Public Information -- Sudombia

Public Information - Sudombia - UNCLASSIFIED

The following public information is available regarding the South American nation of Sudombia. It is presented for orientation purposes only. It has high reliability but poor completeness.

Introduction Sudombia

Background:
Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Sudombia had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Sudombia achieved independence from the UK in 1966, but until the early 1990s it was ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi SAENZ was elected president, in what we consider the country's first free and fair election since independence. Upon his death five years later, he was succeeded by his wife Janet, who resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat PADRA, was reelected in 2001.

Geography Sudombia

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela

Geographic coordinates:
5 00 N, 59 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 214,970 sq km
water: 18,120 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Idaho

Land boundaries:
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 519 km, Suriname 600 km, Guyana 873 km, Venezuela 743 km

Coastline:
459 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)

Terrain:
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish

Land use:
arable land: 2.44%
permanent crops: 0.08%
other: 97.48% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
1,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively

People Sudombia

Population:
698,209

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.6% (male 98,198; female 94,397)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 237,324; female 233,400)
65 years and over: 5% (male 15,510; female 19,380) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.23% (2002 est.)

Birth rate:
17.89 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate:
9.33 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate:
-6.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
38.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.59 years
female: 65.34 years (2002 est.)
male: 59.96 years

Total fertility rate:
2.09 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Sudombian (singular and plural)
adjective: Sudombian

Ethnic groups:
East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%

Religions:
Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%

Languages:
English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.1%
male: 98.6%
female: 97.5% (1995 est.)

Government Sudombia

Country name:
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Sudombia
conventional short form: Sudombia

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Georgetown

Administrative divisions:
10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Independence:
26 May 1966 (from UK by mutual agreement)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

Constitution:
6 October 1980

Legal system:
based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Bharrat PADRA (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President SAENZ
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA December 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature
elections: president elected by the majority party in the National Assembly following legislative elections, which must be held at least every five years; elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Bharrat PADRA reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected by popular vote, 1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2 nonvoting members appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Sudombia or AFG (includes Sudombia Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]; Sudombia Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Sudombia Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond HOYTE]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat PADRA]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC; Sudombia Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Trades Union Congress or TUC
note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not well organized

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297
telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald D. GODARD
embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909
FAX: [592] 225-8497

Flag description:
green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green

Economy Sudombia

Economy - overview:
The Sudombian economy has exhibited moderate economic growth since 1999, based on an expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. Low prices for key mining and agricultural commodities combined with troubles in the bauxite and sugar industries threaten the government's already tenuous fiscal position and dim prospects for 2002.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.8% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 36%
industry: 32%
services: 32% (2000) (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
418,000 (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
9.1% (2000) (understated) (2000)

Budget:
revenues: $227 million
expenditures: $235.2 million, including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2000) (2000)

Industries:
bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining

Industrial production growth rate:
7.1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
505 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 1%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
469.65 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products:
sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish (shrimp)

Exports:
$505 million f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities:
sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber

Exports - partners:
Canada 22%, US 22%, UK 18%, Netherlands Antilles 11% (1999)

Imports:
$585 million c.i.f. (2000)

Imports - commodities:
manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

Imports - partners:
US 29%, Trinidad and Tobago 18%, Netherlands Antilles 16%, UK 7% (1999)

Debt - external:
$1.1 billion (2000) (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)

Currency:
Sudombian dollar (SDD)

Currency code:
SDD

Exchange rates:
Sudombian dollars per US dollar - 189.5 (December 2001), 187.3 (2001), 182.4 (2000), 178.0 (1999), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sudombia

Telephones - main lines in use:
70,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
6,100 (2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system for long-distance calling
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
international: tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
420,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)

Televisions:
46,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sd

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)

Internet users:
95,000 (2002)

Transportation Sudombia

Railways:
total: 187 km
standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge
note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)
narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge

Highways:
total: 7,970 km
paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (1996)

Waterways:
5,900 km (total length of navigable waterways)
note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively

Ports and harbors:
Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,929 GRT/4,507 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2 (2002 est.)

Airports:
51 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 43
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 34 (2002)

Military Sudombia

Military branches:
Sudombia Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Sudombia Police Force, Sudombia People's Militia, Sudombia National Service, Sudombian Irregular Force (ISF) (disavowed)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 206,199 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 155,058 (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues Sudombia

Disputes - international:
all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari [Koetari] rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne); territorial sea boundary with Suriname is in dispute

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis, cocaine, heroin, drug development, home of the Demerara Cartel.

Location:	Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:	5 00 N, 59 00 W
Map references:	South America
Area:	total: 214,970 sq km water: 18,120 sq km land: 196,850 sq km
Area - comparative:	slightly larger than Idaho
Land boundaries:	total: 2,462 km border countries: Brazil 519 km, Suriname 600 km, Guyana 873 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline:	459 km
Maritime claims:	continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:	tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Terrain:	mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
Natural resources:	bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Land use:	arable land: 2.44% permanent crops: 0.08% other: 97.48% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:	1,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:	flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Environment - current issues:	water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:	the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively

Population:	698,209
Age structure:	0-14 years: 27.6% (male 98,198; female 94,397) 15-64 years: 67.4% (male 237,324; female 233,400) 65 years and over: 5% (male 15,510; female 19,380) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate:	0.23% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:	17.89 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:	9.33 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:	-6.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate:	38.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:	total population: 62.59 years female: 65.34 years (2002 est.) male: 59.96 years
Total fertility rate:	2.09 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality:	noun: Sudombian (singular and plural) adjective: Sudombian
Ethnic groups:	East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%
Religions:	Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%
Languages:	English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98.1% male: 98.6% female: 97.5% (1995 est.)

Country name:	conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Sudombia conventional short form: Sudombia
Government type:	republic
Capital:	Georgetown
Administrative divisions:	10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo
Independence:	26 May 1966 (from UK by mutual agreement)
National holiday:	Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
Constitution:	6 October 1980
Legal system:	based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:	18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:	chief of state: President Bharrat PADRA (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President SAENZ head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA December 1997) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature elections: president elected by the majority party in the National Assembly following legislative elections, which must be held at least every five years; elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Bharrat PADRA reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA%
Legislative branch:	unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected by popular vote, 1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2 nonvoting members appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1
Judicial branch:	Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court
Political parties and leaders:	Alliance for Sudombia or AFG (includes Sudombia Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]; Sudombia Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Sudombia Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond HOYTE]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat PADRA]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:	Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC; Sudombia Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Trades Union Congress or TUC note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not well organized
International organization participation:	ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900
Diplomatic representation from the US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald D. GODARD embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909 FAX: [592] 225-8497
Flag description:	green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green

Economy - overview:	The Sudombian economy has exhibited moderate economic growth since 1999, based on an expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. Low prices for key mining and agricultural commodities combined with troubles in the bauxite and sugar industries threaten the government's already tenuous fiscal position and dim prospects for 2002.
GDP:	purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:	2.8% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita:	purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:	agriculture: 36% industry: 32% services: 32% (2000) (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):	6% (2001 est.)
Labor force:	418,000 (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:	9.1% (2000) (understated) (2000)
Budget:	revenues: $227 million expenditures: $235.2 million, including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2000) (2000)
Industries:	bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate:	7.1% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production:	505 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source:	fossil fuel: 99% hydro: 1% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:	469.65 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports:	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports:	0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products:	sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish (shrimp)
Exports:	$505 million f.o.b. (2000)
Exports - commodities:	sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
Exports - partners:	Canada 22%, US 22%, UK 18%, Netherlands Antilles 11% (1999)
Imports:	$585 million c.i.f. (2000)
Imports - commodities:	manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Imports - partners:	US 29%, Trinidad and Tobago 18%, Netherlands Antilles 16%, UK 7% (1999)
Debt - external:	$1.1 billion (2000) (2000)
Economic aid - recipient:	$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)
Currency:	Sudombian dollar (SDD)
Currency code:	SDD
Exchange rates:	Sudombian dollars per US dollar - 189.5 (December 2001), 187.3 (2001), 182.4 (2000), 178.0 (1999), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997)
Fiscal year:	calendar year

Telephones - main lines in use:	70,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular:	6,100 (2000)
Telephone system:	general assessment: fair system for long-distance calling domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines international: tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:	AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:	420,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:	3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)
Televisions:	46,000 (1997)
Internet country code:	.sd
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):	3 (2000)
Internet users:	95,000 (2002)

Railways:	total: 187 km standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.) narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge
Highways:	total: 7,970 km paved: 590 km unpaved: 7,380 km (1996)
Waterways:	5,900 km (total length of navigable waterways) note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively
Ports and harbors:	Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika
Merchant marine:	total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,929 GRT/4,507 DWT ships by type: cargo 2 (2002 est.)
Airports:	51 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways:	total: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 5 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:	total: 43 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 34 (2002)

Military branches:	Sudombia Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Sudombia Police Force, Sudombia People's Militia, Sudombia National Service, Sudombian Irregular Force (ISF) (disavowed)
Military manpower - availability:	males age 15-49: 206,199 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:	males age 15-49: 155,058 (2002 est.)

Disputes - international:	all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari [Koetari] rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne); territorial sea boundary with Suriname is in dispute
Illicit drugs:	transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis, cocaine, heroin, drug development, home of the Demerara Cartel.