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.
The early history of Suriname dates from 3000 BCE when Native Americans first inhabited the area. The Dutch acquired Suriname from the English,and European settlement in any numbers dates from the 17th century,when it was a plantation colony utilizing slavery for sugar cultivation. With abolition in the late 19th century,planters sought labor from China,Madeira,India,and Indonesia,which was also colonized by the Dutch. Dutch is Suriname's official language. Owing to its diverse population,it has also developed a creole language,Sranan Tongo.
The Caribbean Community is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states and five associated members throughout the Americas and Atlantic Ocean. It has the primary objective to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members,ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared,and coordinate foreign policy. The organisation was established in 1973,by its four founding members signing the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Its primary activities involve:
DesiréDelano Bouterse is a Surinamese military officer,politician,convicted murderer and drug trafficker who served as President of Suriname from 2010 to 2020. From 1980 to 1987,he was Suriname's de facto leader after conducting a military coup and establishing a period of military rule. In 1987,Bouterse founded the National Democratic Party (NDP). On 25 May 2010,Bouterse's political alliance,the Megacombinatie,which included the NDP,won the parliamentary elections,and on 19 July 2010,Bouterse was elected as President of Suriname with 36 of 50 parliament votes. He was inaugurated on 12 August 2010.
The president of the Republic of Suriname is,in accordance with the Constitution of 1987,the head of state and head of government of Suriname,and commander-in-chief of the Suriname National Army (SNL). The president also appoints a cabinet.
The National Democratic Party is a political party in Suriname. It was founded on 4 July 1987 by Surinamese leader Dési Bouterse,and was one of the first parties in the country to have a stable base of support across different ethnic groups. In the 2015 general election the party scored 45.56% of the vote and 26 of 51 seats in parliament.
Digicel is a Jamaican-based Caribbean mobile phone network and home entertainment provider operating in 25 markets worldwide.
The December murders were the murders on 7,8,and 9 December 1982,of fifteen prominent young Surinamese men who had criticized the military dictatorship then ruling Suriname. Thirteen of these men were arrested on December 7 between 2 am and 5 am while sleeping in their homes. The other two were Surendre Rambocus and Jiwansingh Sheombar who were already imprisoned for attempting a countercoup in March 1982. Soldiers of Dési Bouterse took them to Fort Zeelandia,where they were heard as "suspects in a trial" by Bouterse and other sergeants in a self-appointed court. After these "hearings" they were tortured and shot dead. The circumstances remain unclear. On 10 December 1982,Bouterse claimed on national television that all of the detainees had been shot dead "in an attempt to flee".
Ramsewak Shankar is a Surinamese politician who was the 4th President of Suriname,serving from 1988 to 1990. His government was overthrown by Dési Bouterse leading a bloodless military coup. Shankar had previously served as Agriculture &Fisheries Minister from 1969 to 1971.
General elections were held in Suriname on 25 May 2010.
The Surinamese Interior War was a civil war waged in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname between 1986 and 1992. It was fought by the Tucayana Amazonas led by Thomas Sabajo and the Jungle Commando led by Ronnie Brunswijk,whose members originated from the Maroon ethnic group,against the National Army led by then-army chief and de facto head of state Dési Bouterse.
The 1980 Surinamese coup d'état,usually referred to as the Sergeants' Coup,was a military coup in Suriname which occurred on 25 February 1980,when a group of 16 sergeants of the Surinamese Armed Forces (SKM) led by Dési Bouterse overthrew the government of Prime Minister Henck Arron with a violent coup d'état. This marked the beginning of the military dictatorship that dominated the country from 1980 until 1991. The dictatorship featured the presence of an evening curfew,the lack of freedom of press,a ban on political parties,a restriction on the freedom of assembly,a high level of government corruption and the summary executions of political opponents.
Hendrick Rudolf "Henk" Chin A Sen was a Surinamese politician who served as the President of Suriname from 15 August 1980 until 4 February 1982.
Ewan Grandison is a Jamaican international footballer who plays for Memphis 901,as a midfielder.
Chandrikapersad "Chan" Santokhi is a Surinamese politician and former police officer who is the 9th president of Suriname,since 2020. After winning the 2020 elections,Santokhi was the sole nominee for president of Suriname. On 13 July,Santokhi was elected president by acclamation in an uncontested election. He was inaugurated on 16 July.
Netherlands–Suriname relations refers to the current and historical relations between the Netherlands and Suriname. Both nations share historic ties and a common language (Dutch) and are members of the Dutch Language Union.
Dino Delano Bouterse is the son of the former President of Suriname,Dési Bouterse. The former head of the Suriname Anti-Terrorist Unit,he is currently serving a 16-year sentence in the United States after being convicted in Manhattan,New York,on charges of drug smuggling and trying to help Hezbollah set up a base in Suriname and Latin America.
Michael Ashwin Satyandre Adhin is a Surinamese educator,politician,and was the Vice President of Suriname between 2015 and 2020. He is a member of the National Democratic Party. At the age of 35,he became the youngest vice president in the history of Suriname to lead the Council of Ministers. Adhin is a Hindu of Indian descent.
Omar McLeod is a Jamaican professional hurdler and sprinter competing in the 60 m hurdles and 110 m hurdles. In the latter event,he is the 2016 Olympic champion and 2017 World champion. He was NCAA indoor champion in the 60 m hurdles in 2014 and 2015 and outdoor champion in the 110 m hurdles in 2015;he turned professional after the 2015 collegiate season,forgoing his two remaining years of collegiate eligibility. His personal best in the 110 m hurdles ranks him equal 7th on the world all-time list.
Surinamese
