Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
conventional short form: Suriname
local long form: Republiek Suriname
local short form: Suriname
former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana

Capital:

Paramaribo

Location:

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

Area:

total: 163,270 sq km
land: 161,470 sq km
water: 1,800 sq km

Population:

436,935 (July 2004 est.)

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

Economy- Overview:

Industries:

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

Exports - commodities:

alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas

Imports - commodities:

capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods

Exchange rates: