Suriname
Suriname, 1975 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
On 25 November 1975, Suriname became independent following negotiations with the Dutch government. On 25 February 1980, a military coup overthrew Arron's government. Between 2 am and 5 am on 7 December 1982, the military, under Bouterse's leadership, rounded up 13 prominent citizens who had criticized the military dictatorship and held them at Fort Zeelandia in Paramaribo. The dictatorship had all these men executed over the next three days.
Seat of power: Paramaribo
Rulers
Johan Ferrier
President of Suriname, 1975–1980
On 25 November 1975, Suriname was made independent, and Ferrier was sworn in as the first president of the country. Dési Bouterse's 1980 coup d'état prompted Ferrier to resign within six months.
Portrait of Johan Ferrier: Bert Verhoeff for Anefo , Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Rijksfotoarchief: Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Fotopersbu..., CC0, file
.jpg){kind=link}
Henk Chin A Sen
President of Suriname, 1980–1982
On 15 August 1980, after President Johan Ferrier resigned, Chin A Sen assumed the post of President as well. On 4 February 1982, Chin A Sen was fired by Bouterse after a disagreement.
Portrait of Henk Chin A Sen: Rob C. Croes, Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Rijksfotoarchief: Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Fotopersbureau (ANEFO)..., CC0, file
Fred Ramdat Misier
President of Suriname, 1982–1988
Following the unexpected resignation of President Henk Chin A Sen after a conflict with the military, Ramdat Misier ascended to the presidency on 8 February 1982 in accordance with a constitutional provision dictating that the head of the Court of Justice assume the role of acting head of state. Ramdat Misier subsequently oversaw the transition of power to the democratically elected Ramsewak Shankar in February 1988.
Portrait of Fred Ramdat Misier: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
.jpg){kind=link}
Ramsewak Shankar
President of Suriname, 1988–1990
Shankar was elected as president by the National Assembly after a parliamentary election was held in November 1987. In 1989 the Treaty of Kourou, a ceasefire agreement between the Jungle Commando and the Surinamese army, was signed. His government was overthrown by Dési Bouterse leading a bloodless military coup.
Portrait of Ramsewak Shankar: Communicatie Dienst Suriname, CC BY 3.0, file
Johan Kraag
President of Suriname, 1990–1991
On 29 December, Kraag was chosen by the National Assembly as President of Suriname. On 30 December, Kraag approved the Army's request to reinstate Bouterse as Commander of the Army, and Bouterse officially returned on 1 January 1991.
Portrait of Johan Kraag: Joop van Bilsen for Anefo, CC0, file
.jpg){kind=link}
Ronald Venetiaan
President of Suriname, 1991–1996
Venetiaan launched his first presidency bid in 1991, winning and serving until 1996, after which he lost in the elections to Jules Wijdenbosch.
Portrait of Ronald Venetiaan: Wilson Dias/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br, file
Jules Wijdenbosch
President of Suriname, 1996–2000
The Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge was constructed over the Suriname River during his presidency. Suriname's currency was devalued by the government in 1999, and inflation rose to 150%. A national strike broke out and Wijdenbosch's entire cabinet resigned.
Portrait of Jules Wijdenbosch: ATV-Networks Suriname, CC BY 3.0, file
Ronald Venetiaan
President of Suriname, 2000–2010
He was a candidate again in the 2000 election, when he regained his former position on the New Front banner. Venetiaan won an absolute majority of 37 from 51 votes in Parliament, and won his third term in 2005, completing the term until 2010.
Portrait of Ronald Venetiaan: Wilson Dias/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br, file
Desi Bouterse
President of Suriname, 2010–2020
Bouterse was a controversial figure, held responsible by some for numerous human rights violations committed during his military rule in the 1980s. He was prosecuted for the December murders of 1982, and a trial was initiated, but the National Assembly extended amnesty to him in 2012. After the trial was forced to continue, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison on 29 November 2019.
Portrait of Desi Bouterse: Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Suriname, Copyrighted free use, file
Chan Santokhi
President of Suriname, 2020–2025
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.
Portrait of Chan Santokhi: Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Suriname, Copyrighted free use, file
.jpg){kind=link}
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons
President of Suriname, 2025 to today
Geerlings-Simons was subsequently elected President on 6 July 2025, becoming the first female president in the nation's history. The NDP hammered out a coalition agreement with five other parties to support Geerlings-Simons for president.
Portrait of Jennifer Geerlings-Simons: Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Culture
- Suriname is the only independent state outside Europe where Dutch is the official and prevailing language of government, business, media, and education; an estimated 60% of the population speaks Dutch as a native language.
- Suriname is highly diverse, with no ethnic group forming a majority; proportionally, its Muslim and Hindu populations are some of the largest in the Americas.
- Over 90% of the territory of Suriname is covered by rainforest, the second-highest proportion of forest cover in the world.
Picture
The Central Suriname Nature Reserve preserves an area of tropical rainforest and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Image: David Evers, CC BY 2.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.