Suriname
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- 27 Feb 1667 - 15
Dec 1959
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-
- 15 Dec 1959 - 25
Nov 1975
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- Adopted 25 Nov
1975
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Map
of Suriname
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Hear
National Anthem
"God zij met ons
Suriname!"
(God Be With Our
Suriname)
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Text
of National Anthem
Adopted 7 Dec 1954
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Constitution
(30 Sep 1987)
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Capital:
Paramaribo
(Fort Zeelandia 1739-1815;
Fort
Kykoveral 1667-1739;
Fort
Willoughby 1650-1667)
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Currency:
Surinamese
Guilder (SRG); 1815-1940
Dutch Guilder (NLG)
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National
Holiday: 25 Nov (1975)
Onafhankelijkheidsdag
(Independence Day)
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Population:
639,759 (2023)
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GDP: $9.05
billion (2021)
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Exports:
$2.29 billion (2021)
Imports: $1.87
billion (2021)
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Ethnic groups:
Hindustani (also known locally as
"East Indians"; their ancestors
emigrated from northern India in the
latter part of 19th century) 27.4%,
"Maroon" (their African ancestors were
brought to country in 17th and 18th
centuries as slaves and escaped to the
interior) 21.7%, Creole (mixed white
and black) 15.7%, Javanese 13.7%,
mixed 13.4%, other 7.6%, unspecified
0.6% (2012)
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Total Active
Armed Forces: 1,840 (2010)
Merchant marine:
13 ships (2023)
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Religions:
Protestant 23.6% (includes Evangelical
11.2%,
Moravian 11.2%, Reformed 0.7%,
Lutheran 0.5%), Hindu
22.3%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Muslim
13.8%, other
Christian 3.2%, Winti 1.8%, Jehovah's
Witness 1.2%,
other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified
3.2% (2012)
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International
Organizations/Treaties: ACP,
ACS, ACTO, ALBA (special guest), AOSIS,
APM, BTWC, C (applicant), Caricom, CDB,
CELAC, CTBT, CWC, DLU (associate), EITI,
ESCR, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISA, ISESCO,
ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAP, Mercosur
(associate), MIGA, NAM, NPT,
NTBT, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA,
Petrocaribe, PROSUR, UN, UNASUR,
UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC,
UNFCC-KP, UNFCC-PA, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Suriname
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Chronology
1593 - 1629
Spanish colony (Provincia
de Guayana)(as part of
Venezuela/Nueva Granada).
1650 - 6 Mar
1667
English settlement at Willoughby-Land
(modern-day
Paramaribo) under William
Willoughby, Baron
Willoughby of Parham (b. c.1616
- d. 1673).
27 Feb 1667
Dutch begin conquest of
Suriname under Commodore
Abraham Crijnssen.
6 Mar 1667
Suriname colony (Kolonie
Suriname)(after 1816
commonly called Dutch
Guiana [Nederlands-Guiana]).
31 Jul 1667
Formally ceded to Netherlands
by England by the
Treaty of Breda (ratified 24
Aug 1667).
18 Oct 1667 - 28 Apr
1668 English re-occupation.
28 Apr 1668
Dutch rule restored again by
Commodore Crijnssen.
1668 - 1 Jan 1792
Under
Dutch West India Company (Verenigde
Westindische Compagnie)
rule.
20 Aug 1799 - 4 Dec
1802 British occupation.
9
May 1804 - 27 Feb 1816 British
occupation.
20 May 1828
Bonaire, Aruba,
Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius,
Sint Maarten and Dutch Guiana united
as
the Dutch West Indies; with the
governor
of Dutch Guiana as the
governor-general.
29 Oct 1845
Suriname colony is separated
from Curaçao and its
dependencies.
1 Apr
1937
First Constitution of Suriname (of
1936) enacted.
25 Nov 1941 - Jun 1943
U.S. forces
garrison Suriname, Dutch rule
continues.
20 Sep
1948
Suriname a coequal part of Netherlands
realm.
15 Dec
1954
Autonomous part of The Netherlands,
end of
colonial status.
25 Nov
1975
Independence (Republic of Suriname
[also spelled
Surinam until 23 Jan 1978]).
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Chairman of the National Military Council (de
facto leader)
25 Feb 1980 - 25 Jan 1988 Désiré "Dési"
Delano Bouterse (b.
1945)
Mil
Governor Spanish Guayana Province
c.1593 -
1629
Domingo de Vera e Llargoyen
(b. c.1550 - d.
1629)
Governors of Willoughby-Land
1650 - 1654
Anthony Rowse (Rous)
1652 - 1654
Richard Holdip
(appointed by Parliament)
1654 -
1657
Vacant
1657 - 6 Mar
1667
William Byam
(b. 1623 - d. 1670)
Commander of Dutch Suriname (of
the Dutch West India Company)
5 Mar 1667 - 18 Oct 1667 Maurits de Rama
English governors
18 Oct 1667 - 3 Nov 1667 John Harman
(Hermans)
(d. 1673)
3 Nov 1667 - 1 Feb 1668 Samuel
Barry
(d. c.1698)
1668
James Bannister
(b. 1624 - d. 1674)
Commanders of Dutch Suriname (for
the Dutch West India Company)
28 Apr 1668 - 16 Feb 1669 Abraham
Crijnssen (acting)
(b. c.1600 - d. 1669)
16 Feb 1669 - Jan 1671
Philip Julius Lichtenbergh
(b. 1637 - d. 1678)
Jan 1671 - 22 Mar 1677
Pieter Versterre (acting)
(d. 1677)
22 Mar 1677 - 22 Dec 1677 Abel Thisso (1st
time)(acting)
22 Dec 1677 - 15 Mar 1678 Tobias
Adriaensen
15 Mar 1678 - Dec 1678
Abel Thisso (2nd time)(acting)
Dec 1678 - Apr
1680 Johannes
Heinsius
(b. c.1625 - d. 1680)
Apr 1680 - Sep
1680 Everhard
van Hemert (acting)
Sep 1680 - 26 Nov 1683
Laurens Verboom
(acting)
(b. 1654 - d. 1688)
Governors (for the Dutch West
India Company)
28 Nov 1683 - 19 Jul 1688
Cornelis van Aerssen, heer van (b. 1637 -
d. 1688)
Sommelsdijck, Bommel, de Plaat,
Spijck
28 Jul 1688 - 12 Mar 1689 Abraham van
Vredenburg (acting)
12 Mar 1689 - 14 May 1696 Johan van
Scharphuizen
(d. 1699)
(Scharphuysen)
14 May 1696 - 2 Mar 1707 Paulus van
der Veen
(b. c.1660 - d. 1733)
2 Mar 1707 - 27 Sep 1707 Wilhelm de
Gruijter (Gruyter) (b.
16.. - d. 1707)
27 Sep 1707 - 19 Jan 1710 François Anthony
de Raineval (b. 16.. - d. 1726)
(Rayneval)(1st time) (acting)
19 Jan 1710 - 28 Jul 1715 Johan de
Goijer
(b. 16.. - d. 1715)
28 Jul 1715 - 22 Jan 1716 François Anthony
de Raineval (s.a.)
(2nd time) (acting)
22 Jan 1716 - 4 Oct 1717 Johan de
Mahony
(b. 16.. - d. 1717)
4 Oct 1717 - 2 Mar 1718
François Anthony de Raineval (s.a.)
(3rd time) (acting)
2 Mar 1718 - 4 Sep 1721 Johan
Coutier
(b. 16.. - d. 1721)
4 Sep 1721 - 1 Mar 1722
François Anthony de Raineval (s.a.)
(4th time) (acting)
Governors-general (for the Dutch West
India Company to 1 Jan 1792)
1 Mar 1722 - 17 Sep 1727 Hendrik
Temminck
(b. c.1680 - d. 1727)
17 Sep 1727 - 9 Nov 1728 Johannes
Bley (acting)
9 Nov 1728 - 26 Jan 1734 Karel
Emilius Henry de Cheusses (b. 1702 -
d. 1734)
26 Jan 1734 - 11 Dec 1734 Johan François
Cornelis de Vries (b. 1680 - d. 1738)
(1st time) (acting)
11 Dec 1734 - 26 Jan 1735 Jacob Alexander
Henry de Cheusses (b. 1704 - d. 1735)
26 Jan 1735 - 4 Mar 1735 Johan
François Cornelis de Vries (s.a.)
(2nd time) (acting)
4 Mar 1735 - 22 Dec 1735 Councils
of the Court of Police
and Criminal Justice (acting)
22 Dec 1735 - 11 Aug 1737 Johan Raije van
Brenelerwaard (b. 1699 - d. 1737)
11 Aug 1737 - 15 Oct 1742 Gerard van de
Schepper
(d. 1763)
(acting to 1738)
15 Oct 1742 - 23 Apr 1751 Johan Jacob
Mauricius
(b. 1692 - d. 1768)
23 Apr 1751 - 7 Sep 1752 Hendrik
Ernst baron van Spörcke (d. 1752)
(acting)
7 Sep 1752 - 22 Oct 1754 Wigbold
Crommelin (1st time)
(b. 1712 - d. 1789)
(acting)
22 Oct 1754 - 24 Aug 1756 Pieter Albert van
der Meer
(d. 1756)
24 Aug 1756 - 21 Jan 1757 Jan Nepveu (1st
time) (acting) (b. 1719 - d.
1779)
21 Jan 1757 - 22 Nov 1768 Wigbold Crommelin
(2nd time) (s.a.)
(acting to 20 Sep 1757)
22 Nov 1768 - 27 Feb 1779 Jan Nepveu (2nd
time)
(s.a.)
(acting to 8 Mar 1770)
27 Feb 1779 - 23 Sep 1783 Bernard
Texier
(b. 1725 - d. 1783)
23 Sep 1783 - 24 Dec 1784 Wolphert Jacob
Beeldsnijder (b. 1742 - d.
1793)
Matroos (acting)
24 Dec 1784 - 15 Jun 1790 Jan Gerhard
Wichers
(b. 1745 - d. 1808)
15 Jun 1790 - 4 Dec 1802 Juriaan
François de Frederici (b.
1751 - d. 1812)
(acting to 24 Aug 1792)
4 Dec 1802 - 9 Dec 1803 Willem
Otto Blois van Treslong (b. 1765 - d.
1837)
(acting)
9 Dec 1803 - 9 May 1804 Pierre
Berranger -Commissioner-general
9 May 1804 - 15 Apr 1805 Sir Charles
Green
(b. 1749 - d. 1831)
15 Apr 1805 - 27 Sep 1808 William
Carlyon
(b. 1752 - d. 1808)
Hughes -Lieutenant governor
27 Sep 1808 - 4 May 1809 Sir John
Wardlaw (acting)
(b. 1775 - d. 1848)
4 May 1809 - 8 Nov 1811 Charles
Bentinck,
(b. 1764 - d. 1811)
Earl of Bentinck -Chief commissioner
8 Nov 1811 - 27 Feb 1816 Pinson
Bonham
(acting)
(b. 1762 - d. 1855)
27 Feb 1816 - 18 Jul 1816 Willem Benjamin
van Panhuijs (b.
1764 - d. 1816)
18 Jul 1816 - 1 Apr 1822 Cornelis
Reinhard Vaillant (acting)(b. 1781 - d. 1849)
1 Apr 1822 - 12 Oct 1827 Abraham de
Veer
(b. 1767 - d. 1838)
12 Oct 1827 - 20 May 1828 Johannes Graaf
van
den
(b. 1780 - d. 1844)
Bosch -Commissioner-general
Governors-general of the Dutch West Indian
Possessions
20 May 1828 - 19 Dec 1831 Paulus
Roeloff
Cantz'laar
(b. 1771 - d. 1831)
19 Dec 1831 - 5 Jun 1838 Evert
Ludolph baron van Heeckeren (b. 1784 - d.
1838)
(acting to 6 May 1832)
5 Jun 1838 - 16 Jul 1839 Philippus de
Kanter (1st time) (b. 1804 - d. 1852)
(acting)
16 Jul 1839 - 31 Mar 1842 Julius
Constantijn
Rijk
(b. 1787 - d. 1854)
31 Mar 1842 - 15 Nov 1842 Philippus de
Kanter (2nd time) (s.a.)
(acting)
15 Nov 1842 - 16 Jul 1845 Burchard Jean
Elias
(b. 1799 - d. 1871)
16 Jul 1845 - 13 Oct 1845 Philippus de
Kanter (3rd time) (s.a.)
(acting)
13 Oct 1845 - 29 Oct
1845 Reinier Frederik baron van
Raders (b. 1794 - d. 1868)
Governors
of Suriname
29 Oct 1845 -
1 Mar 1852
Reinier Frederik baron van Raders (s.a.)
1 Mar 1852 - 14 Jun 1852 Philippus de
Kanter (4th time) (s.a.)
(acting)
14 Jun 1852 - 22 Jun 1852 Coenraad Barends
(acting)
22 Jun 1852 - 25 Aug 1855 Johann George
Otto Stuart von (b. 1806 -
d. 1857)
Schmidt auf Altenstadt
25 Aug 1855 - 11 Aug 1859 Charles Pierre
Schimpf
(b. 1813 - d. 1886)
11 Aug 1859 - 29 Jun 1867 Reinhart Frans
van Lansberge (b.
1804 - d. 1873)
29 Jun 1867 - 1 Aug 1873 Willem
Hendrik Johan van Idsinga (b. 1822 - d.
1896)
1 Aug 1873 - 1 Nov 1882
Cornelis Ascanius van Sypesteyn (b.
1823 - d. 1892)
1 Nov 1882 - 30 Jul 1885 Johannes
Herbert August Willem (b. 1829 -
d. 1893)
baron van Heerdt tot Eversberg
30 Jul 1885 - 18 Jul 1888 Hendrik Jan
Smidt
(b. 1831 - d. 1917)
18 Jul 1888 - 30 Jan 1889 Warmolt Tonckens
(1st time)(acting)(b. 1848 - d. 1922)
30 Jan 1889 - 27 Jun 1891 Maurits Adriaan
de Savornin Lohman (b. 1832 - d. 1899)
27 Jun 1891 - 12 May 1896 Titus Anthony
Jacob van Asch (b.
1849 - d. 1902)
van Wijck
12 May 1896 - 4 Oct 1902 Warmolt
Tonckens (2nd
time) (s.a.)
4 Oct 1902 - 12 Sep 1905 Cornelis
Lely
(b. 1854 - d. 1929)
12 Sep 1905 - 18 Nov 1905 David Hendrick
Havelaar (acting) (b. 1852 - d. 1918)
18 Nov 1905 - 28 Feb 1908 Alexander Willem
Frederik Idenburg (b. 1861 - d. 1935)
28 Feb 1908 - 10 Aug 1908 Pieter Hofstede
Crull (1st time) (b. 1862 - d. 1925)
(acting)
10 Aug 1908 - 30 Jun 1911 Dirk
Fock
(b. 1858 - d. 1941)
30 Jun 1911 - 14 Jul 1911 Louis Marie
Rollin Couquerque (b. 1869 - d.
1960)
14 Jul 1911 - 17 Oct 1911 Pieter Hofstede
Crull (2nd time) (s.a.)
(acting)
17 Oct 1911 - 25 Nov 1916 Willem Dirk
Hendrik baron van (b. 1858
- d. 1935)
Asbeck
25 Nov 1916 - 25 Nov 1919 Gerard Johan
Staal (1st time) (b. 1870
- d. 1936)
25 Nov 1919 - 15 Jul 1920 Lambertus
Johannes Rietberg (b. 1870 -
d. 1924)
(1st time)
15 Jul 1920 - 16 Dec 1920 Gerard Johan
Staal (2nd time) (s.a.)
16 Dec 1920 - 23 May 1921 Lambertus
Johannes Rietberg (s.a.)
(2nd time)
23 May 1921 - 21 May 1924 Aarnoud Jan Anne
Aleid baron van (b. 1871 - d. 1957)
Reemstra (1st time)
21 May 1924 - 18 Sep 1924 Lambertus
Johannes Rietberg (s.a.)
(3rd time)
18 Sep 1924 - 21 Feb 1925 Jan Luchies
Nysingh
(b. 1877 - d. 1945)
21 Feb 1925 - 1 Apr 1928 Aarnoud Jan
Anne Aleid baron van (s.a.)
Reemstra (2nd time)
1 Apr 1928 - 16 Aug 1933 Abraham
"Bram" Arnold Lodewijk (b. 1884
- d. 1966)
Rutgers
16 Aug 1933 - 3 Jan 1944 Johannes
Coenraad
Kielstra
(b. 1878 - d. 1951)
16 Aug 1935 - 12 Apr 1936 Johannes Cornelis
Brons
(b. 1884 - d. 1964)
(1st time)(acting for Kielstra)
Sep 1938 - Jan
1939 Johannes
Cornelis
Brons
(s.a.)
(2nd time)(acting for Kielstra)
3 Jan 1944 - 2 Aug 1948
Johannes Cornelis Brons (3rd time) (s.a.)
2 Aug 1948 - 2 Dec 1949 Willem
Huender
(b. 1900 - d. 1963)
2 Dec 1949 - 11 Feb 1956 Jan
Klaasesz
(b. 1907 - d. 1997)
11 Feb 1956 - 18 Mar 1963 Jan van
Tilburg
(b. 1900 - d. 1977)
19 Mar 1963 - 22 Aug 1964 Archibald
Currie
(b. 1888 - d. 1986)
(acting to 1 May 1963)
22 Aug 1964 - 26 Feb 1965 François
Haverschmidt (acting) (b. 1906 -
d. 1987)
26 Feb 1965 - 12 Aug 1968 Henri Lucien de
Vries
(b. 1909 - d. 1987)
12 Aug 1968 - 25 Nov 1975 Johan Henri Eliza
Ferrier
(b. 1910 - d. 2010)
Presidents
25 Nov 1975 - 13 Aug 1980 Johan Henri Eliza
Ferrier
(s.a.)
Non-party
13 Aug 1980
Désiré "Dési" Delano Bouterse
(s.a.)
Mil
(commander of the National Army)
(1st time)
13 Aug 1980 - 4 Feb 1982 Hendrick
Rudolf Chin A Sen
(b. 1934 - d.
1999) PNR
4 Feb 1982 - 7 Feb 1982 Désiré
"Dési" Delano Bouterse
(s.a.)
Mil
(commander of the National Army)
(2nd time)
7 Feb 1982 - 25 Jan 1988
Lachmipersad Frederik "Fred"
(b. 1926 - d. 2004) Non-party
Ramdat Misier (acting)
25 Jan 1988 - 29 Dec 1990 Ramsewak Shankar
(b.
1937)
VHP
29 Dec 1990 - 16 Sep 1991 Johannes Samuel
Petrus Kraag (b. 1913 -
d. 1996) NPS + FDO
16 Sep 1991 - 14 Sep 1996 Runaldo Ronald
Venetiaan (1st time)(b.
1936)
NPS + NF
14 Sep 1996 - 12 Aug 2000 Jules Albert
Wijdenbosch
(b.
1941)
NDP
12 Aug 2000 - 12 Aug 2010 Runaldo Ronald
Venetiaan (2nd
time)(s.a.)
NPS + NF
12 Aug 2010 - 16 Jul 2020 Désiré "Dési"
Delano Bouterse (s.a.)
NDP + MC
(3rd
time)
16 Jul 2020 -
Chandrikapersad "Chan" Santokhi
(b. 1959)
VHP
Chairman of the College of Assistance
5 Apr 1948 - 25 Jun 1948 Arthur
Johan May
(b. 1903 - d.
1979) Non-party
Chairmen of the College of General Management
(from 20 Jan 1950, Government Council)
25 Jun 1948 - 21 Jun 1949
Arthur Johan
May
(s.a.)
Non-party
21 Jun 1949 - 2 Apr 1951
Julius Caesar de Miranda
(b. 1906 - d. 1956) NPS
5 Apr 1951 - 4 Jun 1951 Jacques Adam
Drielsma
(b. 1886 - d. 1975) Non-party
4 Jun 1951 - 6 Sep
1952 Johannes "Jan" Ate Eildert Buiskool(b. 1899 -
d. 1960) Non-party
6 Sep 1952 - 4 Dec
1952 Adriaan Cornelis Jasper
Marius (b. 1887 - d. 1952)
Non-party
Alberga
4 Dec 1952 - 15 Dec 1954
Archibald
Currie
(s.a.)
NPS
(acting to 20 Aug 1954)
Prime ministers
15 Dec 1954 - 16 Apr 1955
Archibald
Currie
(s.a.)
NPS
16 Apr 1955 - 16 Jul 1958 Johan Henri
Eliza Ferrier
(s.a.)
NPS
16 Jul 1958 - Jun 1963
Severinus Desiré "Freek" Emanuels (b. 1910 - d.
1981) NPS
Jun 1963 - 5 Mar
1969 Johan "Jopie" Adolf Pengel
(b. 1916 - d.
1970) NPS
5 Mar 1969 - 20 Nov 1969
Arthur Johan May
(acting)
(s.a.)
Non-party
20 Nov 1969 - 24 Dec 1973 Jules
Sedney
(b. 1922 - d. 2020) PNP
24 Dec 1973 - 25 Feb 1980 Henck Alphonsus
Eugène Arron (b. 1936 -
d. 2000) NPS + NPK
25 Feb 1980 - 15 Mar 1980 Vacant
15 Mar 1980 - 4 Feb 1982 Hendrick Rudolf
Chin A Sen
(s.a.)
Non-party
4 Feb 1982 - 31 Mar 1982 Vacant
31 Mar 1982 - 9 Dec 1982 Henry Roëll
Neijhorst
(b. 1940)
Non-party
9 Dec 1982 - 26 Feb 1983 Vacant
26 Feb 1983 - 8 Jan 1984 Liakat Ali
Errol
Alibux
(b.
1948)
PALU
8 Jan 1984 - 3 Feb 1984 Vacant
3 Feb 1984 - 17 Jul 1986 Willem "Wim"
Alfred Udenhout (b.
1937 - d. 2023) Non-party
17 Jul 1986 - 7 Apr 1987
Pretaapnarain Shawh Radhe Cheran (b.
1935 - d. 2001) VHP
"Pretaap" Radhakishun
7 Apr 1987 - 26 Jan 1988
Jules Albert Wijdenbosch
(s.a.)
NDP
Vice Presidents (chairing the
Council of Ministers ex officio)
26 Jan 1988 - 29 Dec 1990 Henck Alphonsus
Eugène Arron
(s.a.)
NPS + FDO
29 Dec 1990 - 7 Jan
1991 Vacant
7 Jan 1991 - 16 Sep 1991 Jules Albert
Wijdenbosch
(s.a.)
NDP
16 Sep 1991 - 15 Sep 1996 Jules
Rattankoemar Ajodhia
(b. 1945 - d.
2024) VHP + NF
(1st time)
15 Sep 1996 - 12 Aug 2000 Pretaapnarain
Shawh Radhe Cheran
(s.a.)
BVD
"Pretaap" Radhakishun
12 Aug 2000 - 12 Aug 2005 Jules
Rattankoemar Ajodhia
(s.a.)
VHP + NF
(2nd time)
12 Aug 2005 - 12 Aug 2010 Ramdien "Ram"
Sardjoe
(b.
1935)
VHP + NF
12 Aug 2010 - 12 Aug 2015 Robert Leo
Antonius Ameerali (b.
1961) ABOP
+ MC
12 Aug 2015 - 16 Jul 2020 Michael Ashwin Satyandre
Adhin (b. 1980)
NDP
16 Jul 2020 -
Ronnie
Brunswijk
(b. 1961) ABOP
Commander of U.S. Surinam Base
Force (1st Battalion Force "A")
25 Nov 1941 - 1942
Parley Doney
Parkinson
(b. 1892 - d. 1958)
Commanding officer of U.S. Army Forces,
Surinam
1942 - Jun 1943
Paul L. Singer
Territorial Disputes: In Mar 2021,
Suriname and France signed an agreement to establish
their border along the Maroni/Marowijne River and its
tributary the Lawa River and to cooperate in combating
illegal gold mining; however, the area further south
between the Litani/Itany and Maroni/Marowijne Rivers is
still disputed, with Suriname claiming the border is
along the Maroni/Marowijne to the east and France
arguing it is along the Litani/Itany River to the west;
Suriname and Guyana dispute the territory between two
rivers, known as the New River/Nieuwe Rivier Triangle,
with Suriname contending that the New River (also called
the Upper Corentyne) to the west marks their common
border, while Guyana asserts that the Kutari/Koetari
River to the east forms the border; each side claims
that their river is the source of the Corentyne/
Corantijn River that forms a border further north
between the two countries; the Permanent Court of
Arbitration settled the maritime boundary between
Suriname and Guyana in 2007 in an area with potentially
substantial oil reserves.
Party abbreviations (political parties banned
1985-1987): ABOP =
Algemene Bevrijdings- en Ontwikkelingspartij (General
Liberation and Development Party, est.1986);
BEP = Broederschap en Eenheid in de
Politiek (Brotherhood and Unity in Politics,
mostly Maroon, est.1973);
BVD = Basispartij voor Vernieuwing en
Democratie (Basic Party for Renewal and
Democracy, mainly East Indian, split
from VHP, est.1996); MC =
Megacombinatie (Mega Combination, NDP coalition
incl. PALU, BVD to 2009, KTPI
and Nieuw Suriname, est.2008);
NDP = Nationale Democratische
Partij (National Democratic Party, left-wing, formerly
authoritarian, est.1987); NF =
Nieuwe Front (New Front, anti-NDP coalition of
NPS, VHP, Suriname Labor Party, former FDO, est.1990); NPS
= Nationale Partij Suriname (National Party
of Suriname, center-left, social democratic,
mainly Creole, est.29 Sep 1946); PALU
= Progressieve Arbeiders- en Landbouwers Unie
(Progressive Workers' and Farm Laborers' Union,
socialist, est.1977); VHP
= Vooruitstrevende Hervormingspartij (Progressive Reform
Party, multi-ethnic, originally
East Indian to 2011,
1949-1966 named Verenigde Hindoestaanse Partij [United Hindustani
Party], est.1949); Mil =
Military;
- Former
parties: FDO
= Front voor Democratie en
Ontwikkeling (Front for Democracy and Development,
democratic coalition of
NPS, VHP and KTPI, 1987-1990, renamed NF); NC
= National Coalition (PNP and NPS, 1973-1977);
NPK = Nationale Partij
Kombinatie (National Party Combination, pro-independence
coalition of NPS, PNR,
PSV and Kaum Tani Persatuan Indonesia
[KTPI], 1973-1980); PNP
= Progressieve Nationale
Partij (Progressive National Party); PNR
= Partij Nationalistische Republiek (Nationalist
Republic Party, Creole, 1959-1961
named Nationalistische Beweging Suriname [Nationalist
Movement Suriname], 1961-1987); PSV
= Progressieve Surinaamse Volkspartij (Surinamese
Progressive People's Party, christian
democratic, mainly Creole, Aug
1946-Aug 2015)
© Ben Cahoon
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