Guyana

Where the name comes from

Guyana continues an Indigenous regional name usually translated “land of many waters”, for its many rivers.

First people

Indigenous peoples lived here for thousands of years.¹

Known for

Guyana is known for Kaieteur Falls, one of the world’s most powerful waterfalls, and it is the only South American country with English as its official language.^2,3,4

Outside rule

The Dutch settled at Essequibo in 1616, and Britain took over the Dutch colonies in 1814, bringing enslaved Africans and later workers from India.⁵

The modern country

Guyana became independent in 1966, with a society tied culturally to the Caribbean.³