SURINAME
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LAND
142,709 km2; negligible amount of arable land, meadows and pastures, 76% forest, 8% unused but potentially productive, 16% built-on area, wasteland, and other Land boundaries: 1,561 km
WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm (economic including fishing 200 nm)
Coastline: 386 km
PEOPLE
Population: 356,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate -1.5%
Nationality: noun—Surinamer(s); adjective—Surinamese
Ethnic divisions: 37% Hindustani (East Indian), 31% Creole (Negro and mixed), 15.3% Javanese, 10.3% Bush Negro, 2.6% Amerindian, 1.7% Chinese, 1.0% Europeans, 1.7% other and unknown
Religion: Hindu, Muslim, Roman Catholic, Moravian, other
Language: Dutch official; English widely spoken; Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population, and is lingua franca among others; Hindi; Javanese
Literacy: 80%
Labor force: 129,000; unemployment 2.6% (1978)
Organized labor: approx. 33% of labor force
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Republic of Suriname
Type: military-civilian rule
Capital: Paramaribo
Political subdivisions: 9 districts before 1980 coup, each headed by District Commissioner responsible to Minister of District Government and Decentralization except for Paramaribo, whose commissioner is responsible to Minister of Home Affairs, not functioning at present; 100 "People's Committees" installed at local level
Legal system: transitional constitution in effect
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 November
Branches: new government announced on 1 April 1982—Policy Center makes policy and decisions; Council of Ministers implements decisions; President is a ceremonial figurehead
Government leaders: Lt. Col. Daysi BOUTERSE, Army Commander and strongman; Acting President Lachmipersad Frederick RAMDAT-MISIER
Suffrage: suspended
Elections: no elections planned
Political parties and leaders: Revolutionary Front (December 1981) official party established by Lt. Col. Daysi Bouterse; regular party activity officially suspended, although some continue low-level functioning; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck Arron; Nationalist Republic Party (PNR), Edward Bruma (principal leftist party); Progressive Reform Party (VHP), J. Lachmon; Pendawa Lima, S. Somohardjo; Javanese Farmers' Party (KTPI), Willy Soemita; Progressive Suriname People's Party (PSV), Emile Wijntuin; Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Pannalal Parmessar
Voting strength (1977): NPK 22 seats, Opposition United Democratic Parties Combination (VDP) 17 seats
Communists: (all small groups) Democratic Peoples Front; Communist Party of Suriname (KPS); People's Party (VP), Ruben Lie Pauw Sam; Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Edward Narrendorp
Member of: EC (associate), ECLA, FAO, GATT, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAS, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
ECONOMY
GDP: $822 million (1978); $2,370 per capita (1979); real growth rate 4% (1978)
Agriculture: main crops—rice, sugarcane, bananas; self-sufficient in major staple (rice)
Major industries: bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food processing
Electric power: 410,000 kW capacity (1981); 1.6 billion kWh produced (1981), 3,500 kWh per capita
Exports: $514 million (f.o.b., 1980 est.); alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products
Imports: $501 million (c.i.f., 1980 est.); capital equipment, petroleum, iron and steel, cotton, flour, meat, dairy products
Major trade partners: exports—41% US, 33% EC, 12% other European countries; imports—31% US, 33% EC, 16% Caribbean countries (1977)
Aid: economic—bilateral commitments including Ex-Im (FY70-80) from US, $1.9 million, (1970-79) from other Western countries, $945.0 million; no military aid
Budget: revenue, $273 million; expenditure, $319 million (1980 est.)
