Suriname lies on the northeast coast of South America, with Guyana to the west, French Guiana to the east, and Brazil to the south. It is about one-tenth larger than Michigan. The principal rivers are the Corantijn on the Guyana border, the Marowijne in the east, and the Suriname, on which the capital city of Paramaribo is situated.
Country lead by President: Ronald Venetiaan (2000)
Prime Minister: Jules Ajodhia (2000)
Population
439,117 (growth rate: 0.2%); birth rate: 18.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 23.0/1000; life expectancy: 69.0; density per sq mi: 7
Land Area
62,344 sq mi (161,471 sq km); total area: 63,039 sq mi (sq km)
Monetary unit
Surinamese dollar Language
Dutch (official), Surinamese (lingua franca), English widely spoken, Hindustani, Javanese
Ethnicity East Indians (Hindustanis) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, “Bush Negroes” (also known as Maroons) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%
Religion Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Islam 19.6%, indigenous 5%
Transportation Railways: total: 166 km (single track) (2001). Highways: total: 4,492 km; paved: 1,168 km; unpaved: 3,324 km (2000). 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 and harbors: Albina, Moengo, New Nickerie, Paramaribo, Paranam, Wageningen. Airports: 46 (2002).
