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Main article: History of Guyana
At the time the first Europeans arrived in the area around 1500, Guyana was inhabited by Arawak and Carib tribes of Amerindians. European settlement began in the early 17th century with the Dutch, who established three separate colonies; Essequibo ( 1616), Berbice ( 1627), and Demerara ( 1752). The British assumed control in the late 18th century and were finally ceded the area in 1814. The three became a single British colony known as British Guiana in 1831.
The abolition of slavery in 1834 led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured labourers from India, China and Portugal to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has on occasion led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 and became a republic in 1970, remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Main article: Politics of Guyana
Legislative power rests in the unicameral Guyanese parliament, the National Assembly, with 53 members chosen on the basis of proportional representation from national lists named by the political parties. An additional 12 members are elected by regional councils at the same time as the National Assembly. Executive authority is exercised by the president, who appoints and supervises the prime minister and other ministers. The president is not directly elected; each party presenting a slate of candidates for the assembly must designate in advance a leader who will become president if that party receives the largest number of votes. Any dissolution of the assembly and election of a new assembly can lead to a change in the assembly majority and consequently a change in the presidency.The highest judicial body is the Court of Appeal, headed by a chancellor of the judiciary. The second level is the High Court, presided over by a chief justice. The chancellor and the chief justice are appointed by the president.
Main article: Regions of Guyana
Guyana consists of 10 regions:
Main article: Geography of Guyana
The Guyanese landscape can be roughly divided into three regions: a narrow, marshy plain along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, a white sand belt more inland containing rainforests and most of Guyana's mineral deposits, and finally the larger interior highlands consisting mostly of savannas and mountains, the highest being Mount Roraima at 2,835 m. Major rivers include the Essequibo, the Demerara , the Corentyne and the Berbice.
The local climate is tropical and generally hot and humid, though moderated by northeast trade winds along the coast. There are two rainy seasons, the first from May to mid-August, the second from mid-November to mid-January.
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