Geography - note: smallest independent country on 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, mostly along the coast
People Suriname
Population: 436,494 (July 2002 est.)
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 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.55% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 19.97 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 5.67 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -8.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 23.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)