Dutch colonisation of the Guianas Dutch colonisation of the Guianas Dutch colonisation of the Guianas the coastal region between the Orinoco and Amazon rivers in South America began in the early 16th century. The Dutch originally claimed all of Guiana (also called "De wilde kust", the "Wild Coast") but following attempts to sell it first to Bavaria and then to Hanau and the loss of sections to Portugal, Britain, and France the section actually settled and controlled by the Netherlands became known as Dutch Guiana (Dutch: "Nederlands-Guiana"). The colonies of Essequibo and Demerara were controlled by the Dutch West India Company, while Berbice and Surinam
Dutch name addition of "von" to a name often indicates that a person belongs to the nobility or royalty, "van" is too common in The Netherlands to make such a connection. This usage does exist in Flemish names, though its nobility usually obtained the French prefix 'de', specifically without capitalization. Dutch name Dutch names consist of one or more given names and a surname. The given name, as in English, is usually gender-specific. A Dutch child's birth and given name(s) must be officially registered by the parents within 3 days after birth. It is not uncommon to give a child several given