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:

475,996 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 27.5% (male 66,695/female 64,356) 15-64 years: 66.2% (male 156,961/female 158,234) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 12,868/female 16,882) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 27.5 years male: 27.1 years female: 27.9 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: