Country profile: Suriname

The islands of the Caribbean basin are predominantly net energy importers, with the exception of Trinidad and Tobago. Agriculture and natural resource extraction activities continue to constitute the basis of the islands' economies, though the tourism and service sectors are growing. In recent years, the Caribbean countries have been worried that higher global oil prices will impair their efforts to expand economically. In response, the island nations have been discussing ways to better integrate their energy sectors, especially in regards to increased natural gas exports from Trinidad and Tobago to other islands. These efforts have also focused on the major external energy suppliers to the region, such as Mexico and Venezuela.

First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government - a four-party New Front coalition - returned to power in 1991 and has ruled since; the coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005.