SURINAME SURINAME REGION SOUTH AMERICA NATURAL RESOURCES INDUSTRY AGRICULTURE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION GLOBAL RELATIONS DATE OF INDEPENDENCE NOVEMBER 25 1975 DATE OF CURRENT CONSTITUTION SEPTEMBER 30 1987 POPULATION 431156 1999 EST AREA 63251 CAPITAL PARAMARIBO FORM OF GOVERNMENT REPUBLIC MAIN INDUSTRIES ALUMINUM FOOD PROCESSING BRICKS AGRICULTURE RICE BANANAS PALM KERNELS CITRUS FRUITS NATURAL RESOURCES BAUXITE GOLD IRON ORE FORESTS HYDROELECTRIC POTENTIAL FISH SHRIMP CURRENCY GUILDER GDP 1.48 BILLION 1998 EST GDP PER CAPITA 3500 1998 EST LANGUAGES DUTCH OFFICIAL SRANANG TONGO ENGLISH HINDUISMSTANI RELIGIONS CHRISTIANITY HINDUISM ISLAM LITERACY RATE 93 LIFE EXPECTANCY 68 YEARS MALE 74 YEARS FEMALE BIRTHRATE 22 BIRTHS PER 1000 POPULATION DEATH RATE 6 DEATHS PER 1000 POPULATION
