Suriname

Located in the amazon basin, Suriname (the former colony of Dutch Guinea) won its independence from the Netherlands in 1975 only to fall under a military regime in 1980. The military retained power even after democracy was nominally restored in 1987. Since 1991 free elections have improved the condition of democracy for the country.

The population of 438,144 resides mostly along the coast in an area of 63,039 square miles (163,270 square kilometers), an area roughly the size of the U.S. state of Georgia. Suriname's natural resources include timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small deposits of nickel, copper, platinum, and iron ore. Less than 1 percent of Suriname's land is arable.

Exports are chiefly tied to the alumina industry, which provides 70 percent of export revenue. Around 70 percent of Surinamese live below the poverty line; but with a per capita income of $4,700, Suriname is ranked 139th in world incomes. Around 98 percent of the population have access to safe drinking water, and 97 percent have access to improved sanitation. Typhoid is a major threat in Suriname, and the population is regularly exposed to incurable tropical diseases transmitted by insects. The intense heat and high humidity also play havoc with general health. The HIV/AIDS virus is an additional threat. With a prevalence rate of 1.7 percent, some 5,200 people have contracted the disease, and approximately 500 have died. The United Nations (UN) Development Programme Human Development Reports rank Suriname 86th in the world on general quality-of-life issues.

Bordering on the North Atlantic Ocean, Suriname has a coastline of 386 kilometers and an inland water area of 1,800 square kilometers. The tropical climate is moderated by trade winds. Except for a swampy coastal plain, the terrain of Suriname is hilly, with elevations ranging from two to 1,230 meters. Rich in biological diversity, the tropical rain forest is the defining feature of Suriname's geography. Only French Guinea and the Solomon Islands have healthier rain forests than the one that covers 90 percent of Suriname's land area. In response to the demand for tropical timber, logging companies targeted Suriname in the 1990s. However, conservationists intervened, and the forests were left virtually intact. Mining and other extractive industries continue to present a threat to the Suriname Amazon.

Some 76 percent of the population are urbanized, and the pollution of inland waterways by mining companies is of major environmental concern. This situation is likely to accelerate as the gold mining and petroleum industries launch activities in Suriname. The government has protected nearly 5 percent of total land area, which is home to wildlife that ranges from diamond-head and Bush master snakes to jaguars and harpy eagles. Eight different species of monkeys live in the rain forest. Of 180 mammal species endemic to Suriname, 12 are endangered, but only one of 234 endemic bird species is threatened. In a 2006 study conducted by Yale University, Suriname was ranked 48th of 132 na [Page 1683]tions on environmental performance, in line with the relevant geographic group and above the relevant income group. The lowest score was received in the category of sustainable energy.

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