Population:

405,000.  (1996)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.1% (male 69,642; female 66,262)
15-64 years: 63.1% (male 140,745; female 134,494)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 11,480; female 13,871) (2002)

Ethnic groups:

Hindustani (East Indian) 37%, Creole 31%, Javanese 15%, Bush Negro 10%, Amerindians 3%, Chinese 1.7% (percentages date from 1972 census, the last in which ethnicity data was collected).

Birth rate:
19.97 births/1,000 population (2002)
Death rate:
5.67 deaths/1,000 population (2002)
Net migration rate:
-8.82 migrant's)/1,000 population (2002)
Infant mortality rate:
23.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2002)
Total fertility rate:
2.44 children born/woman (2002)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.26% (1999)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,000 (1999)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
210 (1999)

Religions:

Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5%

Languages:

Dutch (official), English, Sranan Tongo (Creole language), Hindustani, Javanese.

History

Independence from the Netherlands was granted on the 25th of November 1975. After five years the civilian government was replaced by a military regime . 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.

Independence, Revolution, And Democracy

Suriname was a democratically parliament which immediately followed by it's independence. The first prime Minister of Suriname was Henk Arron and was re-elected in 1977.Sixteen noncommissioned officers overthrew the government of that period on the 25th of February 1980.The military-dominated government then suspended the constitution, dissolved the legislature, and formed a regime which ruled by decree. Although a civilian filled the post of president, a military man, Desi Bouterse, actually ruled the country. In the year 1982 there was a huge pressure for a replacement of the government for in the place a civilian government. Early in December 1982, military authorities arrested and killed 15 prominent opposition leaders, including journalists, lawyers, and trade union leaders. This lead to a suspension of the economic and military cooperation with the Bouterse regime . Economic decline rapidly set in after the suspension of economic aid from the Netherlands. The regime also restricted the press and limited the rights of its citizens. The military eventually agreed to free elections in 1987, a new constitution, and a civilian government. Another pressure for changed had erupted, when the Maroon or Bush Negro insurgency, led by former soldier Ronnie Brunswijk, began attacking economic targets in the country's interior. In response, the army ravaged villages and killed suspected Brunswijk supporters. Thousands of Bush Negroes fled to nearby French Guiana. In an effort to end the war, the Surinamese Government negotiated a peace treaty, called the Kourou Accord, with Brunswijk in 1989. Bouterse and other military leaders blocked the accord's implementation.

On December 24, 1990, military officers forced the resignations of the civilian President and Vice President elected in 1987. Military-selected replacements were approved by the National Assembly on December 29. Faced with mounting pressure from the U.S., other nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), and other international organizations, the government held new elections on May 25, 1991. The New Front Coalition, comprised of the Creole National Party of Suriname (NPS), the Hindustani Progressive Reform Party (VHP), the Javanese Indonesian Peasant's Party (KTPI), and the Surinamese Labor Party (SPA) were able to win a majority in the National Assembly. On September 6, 1991, NPS candidate Ronald Venetiaan was elected President, and the VHP's Jules Ajodhia became Vice President of the New Front Coalition government.

The Venetiaan government was able to effect a settlement to Suriname's domestic insurgency through the August 1992 Peace Accord with Bush Negro and Amerindian insurgents. In April 1993, Desi Bouterse left his position as commander of the armed forces and was replaced by Arthy Gorre, a military officer committed to bringing the armed forces under civilian government control. Economic reforms instituted by the Venetiaan government eventually helped curb inflation, unify the official and unofficial exchange rates, and improve the government's economic situation by re-establishing relations with the Dutch, there by opening the way for a major influx of Dutch financial assistance. Despite these successes, the governing coalition lost support and failed to retain control of the government in the subsequent round of national elections. The rival National Democratic Party (NDP), founded in the early 1990s by Desi Bouterse, benefited from the New Front government's loss of popularity. The NDP won more National Assembly seats (16 of 51) than any other party in the May 1996 national elections and, in September 1996, joined with the KTPI, dissenters from the VHP, and several smaller parties to elect NDP vice-chairman Jules Wijdenbosch president of a NDP-led coalition government. Divisions and subsequent reshufflings of coalition members in the fall of 1997 and early 1998 weakened the coalition's mandate and slowed legislative action.

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August 2000); Vice President Jules Rattankoemar AJODHIA (since 12 August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August 2000); Vice President Jules Rattankoemar AJODHIA (since 12 August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate receives a constitutional majority in the National Assembly after two votes, by the larger People's Assembly (869 representatives from the national, local, and regional councils), for five-year terms; election last held 6 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005)
election results: Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN elected president by the National Assembly; percent of legislative vote - Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN 72.5%; Rashied DOEKHIE (NDP) 19.6%; total votes cast - Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (New Front) 37 votes, Rashied DOEKHIE (NDP) 10 votes
note: widespread demonstrations during the summer of 1999 led to the call for elections a year early.

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Alternative '91 or DA '91 (a coalition of the Alternative Forum or AF and Party for Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP, formed in January 1991) [S. RAMKHELAWAN]; Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP 2000 (coalition of two parties, Democratic Party and Democrats of the 21st Century) [Jules WIJDENBOSCH]; Independent Progressive Democratic Alternative or OPDA [Joginder RAMKHILAWAN]; Millennium Combination or MC (a coalition of three parties, Democratic Alternative, Party for National Unity and Solidarity, and National Democratic Party) [leader NA]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE]; Naya Kadam or NK [leader NA]; Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD [Tjan GOBARDHAN]; Party of National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA]; Pertjaja Luhur [Paul SOMOHARDJO]; Progressive Workers' and Farm Laborers' Union or PALU [Ir Iwan KROLIS]; The New Front or NF (a coalition of four parties Suriname National Party or NPS, Progressive Reform Party or VHP, Suriname Labor Party or SPA, and Pertjaja Luhur) [Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN]; The Progressive Development Alliance (a combination of three parties, Renewed Progressive Party or HPP, Party of the Federation of Land Workers or PVF, and Suriname Progressive People's Party or PSV) [Harry KISOENSINGH]

International organization participation:
ACP, Caricom, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Political pressure groups and leaders:
General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK]; Mandela Bushnegro Liberation Movement [Leendert ADAMS]; Tucayana Amazonica [Alex JUBITANA, Thomas SABAJO]; Union for Liberation and Democracy [Kofi AFONGPONG]

Description of the Suriname flag:
five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band.

Economy - overview:
The bauxite industries dominates the economy, which accounts for more than 15% of GDP and 70% of export earnings. Suriname's economic prospects for the medium term will depend on renewed commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. The government of Ronald Venetiaan has begun an austerity program, raised taxes, and attempted to control spending. The Dutch Government has restarted the aid flow, which will allow Suriname to access international development financing.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.5 billion (2000)

GDP - real growth rate:
-5.5% (2000)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2000)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 22%
services: 65% (1998))

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
59% (2000)

 
Labor force:
100,000

Budget:
revenues: $393 million
expenditures: $403 million, including capital expenditures of $34 million (1997 est.)

The industrial production growth rate:
6.5% (1994))
The backbone of Suriname's economy is the export of alumina and small quantity of aluminum produced from bauxite mined in the country. Alumina and aluminum exports accounted for 77% of Suriname's estimated $453.3 million export earnings in 1996. Suriname's bauxite deposits have been among the world's richest. The preeminence of bauxite and ALCOA's continued presence in Suriname is a main element in the U.S.-Suriname economic relationship. The most important industrial sectors are bauxite and gold mining, aluminum production, oil, lumbering, food processing and agriculture.

Electricity - production:
1.407 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 35.82%
hydro: 64.18%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
1.309 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2000)

Exports:
$399 million ( 2000)

Exports - commodities:
alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas

Exports - partners:
US 23%, Norway 19%, the Netherlands 11%, France, Japan, UK (1999)

Imports:
$525 million (1999)

Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
US 35%, the Netherlands 15%, Trinidad and Tobago 12%, Japan, UK, Brazil (1999)

Agriculture

The agriculture sector in Suriname contributes 13 percent of the GDP and employs an estimated 20.3 percent of labor, as stated in the GDP/Employment by Sector of Origin table. The primary food crops produced are bananas, cocoa beans, coconuts, coffee, maize, rice, soybeans and sugar cane. The primary meat products are beef and veal, chicken, duck, lamb and pork. The largest agricultural exports in 1998 were bananas, fish, rice and vegetables. The total value of agricultural exports in 1998 was $42.4 million, while the total value of agricultural imports in 1998 was $132.2 million.

Telephones - main lines in use:
64,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4,090 (1997)
Telephone system:
general assessment: international facilities are good
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 13, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
300,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus seven repeaters) (2000)
Televisions:
63,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.sr

Country code:

597
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2, cq-link and Telesur (2000)

Highways:
total: 4,530 km
paved: 1,178 km
unpaved: 3,352 km (1996)
Ports and harbors:
Albina, Moengo, Nieuw Nickerie, Paramaribo, Paranam, Wageningen
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 41
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 35 (2001)

Travel
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on immigration practices, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas which pose significant risks to the security of American travelers.

Trade barriers, tariffs, membership and import taxes
Suriname officially became a member of the Caribbean Common Market, CARICOM, on the 4th of July 1995. Suriname is also a member of the Amazon Charter with Brazil, and the Association of Caribbean Producers. Suriname has also been actively pursuing bilateral economic arrangements with Colombia and Venezuela. The elimination of tariffs on Caricom products took place on the first of January 1996 adhere to CARICOM's common external tariff regime (with most rates in the 5-25 percent range) by
January 1, 1998. CARICOM membership will stimulate Suriname's regional economic activity. The Surinamese government regards CARICOM membership as an important stepping-stone toward an American free trade zone. The import tariff for goods other than Caricom products range between 0 and 40%. According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry officials, overage import duties are between 30 and 40 %. The Surinamese government wants to maintain a new tariff legislation which calls for a more liberal and transparent tariff regime.

Free trade zones
There are no free trade zones in Suriname.

Export controls
Suriname has minor export controls. A listing of goods which are prohibited for export is available from the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The number of products require export licenses which must be approved by the Ministry of Trade and Industry's department of business licenses.

Temporary entry
Temporary entry is not generally applicable in Suriname. With the exception of re-export of goods to Guyana and illegal smuggling to French Guyana, Suriname is not a distribution point for shipping or air cargo. Nonetheless, temporary entry under bond can be arranged.

Special import provisions
We know two special import taxes known as the statistics duty, which is one-half percent of the product's value, and the consent duty, which is one and one-half percent of a product's value.
 

Pre-school of Surinam
Pre-school is a two-year program for four and five year old children.  The children enrolled in pre-primary in 1993 were taught by about 672 teachers. This resulted in an average class size of 28 students, though there is wide variation across schools. Pre-school programs typically are housed in primary school buildings, though they have their own teachers, who take a special training program to prepare as a pre-primary teacher.

Primary school of Surinam
Primary school consists of grades 1-6 (ages 6-11). Suriname has not experienced the explosive growth that has characterized student enrollments in many other developing countries over the last ten years.  Half of the students were enrolled in religious schools. Successful completion of primary school is based on an examination administered nationwide at the end of grade 6 in combination with sixth grade school performance. Those awarded a Primary School Leavers' Certificate may continue to Junior Secondary School, with their choice of junior secondary options based on their examination scores.
 

Junior secondary education
Secondary education in Suriname is divided into two levels: junior secondary education, which generally lasts for three to four years, and senior secondary education, which lasts for two to three years. Students with the highest sixth grade examination performance can attend General Junior Secondary Education (MULO), which is a four-year general education stream.

Those with a lower score may attend a four year Junior Secondary General Vocational (LBGO) stream. LBGO is essentially a pre-professional stream leading to further education. Students with scores that are insufficient for the LBGO stream may attend "true" vocational streams. Of these, the most prestigious is the three-year Junior Secondary Technical (LTO) schools, which are oriented toward technical trade skills.
Those with yet lower scores may attend an Elementary Vocational (EBO) school, a Vocational Home Economics (LNO) school, or a Special Education (VBO) school. The Elementary Vocational schools are aimed at imparting general handyman skills while Vocational Home Economics prepares girls in domestic home-making skills. These vocational programs do not generally lead to further educational options.

Senior secondary education
Students in the general junior secondary (MULO) stream take an examination at the end of grade 10. Those passing the test can continue in senior secondary education, but again their options are determined by their examination score. Students with the highest scores can enter a three-year senior secondary academic stream (VWO, translated as Pre-University College I), which offers academic programs leading to university study.
Those with lower scores may enter a two-year senior secondary vocational stream (HAVO, translated as Pre-University College II). HAVO schools are really pre-professional schools intended to lead to further education in areas such as law, journalism, etc., and are not vocational schools in the more general sense.

The pre-university and pre-professional streams are offered in different schools. Both types of school offer instruction in Dutch, English, Spanish, mathematics, physics, biology, geography, history, drawing, and physical education, though the two streams cover the material in different depths. Students in the VWO stream take school completers' examinations in seven subjects while those in the HAVO stream take examinations in only six subjects. Locally prepared textbooks and instructional materials are available for Spanish, history, physics, and for portions of geography and biology.
Students with scores that are insufficient for the pre-university or pre-professional streams may attend "true" vocational streams. Of these, the most prestigious is the four-year Technical College (NATIN), which is oriented toward technical trade skills.
Those with yet lower scores can enter a four-year Teacher Training College (PA), where they can specialize in primary teacher training, or they may go to a Commercial College (MEAO) for either a three-year program in accounting and general management or a two-year program in secretarial skills. There are also options for less academically able students to attend a Junior Secondary level elementary vocational program (EBO), a vocational home economics program (LNO), or a special education program (VBO).

Tertiary education
Tertiary education is comprised of two tracks: the University of Suriname which possesses a medical school and higher vocational education (HBO), which offers advanced programs in 21 areas, including advanced teacher training. Students with a School Completer's Certificate from a VWO (senior secondary academic school) may enter the university and students with a School Completer's Certificate from a HAVO (senior secondary vocational school) may continue on to the higher vocational education.
For the brightest students in the HAVO stream and the technically-oriented senior secondary (NATIN) schools there is also a possible route to the university. After taking their school completer's examination, students in these tracks can enter a one-year preparatory course of study at the university which leads to full admission for those who complete the course. In fact, this university entrance examination is the same school completers' examination taken by students completing grade 13 at the academic senior secondary schools (VWO). This option has the effect, then, of giving students in the HAVO and NATIN streams another chance at entering the university, but it does not save them any time because the grade that they skip at senior secondary school is replaced by an extra year of study once they are admitted into the university.
Curricula are determined by the instructional faculty of each institution and are intended to meet international standards. International assistance has supported curriculum development, advanced education for faculty, and the provision of library resources and specialized laboratory and other teaching equipment.
 

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