Suriname is a fascinating yet also little known Caribbean country. Fascinating because a unique variety of lifestyles and group identities has characterized this country from its early beginnings as a European plantation colony, but even more so since the influx of contract laborers from British India and Java in the nineteenth century. Little known because even when attention was focused on the country, particularly following a military coup d'état in 1980, this awareness has contributed little to a better understanding of the country's complex developments. In fact, the media have not unveiled but rather covered the essentials of the evolving Suriname society. Combining a broad thematic approach with a focus on long-term developments in Suriname, 20th Century Suriname consists of fourteen chapters that discuss the main trends with respect to major areas of research. Topics such as Surinamese politics and economics, as well as its social, religious, and cultural aspects are covered by the best contemporary specialists on Suriname in the United States, the Netherlands, and Suriname. This volume provides an accessible introduction to Suriname for a general audience, including graduate and undergraduate students, and an authoritative 'state of the art review' for Suriname specialists.