Economy Overview

Suriname is rich in agricultural, forest, fishery and mineral resources. Its climate is mild and transportation is convenient. Suriname mainly relies on imports for basic production and living materials. The total population of Suriname is about 500,000. The United States and China is the first and second largest investor in Suriname. The proportions for the investment value in different industries are listed as follows: mineral and oil industry with 32%, forestry with 17%, financial services with 15%, gaming industry with 5%, fishery with 3% and telecom with 2%. Suriname's bauxite deposits have been among the world's richest, and alumina exports produced from bauxite accounted for 72% of Suriname's estimated export earnings of US$496.6
million in 2001. In 2006, the GDP of Suriname was about 3.136 billion U.S. dollars, with the annual growth rate of about 2%. Suriname's main export products include aluminum, gold and oil. The export revenue accounts for about 60% of its GDP. In 2007 and 2008, Suriname's economic growth reached 5.5% and 6.0% respectively. Dutch is the official language in Suriname, and English and Suriname is also commonly used.