Moengo was founded in 1919 when the Surinaamse Bauxiet Maatschappij (Suriname Bauxite Company) began the mining of bauxite in this area. The export of Bauxite, or Aluminum ore, is the major source of income for Suriname. The bauxite is transported from the mines to Moengo by train and after some processing it is shipped abroad. Moengo is connected to Paramaribo and Albina by the East-West Highway, and can also be reached by plane.