|
 Area:
163,265 sq. km. (63,037 sq. mi.); slightly larger than Georgia.
Cities:
Capital- Paramaribo (pop. 180,000). Other towns -
Nieuw Nickerie,
Albina, Moengo.
Terrain: Varies from
coastal swamps to savanna to hills.
Climate: Tropical.
PEOPLE:
Nationality: Noun-
Surinamer(s). Adjective - Surinamese.
Population (2004): 492,829.
Growth rate 38.7%.
Ethnic groups:
Hindustani (East Indian) 135,117; Creole 87,202; Javanese 71,879; Maroon
72,553; Indigenous18,037; Chinese 8,775; Caucasian 2,899; Mixed 61,524;
Others 2,264 (from 2004
census).
(Map of the Republic of Suriname)
Religions: Hindu,
Muslim, Roman Catholic, Dutch Reformed, Moravian and several other
Christian groups, Jewish, Baha'i.
Languages: Dutch
(official), English, Sranang Tongo (Lingua franca), Hindustani,
Javanese.
Education:
Compulsory- ages 6-12. Literacy- 85%.
Health: Infant
mortality rate - 15/1,000. Life expectancy - 71 years.
Number one cause of death: cardiovascular
diseases.
Labour
Force 248.000 (2004)
GDP at market prices (formal+informal
sector) US $ 1,500 million (2004)
GDP per capita (formal+informal sector) US $
1,906 (2004)
Anual GDP growth rate 17.5%
Most Surinamese live
in the narrow, northern coastal plain. The population is one of the most
ethnically varied in the world. Each ethnic group preserves its own
culture and many other institutions, including political parties, tend
to follow ethnic lines. Informal relationships vary- the upper classes
of all ethnic groups mix freely; outside of the elite, social relations
tend to remain within ethnic groupings. All groups may be found in the
schools and workplace.
GOVERNMENT:
Type: Constitutional
democracy.
Constitution:
September 1987.
Independence:
November 25, 1975.
Flag: Green, white,
red, white, green horizontal stripes with yellow star in the middle of
the red bar.
HISTORY:
Arawak and Carib
tribes lived in the region before Columbus sighted the coast in 1498.
Although Spain officially claimed the area in 1593, the Portuguese and
Spanish explorers of the 16th century gave the area little attention:
there was no gold, and transportation was difficult. Dutch settlement
began in 1616 at the mouths of several rivers between present day
Georgetown, Guyana and Cayenne, French Guiana.
Suriname became a
Dutch colony in 1667. The new colony- Dutch Guiana- did not thrive.
Historians cite several reasons for this including Holland's
pre-occupation with its more extensive (and profitable) East Indian
territories, violent conflict between whites and Amerindians, and
frequent uprisings by the slave population, which was often treated with
extraordinary cruelty. Barely, if at all, assimilated into western
society, many of the slaves fled to the interior, where they resumed a
West African culture and established the five major Bush Negro tribes in
existence today: the Djuka, Saramaccaner, Matuwari, Paramaccaner and
Quinti.Plantation farming steadily declined in importance as labor costs
rose in proportion to production.
Rice, bananas, and
citrus fruits replaced the traditional crops of sugar, coffee, and
cocoa. Exports of gold rose notably, however, beginning in 1900.
The Dutch government gave little financial support to the colony.
Suriname's economy was transformed in the years following World War I,
when an American firm (Alcoa) began exploiting bauxite deposits in East
Suriname. Bauxite processing and then alumina production began in 1941.
This was of considerable importance during World War II, when over 75%
of US bauxite imports came from Suriname. US troops were stationed
there.
Beginning in 1951,
Suriname began to acquire an increasing measure of autonomy from
Holland. On December 15, 1954, Suriname became an autonomous part of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands and gained independence on November 25, 1975.
ECONOMY:
National resources:
Bauxite, iron ore, oil, gold and other minerals; forests; hydroelectric
potential; fish and shrimp. Agriculture: Products- rice, palm oil,
bananas, timber, and citrus fruits. Arable land- 2 million hectares.
Cultivated land - 80,000 hectares. Industry: Types- aluminum, alumina,
processed food, lumber, bricks, tiles, cigarettes.The backbone of
Suriname's economy is the export of alumina and small amounts of
aluminum produced from bauxite mined in the country. Alumina and
aluminum exports account for about 85% of Suriname's export earnings.
Suriname's bauxite deposits have been among the world's richest.
Suriname also is an
exporter or rice, shrimp, timber, bananas, fruits and vegetables. It
formerly exported palm oil as well. All of these exports declined in
1989, due to lack of competitiveness of Suriname's products and to
insurgencies in the interior, which have essentially closed off access
to timber and to most palm oil plantations. Deteriorating infrastructure
and lack of spare parts are additional constraints worsened by a skewed
exchange rate.
TRAVEL NOTES:
Climate and clothing:
Paramaribo and the
coast are tropical all year. Lightweight clothing is recommended.
Customs: A visa is
required. Tourists may be asked to show onward tickets, necessary travel
documents or sufficient funds for their stay. All foreign exchange being
carried into the country must be declared on arrival and departure,
except for diplomats assigned to the post.
Health: Medical
services are adequate for most purposes, although some essential
medicines are no longer readily available. Malaria and other endemic
tropical diseases occur more frequently outside the capital.
Paramaribo's tap water is potable.
Telecommunications:
Domestic and international telephone connections are fair in quality but
expensive. Paramaribo is one hour ahead of eastern standard time.
Transportation:
Overland travel is restricted because there are few roads and bridges,
and large parts of the country outside the littoral are accessible only
by light airplane and canoe. Several flights a week connect Paramaribo
with other Latin American and Caribbean cities. There are two weekly KLM
flights to Amsterdam from Paramaribo, which has normally adequate bus
and taxi services.
Copyright 2008 ©
All Rghts Reserved Robert Knott |
