Editing Suriname (section)

===Decolonization===
{{see also|Decolonization of the Americas|Suriname in World War II}}

[[File:Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië-Surinam north-Benj004ency01ill stitched.jpg|thumb|Suriname in 1914]]

[[File:Presidentieel Paleis.jpg|thumb|[[Presidential Palace of Suriname]]]]

During [[World War II]], on 23 November 1941, under an agreement with the [[Dutch government-in-exile|Netherlands government-in-exile]], the United States sent 2,000 soldiers to Suriname to protect the [[bauxite]] mines to support the Allies' war effort.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120105003256/http://faculty.virginia.edu/setear/students/fdrneutr/38%20to%2041%20Alt.htm#November1 World War II Timeline]. Faculty.virginia.edu. Retrieved 15 August 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trisonline.nl/de-tris/tweede-wereldoorlog/|title=Tweede wereldoorlog|website=TRIS Online|access-date=6 January 2022|language=nl}}</ref> In 1942, the Dutch government-in-exile began to review the relations between the Netherlands and its colonies in terms of the post-war period.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historischnieuwsblad.nl/wilhemina-preekt-de-revolutie/|title=Wilhemina preekt de revolutie|date=October 2013|author=Maurice Blessing|access-date=6 January 2022|language=nl}}</ref>[[File:Maroon village, Suriname River, 1955.jpg|thumb|left|Maroon village, along [[Suriname River]], 1955]][[File:Water-front houses in Paramaribo, 1955.jpg|thumb|Waterfront houses in [[Paramaribo]], 1955]]

In 1954, Suriname became one of the constituent countries of the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]], along with the [[Netherlands Antilles]] and the Netherlands. In this construction, the Netherlands retained control of its defense and foreign affairs. In 1974, the local government, led by the [[National Party of Suriname]] (NPS) (whose membership was largely [[Creole peoples|Creole]], meaning ethnically African or mixed African-European), started negotiations with the Dutch government leading towards full independence; in contrast to [[Indonesia]]'s earlier [[Indonesian National Revolution|war for independence]] from the Netherlands, the path toward Suriname's independence had been an initiative of the [[Den Uyl cabinet|then left-wing Dutch government]]. Independence was granted on 25 November 1975. A large part of Suriname's economy for the first decade following independence was fueled by foreign aid provided by the Dutch government.