Among the words with which Dutch has enriched the English vocabulary are: "brandy, coleslaw, cookie, cruiser, dock, easel, freight, landscape, spook, stoop, and yacht". Dutch is noteworthy as the language of an outstanding literature, but it also became important as the tongue of an enterprising people, who, though comparatively few in number, made their mark on the world community through trade and empire. Dutch is also among some of the earliest recorded languages of Europe. Countries that have Dutch as an official language are Belgium, the Netherlands, Suriname, Aruba and Curacao.