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.
The Jamaica national football team,nicknamed the "Reggae Boyz",represents Jamaica in international football. The team's first match was against Haiti in 1925. The squad is under the supervising body of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF),which is a member of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU),Confederation of North,Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF),and the global jurisdiction of FIFA. Jamaica's home matches have been played at Independence Park since its opening in 1962.
Moiwana is a Maroon village in the Marowijne district in the east of Suriname.
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 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.
Rudi AndréKamperveen was a Surinamese football player,sports administrator,politician and businessman.
Johannes Samuel Petrus "Johan" Kraag was a Surinamese politician who served as the President of Suriname from 29 December 1990,until 16 September 1991.
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.
Armand Zunder is a Surinamese economist. As chairman of the Committee Reparations Slavery Past he was part of a reparations for slavery effort directed at the Netherlands. In 2020,Zunder became president of the Taxation Office.
Asidonhopo is a Saramaka village on the Pikin Rio,shortly before the confluence at the Upper Suriname River in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. Asidonhopo is the residence of the paramount chief or gaanman of the Saramaca. The succession of gaanman Belfon Aboikoni,who died in June 2014,has not been decided as of 2018. There are three candidates,but no agreement between the clans. The decision was forwarded to President Dési Bouterse,however he decided that the clans have to reach a compromise themselves.
The 1990 Surinamese coup d'état,usually referred to as the Telephone Coup,was a military coup in Suriname on 24 December 1990. The coup was carried out by the acting commander-in-chief of the Suriname National Army (SNL),Police Chief Ivan Graanoogst. As a result of the coup,President Ramsewak Shankar was dismissed from power,and parliament and government were disbanded.
Surinamese
