Nieuw Nickerie is the capital of the district Nickerie and Suriname's second largest city. The current location of the city is its third. The first two locations were on the west bank of the Corantijn river. The city had to be moved in 1870 and 1879 because of erosion. The city is now protected by a sea wall.
Important for the economy of the city of Nieuw Nickerie is the trade in agricultural products, primarily rice and bananas. Nieuw Nickerie is located at the extreme west end of the East-West Highway. There is a ferry boat that connects Nieuw Nickerie and Springlands in Guyana.