Suriname also is an exporter or rice, shrimp, timber, bananas, fruits and vegetables. It formerly exported palm oil as well. All of these exports declined in 1989, due to lack of competitiveness of Suriname's products and to insurgencies in the interior, which have essentially closed off access to timber and to most palm oil plantations. Deteriorating infrastructure and lack of spare parts are additional constraints worsened by a skewed exchange rate. Paramaribo and the coast are tropical all year.
Lightweight clothing is recommended.
A visa is required for US citizens. Tourists may be asked to show onward tickets, necessary travel documents or sufficient funds for their stay. All foreign exchange being carried into the country must be declared on arrival and departure, except for diplomats assigned to the post. Medical services are adequate for most purposes, although some essential medicines are no longer readily available. Malaria and other endemic tropical diseases occur more frequently outside the capital.