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Suriname:
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Other pages in this profile of Suriname:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
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Background |
First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. 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 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 New Front coalition - returned to power in 1991 and has ruled since, expanding to eight parties in 2005. |
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Location |
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana |
Geographic coordinates |
4 00 N, 56 00 W |
Map references |
South America |
Area |
total: 163,270 sq km land: 161,470 sq km water: 1,800 sq km |
Area - comparative |
slightly larger than Georgia |
Land boundaries |
total: 1,703 km border countries: Brazil 593 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km |
Coastline |
386 km |
Maritime claims |
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Climate |
tropical; moderated by trade winds |
Terrain |
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps |
Elevation extremes |
lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m |
Natural resources |
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore |
Land use |
arable land: 0.36% permanent crops: 0.06% other: 99.58% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
510 sq km (2003) |
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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: 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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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |