Facts about Suriname
The southern part consists of tropical rainforest and sparsely inhabited savanna along the border with Brazil, covering about 80 percent of Suriname's land surface.
Suriname’s economy has been dominated by the export of alumina, oil, and gold.
Suriname’s borders are porous; largely uninhabited, unguarded, and ungoverned rainforest and rivers make up the eastern, western, and southern borders, and the navy’s capability to police Suriname’s northern Atlantic coast is limited.
Lying near the equator, Suriname has a tropical climate, and temperatures do not vary much throughout the year.
Anthony Nesty is the only person to win a medal (for swimming) for Suriname at the Olympics.
Suriname is the smallest independent country in South America.
The severance package was substantial, and a large part of Suriname's economy for the first decade following independence was fueled by foreign aid provided by the Dutch government.
Some of the greatest football players to represent the Netherlands, such as Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf, Aron Winter, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Stanley Menzo, and Edgar Davids, are of Surinamese descent.
In 2005 there were 328,300 Surinamese people living in the Netherlands, which is about 2 percent of the total population of the Netherlands (compared to 438,144 in Suriname).
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America that is rich in bauxite, although gold and oil reserves are now being explored and developed.
The Netherlands has provided limited military assistance to the Surinamese armed forces since the election of a democratic government in 1991.
Suriname has also attracted the attention of international companies interested in extensive development of a tropical hardwoods industry and possible diamond mining.
Formerly known as Dutch Guiana, Suriname is situated between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west.
In 2004, Guyana brought Suriname before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in a case regarding the maritime border dispute; a decision in favor of Guyana was issued in 2007.
At independence, Suriname signed an agreement with the Netherlands providing for about $1.5 billion in development assistance grants and loans over a 10 to 15-year period.
At 20 percent of the population, Suriname has the largest Muslim community by percentage in the New World.
Bouterse's power began to wane after the 1991 elections, however, and a brutal civil war between the Suriname army and the Maroons loyal to Ronnie Brunswijk further weakened his position during the 1990s.
Due to the mix of population groups, Surinamese culture is very diverse.
The Republic of Suriname is a constitutional democracy based on the 1987 constitution.
In an effort to address the problem of Suriname’s ailing 110 parastatals, the government has introduced a plan that would strengthen them, after which they would be privatized.
By law, Suriname cannot deliver him because he is a former head of state.
Despite the religious diversity, the makeup of Suriname's population is very similar to that of neighboring Guyana, with the exception of the Indonesian population (which Guyana lacks).
Dutch is the official language of Suriname, but Sranan Tongo serves as the lingua franca.
Bauxite (aluminum ore) mining continues to be a strong revenue source, but the discovery and exploitation of oil and gold has added substantially to Suriname's economic independence.
Suriname's population of 438,144 (July 2005 estimate) is made up of several distinct ethnic groups.
Suriname participates in the Amazonian Pact, a grouping of the countries of the Amazon Basin that focuses on protection of the region's natural resources from environmental degradation.
The Netherlands has an international warrant for his arrest, which makes it almost impossible for him to leave Suriname.
Staatsolie expects 2008 to become the high point for Suriname’s offshore oil activities, with Repsol YPF drilling its first test well.
Suriname is a growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil and a transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing.
Suriname is a member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market and the Association of Caribbean States; it is associated with the European Union through the Lome Convention.
A military regime led by Desi Bouterse as chairman of the National Military Council controlled Suriname from 1980 until the beginning of the 1990s.
The severe shortage of affordable energy sources has hampered Suriname’s ability to expand its industries.
Davids in particular has written of his passionate pride in his Surinamese heritage and his love of attending soccer matches there.
In 1954, the Dutch placed Suriname under a system of limited self-government, with the Netherlands retaining control of defense and foreign affairs.
Suriname's democracy gained strength after the turbulent 1990s, and its economy became more diversified and less dependent on Dutch financial assistance.
Surinamese armed forces consist of the national army under the control of the minister of defense and a smaller civil police force, which is responsible to the minister of justice and police.
The first president was Johan Ferrier, the former governor, with Henck Arron (leader of the Suriname National Party) as prime minister.
The Central Suriname Nature Reserve comprises a range of topography and ecosystems.
More than 80 percent of Suriname's landmass consists of unspoiled rainforest, and with the establishment of the Central Suriname Nature Reserve in 1998, Suriname signaled its commitment to conservation of this precious resource.
The return to Suriname from French Guiana of about 8,000 refugees of the 1986-1991 civil war between the military and domestic insurgents has improved relations with French authorities.
Reflecting its status as a major bauxite producer, Suriname is also a member of the International Bauxite Association.
In 2000, the Dutch revised the structure of their aid package and signaled to the Surinamese authorities their decision to disburse aid by sectoral priorities as opposed to individual projects.
Suriname's diaspora therefore includes more than a quarter of a million people living in the Netherlands, including several recent members of the Dutch national football (soccer) team.
Originally from Trinidad, not Suriname, he now lives in Miami, Florida.
The Netherlands, France, Venezuela, and Brazil also have working relationships with the Surinamese military.
Working in a joint venture with SURALCO, the company has indicated that it will be seeking a production license from the government of Suriname by 2008.
Economy of SurinameStatisticsExports$2.149 billion (2014 est.)Export goodsalumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananasMain export partnersSwitzerland 21.8% UAE 14.5% India 13.9% Belgium 9.7% United States 8.9% France 8.1% Canada 6.6% (2015)Imports$1.838 billion (2012 est.)26 more rows
The validity of the “Tourist Card” is 90 days starting from the date of entry. Tourist may also obtian visas prior to arrival. For purposes other than tourism (such as business meetings), a U.S. citizen must have a valid U.S. passport, valid Surinamese visa and, if traveling by air, a return ticket.
While Dutch is the official language of government, business, media, and education, Sranan, an English-based creole language, is a widely used lingua franca. Suriname is the only sovereign nation outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population.
You could argue that the national dish is chicken with rice and kouseband (yardlong bean), but no less popular are dishes like saoto soup, telo, roti, peanut soup, and pom, and equally important is the Madame Jeanette pepper, a hot, yellow chili pepper grown in Suriname, that characterizes the Surinamese cuisine.May 1, 2014
Most of the Hindustani are Hindu, but some practice Islam or Christianity instead. Also the Javanese practice either Islam or Christianity. With 20% of the population, Suriname has the largest Muslim community by percentage in the New World.Feb 5, 2016
Javanese (descendants of contract workers from the Dutch East Indies on the island of Java), form 14% of the population. Amerindians, the original inhabitants of Suriname, form 3.7% of the population. The main groups are the Akurio, Arawak, Kalina (Caribs), Tiriyó and Wayana.
Dutch is spoken as a native language by about 60% of the population, most of them being bilingual with Sranan Tongo, Saramaccan, Hindustani, and other languages. Nevertheless, Dutch is the sole official language of the country. Surinamese Dutch is easily intelligible with other forms of Dutch.
Want in a rich country. Suriname ranks seventeenth among the world's richest countries in development potential. ... Suriname is blessed with natural resources, yet 80% of its population live under the poverty line.