SURINAME and Achieved Independence on 25 November 1975 As Suriname
1014 Countries of the World SURINAME and achieved independence on 25 November 1975 as Suriname. At independence, about 40 per cent of the Republiek Suriname – Republic of Suriname population emigrated to the Netherlands. The early years of independence were politically unstable, with a period of military rule under Desi Bouterse following a coup in 1980. A guerrilla campaign for the restoration of democracy began in 1986. A peace accord with the guerrillas in 1989, following the return to civilian rule in 1988, was opposed by Bouterse, who engineered a coup in 1990 that deposed the president. Elections in 1991 were won by the New Front for Democracy and Development alliance, led by Ronald Venetiaan, who became president. President Venetiaan introduced an unpopular austerity programme, which improved the economy but lost him the 1996 election. After the 2005 legislative election the New Front for Democracy, a four-party alliance, remained the largest bloc in the legislature, but lost its overall majority. Two Area – 163,270 sq. km rounds of voting in the July 2005 presidential election Capital – Paramaribo; population, 252,000 (2007 est) failed to produce the necessary majority, requiring a third Major towns – Lelydorp, Nieuw Nickerie round of voting by a United People’s Assembly; this Currency – Suriname dollar of 100 cents re-elected President Venetiaan to another term in office. Population – 475,996 rising at 1.1 per cent a year (2008 est); Hindustani (37 per cent), Creole (31 per cent), POLITICAL SYSTEM Javanese (15 per cent), Maroons (10 per cent), Under the 1987 constitution, the executive president is Amerindian (2 per cent) (est) elected for a five-year term by a two-thirds majority in the Religion – Christian 41 per cent, Hindu 20 per cent, legislature or, if the required majority cannot be achieved, Muslim 14 per cent (predominantly Sunni), indigenous by a specially convened United Peoples’ Assembly religions 3 per cent (est) including district and local council representatives.
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