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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 470,784 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 28% (male 67,088/female 64,949) 15-64 years: 65.7% (male 154,148/female 155,345) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 12,726/female 16,528) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 27.1 years male: 26.7 years female: 27.5 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 1.103% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 17.31 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: -0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.033 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.992 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.988 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 20.11 deaths/1,000 live births male: 23.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.23 years male: 70.52 years female: 76.12 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.7% (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 5,200 (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)

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Nationality: noun: Surinamer(s) adjective: Surinamese

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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 in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%

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Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%

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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), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.6% male: 92% female: 87.2% (2004 census)

The economy is dominated by the mining industry, which accounts for more than a third of GDP and subjects government revenues to mineral price volatility. The short-term economic outlook depends on the government's ability to control inflation and on the development of projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors. Suriname's economic prospects for the medium term will depend on continued commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. The government of Ronald VENETIAAN, in his first term, implemented an austerity program, raised taxes, and attempted to control spending. Economic policies are likely to remain the same during VENETIAAN's second term. Prospects for local onshore oil production are good as a drilling program is underway. Offshore oil drilling was given a boost in 2004 when the State Oil Company (Staatsolie) signed exploration agreements with Repsol, Maersk, and Occidental. Bidding on these new offshore blocks was completed in July 2006.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.136 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $1.398 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $7,100 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13% industry: 22% services: 65% (2001 est.)

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Labor force: 156,700 (2004)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 8% industry: 14% services: 78% (2004)

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Unemployment rate: 9.5% (2004)

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Population below poverty line: 70% (2002 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (2005 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $392.6 million expenditures: $425.9 million (2004)

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Agriculture - products: paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products

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Industries: bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing

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Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (1994 est.)

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Electricity - production: 1.509 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 1.403 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 9,462 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 11,200 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: 3,151 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - imports: 6,032 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - proved reserves: 111 million bbl (1 January 2005)

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

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Exports: $881 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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Exports - commodities: alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas

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Exports - partners: Norway 24.7%, Canada 16.6%, US 13.6%, Belgium 10.5%, France 9.1%, UAE 7.5%, Iceland 4.5% (2006)

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Imports: $750 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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Imports - commodities: capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods

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Imports - partners: US 29%, Netherlands 18.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.6%, Japan 5%, Brazil 5%, China 4.9% (2006)

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Debt - external: $504.3 million (2005 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $46 million note: Netherlands provided $37 million for project and program assistance, European Development Fund $4 million, Belgium $2 million (2003)

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Currency (code): Surinam dollar (SRD)

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Exchange rates: Surinamese dollars per US dollar - (2006), 2.7317 (2005), 2.7336 (2004), 2.6013 (2003), 2.3468 (2002) note: during 1998, the exchange rate splintered into four distinct rates; in January 1999 the government floated the guilder, but subsequently fixed it when the black-market rate plunged; in January 2004, the government replaced the guilder with the Surinamese dollar, tied to a US dollar-dominated currency basket

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Fiscal year: calendar year