49,000 members of labor force

- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Suriname

Type: republic

Capital: Paramaribo

Administrative divisions: 10 districts (distrikten, singular--distrikt);
Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo,
Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

Independence: 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands
Guiana or Dutch Guiana)

Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987

Legal system: NA

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

Executive branch: president, vice president and prime minister,
Cabinet of Ministers, Council of State; note--commander in chief of the
National Army maintains significant power

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Ramsewak SHANKAR
(since 25 January 1988); Vice President and Prime Minister Henck Alfonsus Eugene
ARRON (since 25 January 1988)

Political parties and leaders: 25 February Movement established by
Lt. Col. Desire Bouterse in November 1983, but much of its
activity taken over by New Democratic Party (NDP) in May 1987; leftists (all
small groups)--Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael Naarendorp;
Progressive Workers and Farmers (PALU), Iwan Krolis; traditional
parties--Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath Lachmon; National Party
of Suriname (NPS), Henck Arron; Indonesian Peasants Party (KTPI), Willy Soemita;
the VHP, NPS, and KTPI formed a coalition known as The Front in July 1987 that
overwhelmingly defeated the NDP in the November 1987 elections

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
National Assembly--last held 25 November 1987 (next to be held
November 1992);
results--The Front 80%, others 20%;
seats--(51 total) The Front 40, NDP 3, PALU 4, Pendawa Llwa 4

Member of: ACP, ECLA, FAO, GATT, G-77, IBA, IBRD, ICAO,
IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM,
OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, 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 Richard HOWLAND; Embassy at Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat
129, Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo);
telephone p597o 72900 or 76459

Flag: five horizontal bands of green (top, d