When Columbus reached the northern coast of South America at the beginning of the 16th century, the area that is now Guyana was inhabited by two distinct groups, the Arawak who lived along the coast and the Carib who lived in the interior. The Spanish were not attracted by the region, however, and it was the Dutch who first established a European presence around 1616. At the heart of it was the trading post at the mouth of the Essequibo River, which was controlled, along with other posts established later on, by the Dutch West India Company. The Dutch remained in undisputed control until the end of the 18th century when the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars brought a period of turmoil during which the territory changed hands several times between the Dutch, British and French.

The British ultimately prevailed following the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. The territory was then declared the colony of British Guiana, a status which it retained until independence in 1996.
After the abolition of slavery in 1834, the plantation owners imported labourers from India. Indians now form the largest racial group, with most living in the agricultural areas, particularly around Demerara. Other immigrants were Americans, Europeans (Portuguese, British and Dutch) and Chinese.

Guyana's attractions range from the 19th-century stilted wooden houses of its capital, Georgetown, to the awesome natural splendour of the towering Kaieteur Falls along the Potaro River, five times the height of Niagara. The country's mixture of rainforests, beaches, savannah and rivers draws adventure tourists hoping to camp, trek, fish or perhaps be lucky enough to spot a jaguar.