Suriname

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The Spaniards first explored Suriname in the 16th century, and the English then settled it in the mid-17th century. Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of African slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. The Netherlands granted the colony independence in 1975. Five years later, the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared Suriname a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government -- a four-party coalition -- returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until 2010, when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power. President BOUTERSE ran unopposed in 2015 and was reelected. Opposition parties campaigned hard against BOUTERSE in the run-up to the 2020 elections, and a multi-party coalition led by Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI’s VHP and Ronnie Brunswijk’s ABOP was installed. 

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Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana

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4 00 N, 56 00 W

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South America

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slightly larger than Georgia

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386 km

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tropical; moderated by trade winds

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mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

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timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

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600 sq km (2020)

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population is concentrated along the northern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

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flooding

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smallest independent country on the South American continent; mostly tropical rainforest; great diversity of flora and fauna; relatively small population, mostly along the coast

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Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 27.4%, Maroon (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 21.7%, Creole (mixed White and Black) 15.7%, Javanese 13.7%, mixed 13.4%, other 7.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2012 est.)

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Protestant 23.6% (includes Evangelical 11.2%, Moravian 11.2%, Reformed 0.7%, Lutheran 0.5%), Hindu 22.3%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Muslim 13.8%, other Christian 3.2%, Winti 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 3.2% (2012 est.)

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1.04% (2025 est.)

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14.63 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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6.74 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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population is concentrated along the northern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

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239,000 PARAMARIBO (capital) (2018)

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84 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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1.87 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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0.9 (2025 est.)

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1.36 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

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2.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

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26.4% (2016)

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6.7% (2018 est.)

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52.2% (2018 est.)

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deforestation; pollution of inland waterways from small-scale mining activities

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tropical; moderated by trade winds

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12.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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99 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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presidential republic

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10 districts (<em>distrikten</em>, singular - <em>distrikt</em>); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

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civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law

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accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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18 years of age; universal

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<strong>note: </strong>the president is both chief of state and head of government

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<strong>note:</strong> appeals beyond the High Court are referred to the Caribbean Court of Justice; human rights violations can be appealed to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights with judgments issued by the Inter-American Court on Human Rights

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Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP<br>Democratic Alternative '91 or DA91<br>General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP<br>National Democratic Party or NDP<br>National Party of Suriname or NPS<br>Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE<br>Party for National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI<br>People's Alliance (Pertjajah Luhur) or PL<br>Progressive Workers' and Farmers' Union or PALU<br>Progressive Reform Party or VHP<br>Reform and Renewal Movement or HVB<br>Surinamese Labor Party or SPA

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ACP, ACS, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)

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Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

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<strong>description:</strong> five horizontal bands of green (top, double-width), white, red (quadruple-width), white, and green (double-width); a five-pointed yellow star is centered on the red band<br><br><strong>meaning: </strong>red stands for progress and love, green for hope and fertility, and white for peace, justice, and freedom; the star represents the unity of ethnic groups

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royal palm, faya lobi (flower)

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green, white, red, yellow

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upper middle-income South American economy; new floating currency regime; key aluminum goods, gold, and hydrocarbon exporter; new IMF plan for economic recovery and fiscal sustainability; controversial hardwood industry

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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$4.714 billion (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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rice, sugarcane, oranges, vegetables, chicken, cassava, plantains, pineapples, eggs, citrus fruits (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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gold mining, oil, lumber, food processing, fishing

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2.1% (2023 est.)

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<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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255,500 (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

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<strong>note:</strong> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

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<strong>note:</strong> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

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<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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Switzerland 49%, UAE 28%, Guyana 5%, USA 4%, France 3% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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gold, fish, refined petroleum, wood, tobacco (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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USA 22%, China 12%, Netherlands 11%, Trinidad &amp; Tobago 9%, Guyana 8% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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refined petroleum, ships, excavation machinery, trucks, tobacco (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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<strong>note:</strong> present value of external debt in current US dollars

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2 state-owned TV stations; 1 state-owned radio station; multiple private radio and TV stations (2019)

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.sr

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PZ

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55 (2025)

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1 (2025)

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Suriname National Army (Nationaal Leger or NL); Army (Landmacht), Navy (Marine); Air Force (Luchtmacht), Military Police (Korps Militaire Politie)<br><br>Ministry of Justice and Police: Suriname Police Force (Korps Politie Suriname or KPS) (2026)

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approximately 2,000 National Army (2025)

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the Suriname Army has a limited inventory of older or secondhand armaments originating from such suppliers as Brazil, France, the Netherlands, and India (2025)

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18-28 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)

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the National Leger is responsible for defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Suriname against foreign aggression; other special tasks include border control and supporting domestic security as required; the military police, for example, have direct responsibility for immigration control at the country&rsquo;s ports of entry, and the military assists the police in combating crime, particularly narco-trafficking, including joint military and police patrols, as well as joint special security teams; in addition, the military provides aid and assistance during times of natural emergencies and participates in socio-economic development projects (2025)