This place in the west of Suriname dates from 1791, when Governor Frederici had the Paradise and Plaisance plantations built. During the English Intermediate Board many English and Scots settled in this area on the Corantijn and the Nickerie river. They were mainly active in coffee and cotton cultivation. Nieuw Rotterdam used to be the main town, but it flooded several times because it was close to the coast. And that is why Nieuw Nickerie was founded in 1879, a new place on the other bank of the river, more inland and thus further from the sea. The Sranan name is Njoenton.
Many tourists visit this dike. Here is the cremation site of the Hindus. Nieuw Nickerie is the second largest city in Suriname with 37,000 inhabitants and is an important service center. There is a regional hospital and several utility companies have their offices there. Many companies from Paramaribo have a branch here. Previously, there was only a connection by water, now most people use the East-West connection. In addition to the smaller boats that allow you to cross (back track), there is also a ferry connection with Springlands in Guyana.
In Nickerie, the farmers mainly grow rice. There are a number of processing plants and the padi or peeled rice (but also bananas and vegetables) are shipped from the port of Nickerie to Paramaribo. The supply of agricultural machinery also goes through this city. Sowing and harvesting temporarily requires a lot of labor, some of which come from Guyana. Some have settled permanently in Nickerie. Driving through the polder landscape of Nickerie you imagine yourself in the Netherlands, the mills and cows you have to think about.
East of new Nickerie is Bigi Pan, a beautiful wetland nature reserve. There are already 122 species of birds in this area, of which 72 occur all year round in the area, including the red ibis, ospreys, terns and waders. Bigi Pan is therefore a particularly interesting area for bird watchers.