pluto wrote:
while the Dutch in turn colonised Brazil before the Portuguese took it over .
That's not correct. The Dutch Republic colonized some island groups in the Carribean in the 17th century. These islands are still special municipalities and states in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. (special municipalities: Saba, Sint Eustatius, Bonaire, states: Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten).
There were also Dutch colonies in what is now the USA. New York was once called New Amsterdam. Then the second Anglo-Dutch naval war (1665-1667) broke out. The Dutch conquered a British colony in South America and the British conquered New Amsterdam and the Banda islands (Indonesia). At the peace of Breda (1667), each country agreed to this 'swap'. The English kept New Amterdam and renamed it New York and the Dutch kept the South American colony and named it Suriname. Suriname remained a part of the Kingdom of the Netherland until its independence in 1975.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese were in Brazil long before that and have never been pushed out by anyone.
I too am a history buff. As you may have guessed, my speciality is Dutch history, particularly the Burgundian time (which led to domination by Spain through a very strange quirk of fate), the Dutch Revolt and the Dutch Republic.
22 Sep 2012, 4:30 am
