The Guianas Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana

Location: Northeast coast of South America

Guianas: What makes them different? All three were first colonized in the 1600s. None use Spanish or Portuguese as their official language One is a dependency of France, the other two only achieved independence in the second part of the 20 th century

“Guiana” comes from a native term for land of the many waters Physically, the region consists of a shield highland drained by rivers onto an alluvial plain Besides these countries, parts of Brazil and Venezuela have also carried the name, “Guiana”

Guyana Formerly British Guiana Capital: Georgetown 3 British colonies joined together in 1831 After slavery was abolished, indentured servants were brought in from Europe and Asia 90% of the people live on the coastal strip

Total population 770,000 ◦Indo-Guyanese-43.5% ◦Afro-Guyanese-30.2% ◦Mixed-16.7% ◦Native groups 10% Economy ◦Agriculture-mostly sugar ◦Mining-bauxite Languages-English and Creole Religions ◦Christian 57% ◦Hindu 23% ◦Islamic 7.3%

Suriname Formerly Dutch Guiana Capital: Paramaribo Acquired in trade 1667 for a colony called “New Amsterdam” After slavery was abolished in the 1870s, the Dutch also imported contract laborers from the Dutch East Indies and India Independent in 1975

Suriname Relations between Suriname and the Netherlands have deteriorated some since independence ◦Desi Bouterse dictatorship during the 1980s Population around 500,000 ◦27% Indian ◦18% Creole (Mixed African/Dutch descent) ◦15% Javanese ◦15% Maroons

Suriname Economy ◦Mining--Bauxite ◦Agriculture—Rice bananas ◦Ecotourism  Large rainforest Religion ◦No dominant religion  Divided between Christianity, Hinduism and Islam ◦20% Islamic minority is highest of any non- Muslim country Languages ◦60% speak Dutch as first language ◦Most others speak it as well ◦Other languages: Sranan Tongo-a Creole, Hindi, Javanese ◦Some have proposed choosing English to increase ties to the Caribbean

French Guiana Overseas Department of France Capital: Cayenne Population-about 221,000 ◦Majority are Creole (Mixed African/French) % ◦14% European ◦20% are immigrants

French Space Program Economy ◦Dependent on French subsidies ◦Fishing ◦Space Center at Kourou ◦Agriculture is relatively undeveloped  Sugar and bananas

Maroons Generic term for escaped slaves in the Americas ◦Often first generation ◦Either kept their African Language or mixed into a Creole ◦Kept their African customs ◦Subsistence economies