French Guiana namely, from west to east: Spanish Guiana (now Guayana Region and Guayana Esequiba in Venezuela), British Guiana (now Guyana), Dutch Guiana (now Suriname), French Guiana, and Portuguese Guiana (now Amapá in Brazil). French Guiana and the two larger countries to the north and west, Guyana and Suriname, are still often collectively referred to as "the Guianas" and constitute one large landmass known as the Guiana Shield. French Guiana was originally inhabited by indigenous people: Kalina, Arawak, Emerillon, Galibi, Palikur, Wayampi and Wayana. The French attempted to create a colony there in the 18th century in conjunction with its settlement of
Dutch name for centuries, and the adoption of new names was limited to some Jewish citizens and some people in rural communities in the north east of the country. There is a persistent myth that some Dutch citizens, as a way of protest, chose humorous names during the forced registration. Examples often given are "Naaktgeboren" ("born naked") or "Zondervan" ("without surname"). However these names are in fact far older; "Naaktgeboren" for example is from the German "Nachgeboren" (born after the father was deceased, also one of the origins of the name "Posthumus"). Many Dutch surnames originated from different personal qualities, geographical locations,