Guyana , [ b ] officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana , [ 12 ] is a country on the northern coast of South America , part of the historic mainland British West Indies. Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the country's largest city.
Guyana is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the west, and Suriname to the east. With a land area of , km 2 83, sq mi , [ 13 ] Guyana is the third-smallest sovereign state by area in mainland South America after Uruguay and Suriname, and is the second-least populous sovereign state in South America after Suriname; it is also one of the least densely populated countries on Earth.
The official language of the country is English , although a large part of the population is bilingual in English and the indigenous languages. It has a wide variety of natural habitats and very high biodiversity. The country also hosts a part of the Amazon rainforest , the largest tropical rainforest in the world. The region known as " the Guianas " consists of the large shield landmass north of the Amazon River and east of the Orinoco River known as the "land of many waters".
Historically dominated by the Lokono and Kalina tribes, Guyana was colonised by the Dutch before coming under British control in the late 18th century. It was governed as British Guiana with a mostly plantation-style economy until the s. It gained independence in and officially became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations in The legacy of British colonialism is reflected in the country's political administration, lingua franca and diverse population, which includes Indian , African , Indigenous , Chinese , Portuguese , other European , and various multiracial groups.
Guyana is the only mainland South American nation in which English is the official language. However, the majority of the population speak Guyanese Creole , an English-based creole language , as a first language. Guyana is part of the Commonwealth Caribbean. It is part of the mainland Caribbean region maintaining strong cultural, historical, and political ties with other Caribbean countries as well as serving as the headquarters for the Caribbean Community CARICOM. In , the country joined the Union of South American Nations as a founding member.
