This is a list of colonial governors of Suriname, a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. Suriname was first colonized by the British, and captured by the Dutch in 1667, who governed it as Surinam until 1954. The country of Suriname achieved independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 25 November 1975.
Italics indicate de facto continuation of office
| Tenure | Portrait | Incumbent | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Suzerainty | ||||
| English colony | ||||
| 1650 to 1654 | Anthony Rowse , Governor | |||
| 1654 to 27 February 1667 | William Byam , Governor | |||
| Dutch Suzerainty | ||||
| Dutch colony | ||||
| 27 February 1667 to 18 October 1667 | Maurits de Rama, Governor | |||
| 18 October 1667 to 3 November 1667 |  | John Harman , Governor | ||
| 3 November 1667 to 1 February 1668 | Samuel Barry , Governor | |||
| 1668 to 18 June 1669 | Abraham Crijnssen , acting Governor | |||
| 1669 to 1671 | Philip Lichtenberg , Governor | |||
| 1671 to 1677 | Pierre Versterre , acting Governor | |||
| 1677 | Abel Thisso , acting Governor | |||
| 1677 to 1678 | Tobias Adriaensen , Governor | |||
| 1678 to April 1680 | Johannes Heinsius , Governor | |||
| 1680 | Everhard van Hemert , acting Governor | |||
| 1680 to 1683 | Laurens Verboom , acting Governor | |||
| 1683 to 19 July 1688 |  | Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck , Governor | ||
| 1688 to 1689 | Abraham van Vredenburgh , acting Governor | |||
| 1689 to 1696 | Johan van Scharphuizen , Governor | |||
| 14 May 1696 to 2 March 1707 | Paulus van der Veen , Governor | |||
| 2 March 1707 to 27 September 1707 | William de Gruyter , Governor | |||
| 27 September 1707 to 19 January 1710 | François Anthony de Rayneval , acting Governor | 1st time | ||
| 19 January 1710 to 28 July 1715 | Johan de Goyer , Governor | |||
| 28 July 1715 to 22 January 1716 | François Anthony de Rayneval , acting Governor | 2nd time | ||
| 22 January 1716 to 4 October 1717 | Johan de Mahony , Governor | |||
| 4 October 1717 to 2 March 1718 | François Anthony de Rayneval , acting Governor | 3rd time | ||
| 2 March 1718 to 4 September 1721 | Jan Coetier , Governor | |||
| 4 September 1721 to 1 March 1722 | François Anthony de Rayneval , acting Governor | 4th time | ||
| 1 March 1722 to 17 September 1727 | Hendrik Temminck , Governor-General | |||
| 17 September 1727 to 9 November 1728 | François Anthony de Rayneval , acting Governor-General | 5th time | ||
| 9 November 1728 to 26 January 1734 | Karel Emilius Henry de Cheusses , Governor-General | |||
| 26 January 1734 to 11 December 1734 | Johan Fredrik Cornelis de Vries , acting Governor-General | 1st time | ||
| 11 December 1734 to 26 January 1735 | Jacob Alexander Henry de Cheusses , Governor-General | |||
| 26 January 1735 to 4 March 1735 | Johan Fredrik Cornelis de Vries , acting Governor-General | 2nd time | ||
| 4 March 1735 to 22 December 1735 | Council | |||
| 22 December 1735 to 11 August 1737 |  | Johan Raye van Breukelerwaard , Governor-General | ||
| 11 August 1737 to 15 October 1742 | Gerrit van de Schepper , Governor-General | |||
| 15 October 1742 to 23 April 1751 |  | Jan Jacob Mauricius , Governor-General | ||
| 23 April 1751 to 7 September 1752 | Hendrik Ernst baron van Spörcke , acting Governor-General | |||
| 7 September 1752 to 22 October 1754 | Wigbold Crommelin , acting Governor-General | 1st time | ||
| 22 October 1754 to 24 August 1756 | Pieter Albert van der Meer , Governor-General | |||
| 24 August 1756 to 21 January 1757 |  | Jan Nepveu , acting Governor-General | 1st time | |
| 21 January 1757 to 22 November 1768 | Wigbold Crommelin , Governor-General | Acting to 20 September 1757, 2nd time | ||
| 22 November 1768 to 27 February 1779 | | Jan Nepveu , Governor-General | Acting to 8 March 1770, 2nd time | |
| 27 February 1779 to 23 September 1783 | Bernard Texier , Governor-General | |||
| 23 September 1783 to 24 December 1784 | Wolphert Jacob Beeldsnijder Matroos , acting Governor-General | |||
| 24 December 1784 to 15 June 1790 |  | Jan Gerhard Wichers , Governor-General | ||
| 15 June 1790 to 20 August 1799 |  | Juriaan François Friderici , Governor-General | Acting to 24 August 1792 | |
| British Occupation | ||||
| 20 August 1799 to 4 December 1802 | | Juriaan François Friderici , Governor-General | ||
| Dutch Suzerainty | ||||
| 4 December 1802 to 9 December 1803 | Willem Otto Blois van Treslong , acting Governor-General | |||
| 9 December 1803 to 9 May 1804 | Pierre de Berranger , Commissioner-General | |||
| British Occupation | ||||
| 9 May 1804 to 15 April 1805 | Sir Charles Green, Governor-General | |||
| 15 April 1805 to 27 September 1808 | William Carlyon Hughes , Lieutenant Governor | |||
| 27 September 1808 to 4 May 1809 | Sir John Wardlau Bar , acting Governor-General | |||
| 4 May 1809 to 8 November 1811 |  | Charles Ferdinand Bentinck , Chief Commissioner | ||
| 8 November 1811 to 27 February 1816 |  | Pinson Bonham , acting Governor-General | ||
| Dutch Suzerainty | ||||
| 27 February 1816 to 18 July 1816 |  | Willem van Panhuys , Governor-General | ||
| 18 July 1816 to 1 April 1822 | Cornelis Vaillant , Governor-General | |||
| 1 April 1822 to 12 October 1827 |  | Abraham de Veer , Governor-General | ||
| 12 October 1827 to 1 August 1828 |  | Johannes van den Bosch , Commissioner-General | ||
| United with Curaçao and Dependencies as Dutch Caribbean | ||||
| 1 August 1828 to 19 December 1831 |  | Paulus Roelof Cantz'laar , Governor-General | ||
| 19 December 1831 to 5 June 1838 |  | Evert Ludolph baron van Heeckeren , Governor-General | Acting to 6 May 1832 | |
| 5 June 1838 to 16 July 1839 | Philippus de Kanter , acting Governor-General | 1st time | ||
| 16 July 1839 to 31 March 1842 |  | Julius Constantijn Rijk , Governor-General | ||
| 31 March 1842 to 15 November 1842 | Philippus de Kanter , acting Governor-General | 2nd time | ||
| 15 November 1842 to 16 July 1845 |  | Burchard Joan Elias , Governor-General | ||
| 16 July 1845 to 13 October 1845 | Philippus de Kanter , acting Governor-General | 3rd time | ||
| 13 October 1845 to 27 January 1848 |  | Reinier Frederik baron van Raders , Governor-General | ||
| Separate colony | ||||
| 27 January 1848 to 1 March 1852 | | Reinier Frederik baron van Raders , Governor-General | ||
| 1 March 1852 to 14 June 1852 | Philippus de Kanter , acting Governor-General | 4th time | ||
| 14 June 1852 to 22 June 1852 | Coenrad Barends , acting Governor-General | |||
| 22 June 1852 to 25 August 1855 |  | Johann George Otto Stuart von Schmidt auf Altenstadt , Governor-General | ||
| 25 August 1855 to 11 August 1859 |  | Charles Pierre Schimpf , Governor-General | ||
| 11 August 1859 to 29 June 1867 |  | Reinhart Frans van Lansberge , Governor-General | ||
| 29 June 1867 to 1 August 1873 |  | Willem Hendrik Johan van Idsinga , Governor-General | ||
| 1 August 1873 to 1 November 1882 |  | Cornelis Ascanius van Sypesteyn , Governor-General | ||
| 1 November 1882 to 30 July 1885 |  | Johannes Herbert August Willem van Heerdt tot Eversberg , Governor-General | ||
| 30 July 1885 to 18 July 1888 |  | Hendrik Jan Smidt , Governor-General | ||
| 18 July 1888 to 30 January 1889 |  | Warmolt Tonckens , acting Governor-General | 1st time | |
| 30 January 1889 to 27 June 1891 |  | Maurits Adriaan de Savornin Lohman , Governor-General | ||
| 27 June 1891 to 12 May 1896 |  | Titus Anthony Jacob van Asch van Wijck , Governor-General | ||
| 12 May 1896 to 4 October 1902 | | Warmolt Tonckens , Governor-General | 2nd time | |
| 4 October 1902 to 12 September 1905 |  | Cornelis Lely , Governor-General | ||
| 12 September 1905 to 18 November 1905 |  | David Hendrick Havelaar , acting Governor-General | ||
| 18 November 1905 to 28 February 1908 |  | Alexander Willem Frederik Idenburg , Governor-General | ||
| 28 February 1908 to 10 August 1908 |  | Pieter Hofstede Crull , acting Governor-General | 1st time | |
| 10 August 1908 to 30 June 1911 |  | Dirk Fock , Governor-General | ||
| 30 June 1911 to 14 July 1911 |  | Louis Marie Rollin Couquerque , Governor-General | ||
| 14 July 1911 to 17 October 1911 | | Pieter Hofstede Crull , acting Governor-General | 2nd time | |
| 17 October 1911 to 25 November 1916 |  | Willem Dirk Hendrik baron van Asbeck , Governor-General | ||
| 25 November 1916 to 25 November 1919 |  | Gerard Johan Staal , Governor-General | 1st time | |
| 25 November 1919 to 15 July 1920 | Lambertus Johannes Rietberg , Governor-General | 1st time | ||
| 15 July 1920 to 16 December 1920 | | Gerard Johan Staal , Governor-General | 2nd time | |
| 16 December 1920 to 23 May 1921 | Lambertus Johannes Rietberg , Governor-General | 2nd time | ||
| 23 May 1921 to 21 May 1924 |  | Aarnoud van Heemstra , Governor-General | 1st time | |
| 21 May 1924 to 18 September 1924 | Lambertus Johannes Rietberg , Governor-General | 3rd time | ||
| 18 September 1924 to 21 February 1925 |  | Jan Luchies Nysingh , Governor-General | ||
| 21 February 1925 to 1 April 1928 | | Aarnoud van Heemstra , Governor-General | 2nd time | |
| 1 April 1928 to 16 August 1933 |  | Abraham Arnold Lodewijk Rutgers , Governor-General | ||
| 16 August 1933 to 3 January 1944 |  | Johannes Coenraad Kielstra , Governor-General | ||
| 16 August 1935 to 12 April 1936 |  | Johannes Cornelis Brons , acting Governor-General | Acting for Kielstra, 1st time | |
| September 1938 to January 1939 | Johannes Cornelis Brons , acting Governor-General | Acting for Kielstra, 2nd time | ||
| 3 January 1944 to 2 August 1948 | Johannes Cornelis Brons , Governor-General | 3rd time | ||
| 2 August 1948 to 2 December 1949 |  | Willem Huender , Governor-General | ||
| 2 December 1949 to 15 December 1954 |  | Jan Klaasesz , Governor-General | ||
| Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; end of colonial status | ||||
| 15 December 1954 to 11 February 1956 | | Jan Klaasesz , Governor-General | ||
| 11 February 1956 to 18 March 1963 |  | Jan van Tilburg , Governor-General | ||
| 19 March 1963 to 22 August 1964 |  | Archibald Currie , Governor-General | Acting to 1 May 1963 | |
| 22 August 1964 to 26 February 1965 | François Haverschmidt , acting Governor-General | |||
| 26 February 1965 to 12 August 1968 |  | Henry Lucien de Vries , Governor-General | ||
| 12 August 1968 to 25 November 1975 |  | Johan Ferrier , Governor-General | ||
| 25 November 1975 | Independence as Republic of Suriname | |||
Media related to Governors of Suriname at Wikimedia CommonsThese are lists of incumbents, including heads of states or of subnational entities.
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, sometimes considered part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. Situated slightly north of the equator, over 90% of its territory is covered by rainforests, the highest proportion of forest cover in the world. Suriname is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, and Brazil to the south. It is the smallest country in South America by both population and territory, with around 612,985 inhabitants in an area of approximately 163,820 square kilometers. The capital and largest city is Paramaribo, which is home to roughly half the population.
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