Torarica is the original capital of Suriname. It was settled by Portuguese Jews in 1629. One origin offered for its name is as a Portuguese coinage meaning "Opulent Torah".[1] The Portuguese Jews arrived via Holland and Brazil.[2] By 1665, the village of Paramaribo was expanded and quickly outranked Torarica.[3]
Torarica | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Torarica | |
| Coordinates: 5°31′47″N 55°03′02″W / 5.529722°N 55.050556°W | |
| Country |  Suriname |
| District | Para District |
| Resorts | Oost |
| Time zone | UTC-3 (AST) |
The name Torarica is still in use by the Torarica Group. One of its hotels, the Torarica Resort,[4] as well as the village, and former sugar plantation La Simplicité are located near Torarica.[5]