Guyana is the size of Idaho and is situated on the northern coast
of South America east of Venezuela, west of Suriname, and north of
Brazil. A tropical forest covers more than 80% of the country. The Warrou
people were the indigenous inhabitants of Guyana. The Dutch, English,
and French established colonies in what is now known as Guyana, but
by the early 17th century the majority of the settlements were Dutch.
During the Napoleonic wars Britain took over the Dutch colonies of
Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo, which became British Guiana in 1831.
Slavery was outlawed in 1834, and the great need for plantation
workers led to a large wave of immigration, primarily of East Indians.
Today, about half of the population is of East Indian descent and
about 36% are of African descent. |
