Nieuw Nickerie, Suriname

Capital City

With a population of just 13,842, Nieuw Nickerie is a sleepy backwater on Suriname's sweltering Atlantic coast. The city serves as the capital of the Nickerie district, but its main attractions are limited to a rice-focused economy and a small harbor that can only accommodate ships up to 6,000 tonnes. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the city's first hospital outside the capital Paramaribo was only established in the 1940s. And the climate is unrelentingly hot and humid, with a brief drier period from September to November offering little respite. Unless you're drawn to the prospect of ecotourism or have a deep fascination with rice production, Nieuw Nickerie is unlikely to be the Surinamese destination of choice for most expatriates.