Guyana — books & literature

The story of Guyana

Guyana's coast was home to Indigenous peoples , including the Arawak, Carib, Wapishana and Warao , for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. The Dutch built the region's first permanent European settlement at Essequibo in 1616, later adding the colonies of Berbice and Demerara, developing sugar plantations worked by enslaved Africans. Britain took control in 1796, and after the Dutch formally ceded the territory in 1814, the colonies were merged in 1831 into British Guiana. When slavery was abolished in 1838, freed Africans left the plantations, and planters brought large numbers of indentured labourers from India, shaping the ethnically mixed nation of today. Political parties split largely along these ethnic lines through the 1950s and 60s, but Guyana won independence from Britain on 26 May 1966 under Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, becoming a Co-operative Republic in 1970. Since the 2015 discovery of major offshore oil reserves, Guyana has become one of the world's fastest-growing economies while remaining the only mainland South American country where English is the official language.

Timeline — key moments

1. 1616

   The Dutch establish the first permanent European settlement at Essequibo.

2. 1796

   Britain occupies the Dutch colonies of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice.

3. 1814

   The Dutch formally cede their Guiana colonies to Britain.

4. 1831

   The colonies are merged into a single territory, British Guiana.

5. 1838

   Slavery is abolished; large-scale indentured labour migration from India begins.

6. 1953

   The People's Progressive Party, led by Cheddi Jagan, wins the first universal-suffrage election.

7. 1966

   Independence from Britain (26 May) under Prime Minister Forbes Burnham.

8. 1970

   Guyana becomes a Co-operative Republic within the Commonwealth (23 February).

9. 2015

   Major offshore oil reserves discovered, transforming the national economy.

Top 10 things to know about Guyana

1. Guyana is the only country in mainland South America with English as its official language.
2. Its name derives from an Indigenous word meaning "land of many waters".
3. Kaieteur Falls, on the Potaro River, is one of the tallest single-drop waterfalls in the world.
4. Guyana was a Dutch colony before becoming British Guiana under British rule.
5. The population is one of the most ethnically diverse in the Caribbean/South American region, with Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese communities forming the two largest groups.
6. Since the 2015 offshore oil discovery, Guyana has recorded some of the fastest GDP growth rates in the world.
7. Much of the interior is covered by dense, largely untouched rainforest.
8. Guyana is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) despite being located on the South American mainland.
9. The country's flag, nicknamed the 'Golden Arrowhead', symbolizes its mineral wealth and forward momentum.
10. Cricket is the dominant national sport, and Guyana fields players for the West Indies regional team.

Famous people from Guyana

Say it in Guyana's language

Did you know?

• ★Kaieteur Falls drops about five times the height of Niagara Falls in a single sheer plunge.
• ★Guyana's flag, the Golden Arrowhead, was designed by an American vexillologist, Whitney Smith.
• ★English is official, but most Guyanese speak Guyanese Creole in everyday life.

Guyana culture

• Guyana celebrates Republic Day on 23 February and Independence Day on 26 May as major national holidays.
• Cuisine blends African, Indian, Indigenous, Chinese and European influences , pepperpot and roti are national favourites.
• Cricket is followed passionately, with Georgetown's Providence Stadium hosting regional and international matches.
• Hinduism, Christianity and Islam are all widely practised, reflecting the country's mixed heritage.

Why read Guyana's books

Guyanese literature carries a distinct Caribbean-meets-South-American voice, from Martin Carter's poems of resistance to Wilson Harris's genre-bending novels. Reading Guyana's books is a window into this mixed and hard-won identity.