Suriname ( Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana) is a country in Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana. Suriname geographic coordinates 4 00 N, 56 00 W; area 161,470 sq km; area comparative slightly larger than Georgia; land boundaries Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km; coastline 386 km; maritime claims exclusive economic zone:<; climate tropical; moderated by trade winds; terrain mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps; elevation extremes Juliana; natural resources timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore; land use 99.57% (2001); irrigated land 490 sq km (1998 est.); natural hazards NA; environment current issues deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities; environment international agreements none of the selected agreements; 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;

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Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to rule through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1989, the military overthrew the civilian government, but a democratically-elected government returned to power in 1991. government type constitutional democracy; capital Paramaribo; administrative divisions 10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica; independence 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands); national holiday Independence Day, 25 November (1975); constitution ratified 30 September 1987; legal system based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory; suffrage 18 years of age; universal;

people

Suriname population 438,144 (July 2005 est.); age structure 6.2% (male 12,092/female 15,106) (2005 est.); median age 26.58 years (2005 est.); population growth rate 0.25% (2005 est.); birth rate 18.39 births/1,000 population (2005 est.); death rate 7.16 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.); net migration rate -8.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.); sex ratio 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.); infant mortality rate 27.57 deaths/1,000 live births; life expectancy at birth 71.27 years (2005 est.); total fertility rate 2.34 children born/woman (2005 est.); hiv adult rate 1.7% (2001 est.); hiv people with aids 5,200 (2001 est.); hiv deaths less than 500 (2003 est.); nationality Surinamese; ethnic groups Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country i; religions Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%; languages Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese; literacy 91% (1995 est.);

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