We kicked off our study of South American countries with a look at Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname (Dutch Guiana South America), and French Guiana. I began by looking up recipes and actually learned a LOT from the cuisine.
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It all began with cooking
The food of Guyana and Suriname is very similar to that of the Caribbean islands. In fact, even though they are not islands, Guyana and Suriname are categorized as Caribbean. French Guiana is grouped with the islands of Guadaloupe and Martinique as one of the territories owned by France.
For Guyana, we made Guyanese Beef Patties one night and Guyanese Potato Roti the next day. We were absolutely thrilled when the potato roti puffed exactly as it should have! But wait, Potato Roti is an Indian dish. Hmmm….turns out that many people immigrated to Guyana from India so that became a part of their cuisine and culture.
This was my first taste of what our geography study could be. A quick YouTube search found a short video of Guyanese Folk Music set to images, and soon the kitchen was filled with the sights, smells, and sounds of Guyana. Later, we made “Swank,” or Guyanese lemon juice, which is actually made with limes, and Guyanese Lime Cookies to celebrate the beginning of our uncharted exploration in South America.
With new resolve, I made Surinamese Nasi the next day and was curious about how an Indonesian dish came to South America. I learned that Suriname was originally colonized by the Dutch and called Dutch Guiana. Indonesia was also colonized by the Dutch, called the Dutch Easst Indies. Surinamese Nasi is a dish that was brought over by all the immigrants from Indonesia and, in time, developed it’s own Surinamese flavor.
French Guiana was trickier to find recipes for, since it’s still technically France, and it’s where France sent prisoners. We made the French dish, Chicken Colombo.
More Fun Facts about the Three Gs:
I think of them collectively as the Three Gs now because they used to be “English Guyana, Dutch Guyana, and French Guiana.”
- Spanish is not the official language of any of the three Gs.
- Guyana’s official language is English. It used to be owned by the United Kingdom. It has two pontoon bridges and Kaieteur Falls, the world’s largest single drop waterfall.
- Suriname’s official language is Dutch. The Dutch negotiated to keep it and gave New Amsterdam (now New York) to the English.
- French Guiana was used as a penal colony for many years and is home to France’s space center, chosen for it’s proximity to the equator, which makes a difference for rockets.
Mapping It Out
- Seterra.com’s Free printable map of Central America
- Crayola.com’s Free printable of Guyana’s Flag and Map
- Crayola.com’s Free printable of Suriname’s Flag and Map
Missions Spotlight
- Wycliffe.org has resources for kids:
- Prayercast.com/Guyana: Prayer Points, Country Summary, Quick Facts
**parents should preview the prayercast.com video for sensitive topics that may not be age appropriate. - Prayercast.com/Suriname: Prayer Points, Country Summary, Quick Facts
**parents should preview the prayercast.com video for sensitive topics that may not be age appropriate. - Prayercast.com/FrenchGuiana: Prayer Points, Summary, Quick Facts
**parents should preview the prayercast.com video for sensitive topics that may not be age appropriate.
Booklists
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Introduction to Guyana and Suriname
(These series have been pre-approved by my kids)
- “Guyana, Guyana,” by Lisa Alley (The Countries We Come From Series)
- “Guyana,” by Marion Morrison (Enchantment of the World Series)
- “Suriname,” by Carolyn Lieberg (Enchantment of the World Series)
- Article: “Traveling through the Three Guianas“
Picture Books, Guyana
Chapter Books, Suriname and French Guiana
Suriname
French Guiana
Ecosystems of the Three Gs:
- On Amazon Prime: “Wildest: Latin America,” Season 1, Episode 1, One Jungle, Many Worlds
Geography YouTube Videos
- Guyana’s Pontoon Bridge retracting to let a ship through
- Kaieteur Falls in Guyana
- Suriname Music and Images by cre8ivmind is the perfect length for my children to sit through.
- Geography Now! Guyana (this is a fun resource geared towards adults and older kids; I recommend that parents pre-watch before showing to younger kids.)