Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 6,488,864; fit for military service 3,986,084; reach
military age (18) annually 301,573 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $339 million, 2.2% of GDP (1989 est.)

*Suriname, Geography

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between French
Guiana and Guyana
Map references:
South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
163,270 km2
land area:
161,470 km2
comparative area:
slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries:
total 1,707 km, Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
Coastline:
386 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and Riviere Marouini
(both headwaters of the Lawa); claims area in Guyana between New (Upper
Courantyne) and Courantyne/Koetari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and small
amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold
Land use:
arable land:
0%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
0%
forest and woodland:
97%
other:
3%
Irrigated land:
590 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
mostly tropical rain forest

*Suriname, People

Population:
416,321 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.54% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
25.85 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
6.1 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
32.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
69.14 years
male:
66.65 years
female:
71.76 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.85 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Surinamer(s)
adjective:
Surinamese
Ethnic divisions:
Hindustani (East Indian) 37%, Creole (black and mixed) 31%, Javanese 15.3%,
Bush black 10.3%, Amerindian 2.6%, Chinese 1.7%, Europeans 1%, other 1.1%
Religions:
Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2%
(predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5%
Languages:
Dutch (official), English widel