nts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold

_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 97%; other 3%; includes irrigated
NEGL%

_#_Environment: mostly tropical rain forest

_*_People
_#_Population: 402,385 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 71 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Surinamer(s); adjective--Surinamese

_#_Ethnic divisions: Hindustani (East Indian) 37.0%, Creole (black and
mixed) 31.0%, Javanese 15.3%, Bush black 10.3%, Amerindian 2.6%, Chinese
1.7%, Europeans 1.0%, other 1.1%

_#_Religion: Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%,
Protestant (predominantly Moravian) 25.2%, indigenous beliefs
about 5%

_#_Language: Dutch (official); English widely spoken; Sranan Tongo
(Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles
and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others;
also Hindi Suriname Hindustani (a variant of Bhoqpuri) and Javanese

_#_Literacy: 95% (male 95%, female 95%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)

_#_Labor force: 104,000 (1984)

_#_Organized labor: 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 (Assemblee
Nationale)

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government--President
Ronald VENETIAAN (since 16 September 1991); Vic