Guyana is culturally and historically tied closely
to the former British colonies of the Caribbean, although it is located on the South
American continent. It was formerly known as British Guiana until 1966 when it
received full political independence. Georgetown is the capital city, located on the
north coast where the Demerara River flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
The land of Guyana was first inhabited during the first millenium B.C.(Before
Christ). The Warrau Indians were the first inhabitants of Guyana, followed by the
Caribs and Arawaks. The Dutch established upriver settlements in the 17th
century. In the following decades Dutch planters imported African slaves and began
to move their plantations down river to take advantage of the fertility of the coastal
soils. The three Dutch colonies of Essequibo, Berbice, and Demerara passed into
British hand in 1814.
Today, the largest group of people are the East Indians, numbering more than
half the population. They are descended from the laborers brought from India between
1838 and 1917 as sugarcane estate workers. Afro-Guyanese make up more than one third
of the population. There are also groups of Chinese and Portuguese that create the
diverse population. Christianity and Hinduism are the main religions, with Islam as a
minor. |
