:Suriname Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Suriname
Type:
republic
Capital:
Paramaribo
Administrative divisions:
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne,
Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini,
Wanica
Independence:
25 November 1975 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands Guiana or Dutch
Guiana)
Constitution:
ratified 30 September 1987
Legal system:
NA
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Executive branch:
president, vice president and prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers, Council
of State; note - Commander in Chief of the National Army maintains
significant power
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Ronald VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991); Vice President and
Prime Minister Jules AJODHIA (since 16 September 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
traditional ethnic-based parties:
The New Front (NF), a coalition formed of four parties following the 24
December 1990 military coup - Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath
LACHMON; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck ARRON; Indonesian Peasants
Party (KTPI), Willie SOEMITA; and Suriname Labor Party (SPA) Fred DERBY;
promilitary:
National Democratic Party (NDP), Orlando VAN AMSON; Democratic Alternative
'91 (DA '91), Winston JESSURUN, a coalition of five parties formed in
January 1991 - Alternative Forum (AF), Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN;
Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalal PARMESSAR; Party for Brotherhood
and Unity in Politics (BEP), Cipriano ALLENDY; Pendawalima, Marsha JAMIN;
and Independent Progressive Group, Karam RAMSUNDERSINGH;
leftists:
Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael NAARENDORP; Progressive Workers
and Farmers (PALU), Iwan KROLIS
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - elected
by the National Assembly - Ronald VENETIAAN (NF) 80% (645 votes), Jules
WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) 14% (115 votes), Hans PRADE (DA '91) 6% (49 votes)
National Assembly:
last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - percent of
vote NA; seats - (51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9
:Suriname Government
Member of:
ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT; Chancery at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through
7492; there is a Surinamese Consulate General in Miami
US:
Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD; Embassy at Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129,
Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo); telephone [597]
472900, 477881, or 476459; FAX [597] 410025
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
:Suriname Economy
Overview:
The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about
70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The economy has been in
trouble since the Dutch ended development aid in 1982. A drop in world
bauxite prices which started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986
was followed by the outbreak of a guerrilla insurgency in the interior that
crippled the important bauxite sector. Although the insurgency has since
ebbed and the bauxite sector recovered, a military coup in December 1990
reflected continued political instability and deterred investment and
economic reform. High inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market
activity, and hard currency shortfalls continue to mark the economy.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion, per capita $3,400; real growth rate
0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
50% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate:
33% (1990)
Budget:
revenues $466 million; expenditures $716 million, including capital
expenditures of $123 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
$549 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
commodities:
alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products, shrimp and fish,
bananas
partners:
Norway 33%, Netherlands 20%, US 15%, FRG 9%, Brazil 5%, UK 5%, Japan 3%,
other 10%
Imports:
$331 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
partners:
US 37%, Netherlands 15%, Netherlands Antilles 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%,
Brazil 5%, UK 3%, other 20%
External debt:
$138 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA; accounts for 22% of GDP
Electricity:
458,000 kW capacity; 2,018 million kWh produced, 5,015 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food processing,
fishing
Agriculture:
accounts for 11% of GDP; paddy rice planted on 85% of arable land and
represents 60% of total farm output; other products - bananas, palm kernels,
coconuts, plantains, peanuts, beef, chicken; shrimp and forestry products of
increasing importance; self-sufficient in most foods
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $2.5 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5 billion
Currency:
Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (plural - guilders, gulden, or
florins); 1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1 - 1.7850 (fixed rate)
:Suriname Economy
Fiscal year: calendar year
:Suriname Communications
Railroads:
166 km total; 86 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, and 80 km
1.435-meter standard gauge; all single track
Highways:
8,300 km total; 500 km paved; 5,400 km bauxite gravel, crushed stone, or
improved earth; 2,400 km sand or clay
Inland waterways:
1,200 km; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts
ranging up to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways
Ports:
Paramaribo, Moengo
Merchant marine:
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT; includes 2 cargo,
1 container
Civil air:
1 major transport aircraft
Airports:
46 total, 40 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
international facilities good; domestic microwave system; 27,500 telephones;
broadcast stations - 5 AM, 14 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations