British Guiana was formerly known as Guyana. The name referred to the British colony on South America’s northern coast that became the independent Republic of Guyana in 1966.
British Guiana was created in 1831 by joining the former Dutch colonies of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice. The territory remained under British rule until independence on 26 May 1966. Its capital was Georgetown, which is still Guyana’s capital today, and English remains the country’s official language.
The colony’s history is part of the wider story of the Guianas, a region that also includes Suriname and French Guiana. Suriname was mainly shaped by Dutch rule, while French Guiana remains an overseas department of France. That colonial distinction explains why the three neighbouring territories have different official languages and political statuses.
A frequent mistake is treating “Guiana” and “Guyana” as interchangeable. Guiana is a broader geographic region; Guyana is the modern independent country whose colonial predecessor was British Guiana. The country is also the only English-speaking state on the South American mainland.