votes)
National Assembly:
last held 25 May 1991 (next to be held NA May 1996); results - percent of
vote NA; seats - (51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9

:Suriname Government

Member of:
ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT; Chancery at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through
7492; there is a Surinamese Consulate General in Miami
US:
Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD; Embassy at Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129,
Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo); telephone [597]
472900, 477881, or 476459; FAX [597] 410025
Flag:
five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple
width), white, and green (double width); there is a large yellow
five-pointed star centered in the red band

:Suriname Economy

Overview:
The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about
70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The economy has been in
trouble since the Dutch ended development aid in 1982. A drop in world
bauxite prices which started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986
was followed by the outbreak of a guerrilla insurgency in the interior that
crippled the important bauxite sector. Although the insurgency has since
ebbed and the bauxite sector recovered, a military coup in December 1990
reflected continued political instability and deterred investment and
economic reform. High inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market
activity, and hard currency shortfalls continue to mark the economy.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion, per capita $3,400; real growth rate
0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
50% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate:
33% (1990)
Budget:
revenues $466 million; expenditures $716 million, including capital
expenditures of $123 million (1989 est.)
Exports:
$549 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.)
commodities:
alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products, shrimp and fish,
bananas
partners:
Norway 33%, Netherlands 20%, US 15%, FRG 9%, Brazil 5%, UK 5%, Japan 3%,
other 10%
Imports: