Suriname is a country of South America. Located on the north coast of South America, it is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north, and is bordered by French Guiana, to the east, Brazil, to the south, and Guyana, to the west. It covers an area of 163,270 km2 , excluding the 17 635 km2 disputed with Guyana. The most important cities are Paramaribo, the capital, with 218 500 residents (2004), Niew Nickerie (13 400 residents), Moengo (7300 residents) And Meerzorg (6500 residents).
The climate is humid tropical.
Economy
Suriname has an economy that is based on mining, services and agriculture. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declined in the early 1980s, due to political instability. In the 1990s, it began to recover slowly. The mining industry is dominated by the production and export of bauxite, alumina, aluminum and some gold. Agriculture is concentrated in the coastal zone and, although it represents a small percentage of GDP, it produces rice, bananas, sugar cane, orange, coconut, watermelon, cucumber, cassava, tomatoes and palm oil. The concession to harvest and exploit 10 million hectares of forest has worried the population. The industry produces cement, wood, footwear, food products, non-alcoholic drinks and cigarettes, but it also contributes little to GDP.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is 5.2.
Population
The population, in 2006, was 439 117 residents, which corresponds to a density of approximately 3 residents/km2. The birth and death rates are, respectively, 18.02% and 7.27%. Average life expectancy is 69.01 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.762 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) was not assigned (2001). It is estimated that, in 2025, the population will be 458,000 residents. The main ethnic groups are the Creole of Suriname (35%), the Indo-Pakistani (33%), the Javanese (16%) and the Black Bushwoman (10%). The most important religions are Hindu (27%), Catholic (23%), Muslim (20%) and Protestant (19%). The official language is Dutch.
History
Suriname began to be colonized by the British in 1650 and, in 1667, it became a German colony. In 1954 he became a member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with an autonomous government. He gained independence in 1975 and Johan Ferrier became president of the country, while Henck Arron, leader of the National Party of Suriname, became the prime minister. In 1980 a military coup removed the Arron Government from power, but President Ferrier refused to accept the military regime and suggested that Henk Chin A Sen, of the National Republican Party (PNR), head a civilian administration. Five months later, the military forces carried out a new coup and President Ferrier was replaced by Chin A Sen. The new president announced a plan for the creation of a constitution that would reduce the importance of the military in the government. After that announcement, the military, led by Lieutenant Colonel Dési Bouterse, removed Chin A Sen and placed the Popular Revolutionary Front (FPR) in the presidency. Several months of confusion followed in which state of siege and martial law were imposed. Between February 1980 and January 1983, six coups d’état were carried out by different military groups. Due to the chaotic situation in the country and the large number of assassinations of opposition leaders, the Netherlands and the USA canceled economic aid. Dési Bouterse started to have the support of Libya and Cuba. For Suriname democracy and rights, please check localbusinessexplorer.
With the end of relations between the army and trade unions in 1985, Bouterse turned to the traditional parties that operated before the 1980 coup. The leaders of the three main parties were invited to join the Supreme Council and Wym Undenhout became be the prime minister. The 1987 elections gave victory to the three parties that formed the Front for Development and Democracy (FDD) and Ramsewak Shankar was elected president of the National Assembly. In March 1989, a new constitution was approved. But the following year, in December, there was a new and bloody coup d’état and President Shankar was overthrown. Bouterse denied any involvement in the military action.
In the May 1991 elections, the Front for Democracy won twenty-nine seats out of fifty-one in the National Assembly, and Ronald Venetiaan was elected president of Suriname. In August 1992, in order to end hostilities, the Government reached an agreement with the two main guerrilla groups.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Suriname, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Suriname. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Suriname
View the political and shaded relief maps of this South American country, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana. Has a map of Paramaribo.
