"Guyana - the Land of Many Waters" a Guyana Travel Page by grets

Settled in the 16th century by the Dutch, their rule ended in 1812 when the British arrived, when it was named British Guiana. After the abolishing of slavery, many labourers were imorted from the East Indies, while many of the Afro-Guyana fled to the interior. The country achieved independence on May 26, 1966.

It is the wild and untouched beauty of the interior that tends to draw visitors to Guyana. With 80% of its land covered with rain forest, this is the eco-tourist's dream destination.

Guyana has an area of 83,000 sq miles; its coastline is about 270 miles long.

The indigenous peoples of Guyana are known as Amerindians and constitute about 4% of the population. There are nine different tribes in total, including the Warao, Carib, Arawak, Arecuna, Wapisiana, Arawak, and Macushi which are the most prominent of the savanna peoples.

The official Language is English which is often spoken with a creole accent.

The major Industries in Guyana are sugar, gold, bauxite, timber, rice, and prawns.