British Guiana

British Guiana
1831–1966
Motto: Damus petimusque vicissim (Latin)
"We give and take in return"
Anthem: God Save the King (1831–1837; 1901–1952)
God Save the Queen (1837–1901; 1952–1966)
StatusBritish colony
CapitalGeorgetown
Common languagesOfficial
English
Vernacular language
Guyanese Creole
Monarch 
• 1831–1837
William IV
• 1837–1901
Victoria
• 1901–1910
Edward VII
• 1910–1936
George V
• 1936
Edward VIII
• 1936–1952
George VI
• 1952–1966
Elizabeth II
LegislatureLegislative council
Historical eraNew Imperialism
• Single colony
21 July 1831
• New constitution
1928
• Independence
26 May 1966
Area
1924[1]231,800 km2 (89,500 sq mi)
Population
• 1924[1]
307,391
CurrencySpanish dollar (to 1876)
British Guiana dollar (to 1940s)
British West Indies dollar (1949–65)
East Caribbean dollar (1965–66)
ISO 3166 codeGY
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Demerara-Essequibo
Berbice
Gran Colombia
Guyana
Today part ofGuyana

British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.[2][page needed]

The first known Europeans to encounter Guiana were Sir Walter Raleigh, an English explorer, and his crew. Raleigh published a book entitled The Discovery of Guiana, but this mainly relates to the Guayana region of Venezuela.

The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle there, starting in the early 17th century. They founded the colonies of Essequibo and Berbice, adding Demerara in the mid-18th century. In 1796, Great Britain took over these three colonies during hostilities with the French, who had occupied the Netherlands. Britain returned control of the territory to the Batavian Republic in 1802, but captured the colonies a year later during the Napoleonic Wars. The Netherlands officially ceded the colonies to the United Kingdom in 1815.

The British consolidated the territories into a single colony in 1831. The colony's capital was at Georgetown (known as Stabroek prior to 1812). Since the late 19th century, the economy has become more diversified but has still relied on resource exploitation. Guyana became independent of the United Kingdom on 26 May 1966.

  1. ^ a b "The British Empire in 1924". The British Empire. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  2. ^ Thomas J. Spinner, A political and social history of Guyana, 1945-1983 (1984).