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bb  Suriname
  • Overview
  • Symbols
  • Geography
  • Leaders
  • Health
  • Education
  • Politics
  • Economy
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» OVERVIEW

Country Name: conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
conventional short form: Suriname
local long form: Republiek Suriname
local short form: Suriname
former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
Capital: name: Paramaribo
geographic coordinates: 5 50 N, 55 10 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Background:

Arawak and Carib tribes lived in the region before Columbus sighted the coast in 1498. Spain claimed the area in 1593, but Portuguese and Spanish explorers of the time gave the area little attention. The English established the first European settlement in 1651 and control passed between the English, French and Dutch until it finally became a Dutch colony in 1815.

An autonomous part of the Netherlands from 1954, Suriname became fully independent in 1975. Suriname was a working parliamentary democracy in the years immediately following independence. Henk Arron became the first Prime Minister and was re-elected in 1977. On 25 February 1980, 16 non-commissioned officers overthrew the elected government. The military-dominated government then suspended the constitution, dissolved the legislature, and formed a regime that ruled by decree. Although a civilian filled the post of president, a military man, Desi Bouterse, actually ruled the country. Throughout 1982, pressure grew for a return to civilian rule. In response, the military ordered drastic action, the authorities arrested and killed 15 prominent opposition leaders, including journalists, lawyers, and trade union leaders. Following the murders, the United States and the Netherlands suspended economic and military co-operation with the Bouterse regime, which increasingly began to follow an erratic but generally leftist political course. Economic decline rapidly set in after the suspension of economic aid from the Netherlands. The regime restricted the press and limited the rights of its citizens. Continuing economic decline brought pressure for change. The military eventually agreed to free elections in 1987, a new constitution and a civilian government. On 24 December 1990, military officers forced the resignations of the civilian President and Vice President elected in 1987. The National Assembly hastily approved military-selected replacements on 29 December. The government held new elections on 25 May 1991. NPS candidate Runaldo Venetiaan was elected President, and the VHP's Jules Ajodhia became Vice President of the New Front Coalition government. The NDP won more National Assembly seats (16 of 51) than any other party in the May 1996 national elections and in September 1996, joined with the KTPI, dissenters from the VHP, and several smaller parties to elect NDP vice-chairman Jules Wijdenbosch president of a NDP-led coalition government. Divisions and subsequent reshuffling of coalition members in the fall of 1997 and early 1998 weakened the coalition's mandate and slowed legislative action.

In May 1999, after mass demonstrations protesting poor economic conditions, the government was forced to call early elections. The elections in May 2000 returned Runaldo Venetiaan and his coalition to the presidency. The NF ran its campaign on a platform to fix the faltering Surinamese economy. But while the Venetiaan administration has made progress in stabilising the economy, the government's popularity began to decline as the standard of living for most Surinamese showed little sign of improvement. The opposition NDP, led by Desi Bouterse gained some ground. At the 2005 elections the New Front coalition held on to power although its share of the vote fell and it failed to gain an overall majority. The NDP became the largest single party in parliament.

Nationality: noun: Surinamer(s)
adjective: Surinamese
Population: 475,996 (July 2008 est.)
Ethnic groups: Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%
Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
Languages: Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

» NATIONAL SYMBOLS

Flag

flag

The flag of Suriname consists of five horizontal stripes. The top and bottom stripes are green, the middle stripe is red and there is a white stripe above and below the red one. The two white stripes are equal in the width to the green stripe, and the two green stripes equal the width of the red stripe. In the center of the red stripe and the flag there is a yellow, five-point star.

The red stripe represents the country's progress and struggle to achieve a better quality of life. The white stands for freedom and justice and green symbolizes the fertility and natural resources of the land, as well as hope. Originally, the colors also represented three of Suriname's political parties. Red was for the Hindu Vatan Hitkari, white represented the People's Party and green stood for the National Party. The star represents a golden future for Suriname, achieved through unity and hard work. The individual points represent the country's five main ethnic groups of the nation which are Creoles (mixed African and Native American descent), Asian Indians, Chinese, American Indians and Europeans.

Coat of Arms

flag

The coat of arms of Suriname consists of two Indians holding a shield. Below the Indians and the shield you find the motto `Justitia Pietas Fides' which means `Justice Faith Loyalty'.
The sailing boat at the left part of the shield symbolizes the history of Suriname when slaves were taken to Suriname from Africa. The palm at the right part of the shield stands for the present as well for justice.

The diamond in the middle symbolises a hart. The five-point star within the diamond stands for the five continents the inhabitants from Suriname came from.

National Anthem

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Opo kondreman oen opo
Rise country men, rise

Sranan gron e kari oen
The soil of Suriname is calling you

Wans ope tata komopo
Where ever our ancestors came from

Wi moes seti kondre boen
We should take care of our country

Stre de f'stre wi no sa frede
We are not afraid to fight

Gado de wi fesi man
God is our leader

Heri libi te na dede
Our whole life until our death

Wi sa feti gi Sranan
We will fight for Suriname

National Flower

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Popokai Tongo (Heliconia psittacorum)

The National flower of Suriname is the 'fajalobi' (passionate love) or ixora, which is mainly grown in the coastal plains in gardens. Suriname's rainforests are home to several orchid species. As they mostly grow high in trees, their beauty can seldom be seen, however. Other flowers, such as the heliconia and the passionflower, can be seen when they bloom.

National Holidays

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Visit Our Calendar

2008
1 Jan
New Year's Day
21 Mar Good Friday
21 Mar Holi Phagwa
24 Mar Easter Monday
1 May Labour Day
1 Jul Abolition of Slavery Day
2 Oct Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
25 Nov Independence Day
25-26 Dec Christmas

» GEOGRAPHY

Geography Overview: Suriname is located in northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana. The terrain varies from a narrow coastal plain with swamps to savannah to rolling hills and includes large areas of tropical rainforest. There is a great diversity of flora and fauna. The climate is tropical and moderated by trade winds. Much of the coastal belt in low-lying and prone to flooding.
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Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 56 00 W
Area: total: 163,270 sq km
land: 161,470 sq km
water: 1,800 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries: total: 1,703 km
border countries: Brazil 593 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
Coastline: 386 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain: mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Elevation extremes: lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore
Land use: arable land: 0.36%
permanent crops: 0.06%
other: 99.58% (2005)
Irrigated land: 510 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: 122 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): total: 0.67 cu km/yr (4%/3%/93%)
per capita: 1,489 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

» LEADERS

Ronald VENETIAAN
Vice Pres. Ramdien SARDJOE
Min. of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, & Fisheries Kermechend RAGHOEBARSINGH
Min. of Defense Ivan FERNALD
Min. of Education & Human Development Edwin WOLF
Min. of Finance Humphrey HILDENBERG
Min. of Foreign Affairs Lygia KRAAG-KETELDIJK
Min. of Health Celcius WATERBERG
Min. of Home Affairs Urmila JOELLA-SEWNUNDUN
Min. of Interior Maurits HASSANKHAN
Min. of Justice & Police Chandrikapersad SANTHOKI
Min. of Labor Joyce AMARELLO-WILLIAMS
Min. of Natural Resources Gregory RUSLAND
Min. of Planning & Development Cooperation Rick Van RAVENSWAAY
Min. of Public Works Ganeshkoemar KANHAI
Min. of Regional Development Michel FELISIE
Min. of Social Affairs & Housing Hendrik SETROWIDJOJO
Min. of Trade & Industry Clifford MARICA
Min. of Transportation, Communication, & Tourism Guno CASTELEN
Min. of Zoning Michael JONG TJIEN FA
Pres., Central Bank Andre TELTING
Ambassador to the US Jaques R. KROSS
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York Henry Leonard MAC-DONALD

» HEALTH

Population:
475,996 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.5% (male 66,695/female 64,356)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 156,961/female 158,234)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 12,868/female 16,882) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.5 years
male: 27.1 years
female: 27.9 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.099% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
17.02 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
5.51 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.945 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 19.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.96 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.48 years
male: 70.76 years
female: 76.39 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.01 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.7% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5,200 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever, Mayaro virus, and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

» EDUCATION

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89.6%
male: 92%
female: 87.2% (2004 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 13 years (2002)
Education expenditures:
NA

Youth (15-24 years) literacy rate, 2000-2006*, male

96

Youth (15-24 years) literacy rate, 2000-2006*, female

94

Number per 100 population 2005: phones

70

Number per 100 population 2005: Internet users

7

Primary school enrolment ratio 2000-2006*, gross, male

120

Primary school enrolment ratio 2000-2006*, gross, female

120

Primary school enrolment ratio 2000-2006*, net, male

93

Primary school enrolment ratio 2000-2006*, net, female

96

Primary school attendance ratio (2000-2006*) ratio, net, male

94

Primary school attendance ratio (2000-2006*) ratio, net, female

93

% of primary school entrants reaching grade 5 2000-2006*, admin. data

-

% of primary school entrants reaching grade 5 2000-2006*, survey data

93

Secondary school enrolment ratio 2000-2006*, gross, male

75

Secondary school enrolment ratio 2000-2006*, gross, female

100

Secondary school enrolment ratio 2000-2006*, net, male

63

Secondary school enrolment ratio 2000-2006*, net, female

87

Secondary school attendance ratio (2000-2006*), net, male

55

Secondary school attendance ratio (2000-2006*), net, female

66

   

 

bb Education Statistics
  UNICEF Education Statistics pdf
bb Legislation
  No legislation currently available

 

» POLITICS

Politics Overview: Peaceful elections took place on 25 May 2005. The incumbent New Front coalition won 23 of the 51 seats in the National Assembly but this was not enough to directly nominate a president. On 3 August the 891 member assembly of regional councils re-elected President Venetiaan with 560 votes. The opposition candidate Rabin Parmessar received 315 votes.
Government type:
constitutional democracy
Administrative divisions:
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica
Independence:
25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Constitution:
ratified 30 September 1987; effective 30 October 1987
Legal system:
based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August 2000); Vice President Ramdien SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August 2000); Vice President Ram SARDJOE (since 3 August 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate receives a two-thirds constitutional majority in the National Assembly after two votes, by a simple majority in the larger United People's Assembly (893 representatives from the national, local, and regional councils), for five-year terms (no term limits); election last held on 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN reelected president; percent of vote - Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN 62.9%, Rabin PARMESSAR 35.4%, other 1.7%; note - after two votes in the parliament failed to secure a two-thirds majority for a candidate, the vote then went to a special session of the United People's Assembly on 3 August 2005
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 25 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NF 39.7%, NDP 22.2%, VVV 13.8%, A-Com 7.2%, A-1 5.9%, other 11.2%; seats by party - NF 23, NDP 15, VVV 5, A-Com 5, A-1 3
Judicial branch:
Cantonal Courts and a Court of Justice as an appellate court (justices are nominated for life)
Political parties and leaders:
Alternative-1 or A-1 (a coalition of Amazone Party of Suriname or APS [Kenneth VAN GENDEREN], Democrats of the 21st Century or D-21 [Soewarto MOESTADJA], Nieuw Suriname or NS [Radjen Nanan PANDAY], Political Wing of the FAL or PVF [Jiwan SITAL], Trefpunt 2000 or T-2000 [Arti JESSURUN]); General Interior Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE]; New Front for Democracy and Development or NF (a coalition that includes A-Combination or A-Com, Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91, an independent, business-oriented party [Winston JESSURUN], National Party Suriname or NPS [Ronald VENETIAAN], United Reform Party or VHP [Ramdien SARDJOE], Pertjaja Luhur or PL [Salam Paul SOMOHARDJO], Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Siegfried GILDS]); Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Marten SCHALKWIJK]; People's Alliance for Progress or VVV (a coalition of Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP-2000 [Jules WIJDENBOSCH], Grassroots Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD [Tjan GOBARDHAN], Party for National Unity and Solidarity of the Highest Order or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA], Party for Progression, Justice, and Perseverance or PPRS [Renee KAIMAN], Pendawalima or PL [Raymond SAPOEN]); Progressive Laborers and Farmers Union or PALU [Jim HOK]; Progressive Political Party or PPP [Surinder MUNGRA]; Seeka [Paul ABENA]; Union of Progressive Surinamers or UPS [Sheoradj PANDAY]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE]; Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE]; Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]
International organization participation:
ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jacques Ruben Constantijn KROSS
chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-7488
FAX: [1] (202) 244-5878
consulate(s) general: Miami
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa Bobbie SCHREIBER HUGHES
embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo
mailing address: US Department of State, 3390 Paramaribo Place, Washington, DC, 20521-3390
telephone: [597] 472-900
FAX: [597] 425-690

» ECONOMY

Economy - overview:
The economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of alumina, gold, and oil accounting for about 85% of exports and 25% of government revenues, making the economy highly vulnerable to mineral price volatility. The short-term economic outlook depends on the government's ability to control inflation and on the development of projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors. Suriname has received aid for these projects from Netherlands, Belgium, and the European Development Fund. Suriname's economic prospects for the medium term will depend on continued commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. In 2000, the government of Ronald VENETIAAN, returned to office and inherited an economy with inflation of over 100% and a growing fiscal deficit. He quickly implemented an austerity program, raised taxes, attempted to control spending, and tamed inflation. These economic policies are likely to remain in effect during VENETIAAN's third term. Prospects for local onshore oil production are good as a drilling program is underway. Offshore oil drilling was given a boost in 2004 when the State Oil Company (Staatsolie) signed exploration agreements with Repsol, Maersk, and Occidental. Bidding on these new offshore blocks was completed in July 2006.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.073 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.404 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,800 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.8%
industry: 24.4%
services: 64.8% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
156,700 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 14%
services: 78% (2004)
Unemployment rate:
9.5% (2004)
Population below poverty line:
70% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.4% (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $392.6 million
expenditures: $425.9 million (2004)
Agriculture - products:
paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products
Industries:
bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing
Industrial production growth rate:
6.5% (1994 est.)
Electricity - production:
1.53 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 25.2%
hydro: 74.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
1.423 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
9,461 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
12,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
3,151 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
6,032 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
111 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
$24 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.391 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities:
alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
Exports - partners:
Canada 24.5%, Norway 19.5%, Belgium 8.9%, US 8.5%, UAE 7.6%, France 6.9%, Venezuela 4.2% (2006)
Imports:
$1.297 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
US 27.3%, Netherlands 17.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.4%, China 5.9%, Japan 5.1% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$43.97 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$263.3 million (2006)
Debt - external:
$504.3 million (2005 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Currency (code):
Surinam dollar (SRD)
Currency code:
SRG
Exchange rates:
Surinamese dollars per US dollar - 2.745 (2007), 2.745 (2006), 2.7317 (2005), 2.7336 (2004), 2.6013 (2003)
note: in January 2004, the government replaced the guilder with the Surinamese dollar, tied to a US dollar-dominated currency basket
Fiscal year:
calendar year

» INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Telephones - main lines in use:
81,500 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
320,000 (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about 90 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 13, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
300,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus 7 repeaters) (2000)
Televisions:
63,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.sr
Internet hosts:
28 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)
Internet users:
32,000 (2005)

» TRANSPORTATION

Airports:
50 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 45
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 40 (2007)
Pipelines:
oil 50 km (2007)
Roadways:
total: 4,304 km
paved: 1,130 km
unpaved: 3,174 km (2003)
Waterways:
1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,078 GRT/1,214 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Paramaribo, Wageningen

» DEFENCE AND SAFETY

Military branches:
National Army (Nationaal Leger, NL; includes Naval Wing, Air Wing) (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); recruitment is voluntary, with personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 130,534
females age 16-49: 130,243 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 105,770
females age 16-49: 109,666 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% (2006 est.)
Authorised Strength of Police: NA (OSAC, 2007)
Homicides (per 100,000 people), 2000-2004 10.3
Prison population total, 2007 1600
Prison population (per 100,000 people), 2007 356
Prison population (% female), 2007 5.9
Juveniles / minors / young prisoners
incl. definition (percentage of prison population)
9.7%
(1.7.2000 - under 18 - of convicted prisoners only)
Foreign prisoners
(percentage of prison population)
19.3%
(1.7.2000 - of convicted prisoners only)
Number of establishments /
institutions
5
(2000 - 3 adult prisons at Hazard, Santa Boma and Duisburg and two juvenile prisons including the Juvenile Detention Centre)
Official capacity of prison system 1,188
(30.6.1999)
Occupancy level (based on official
capacity)
162.7%
(30.6.1999)
Sources:  
  • The World Factbook
  • World Leaders
  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office 
  • UNICEF
  • Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
  • UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008
  • King's College London, International Centre for Prison Studies
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