Guiana

ge-a'na, a tract of South America, lying on the Atlantic, between Brazil and Venezuela. It lies between the basins of the Amazon and the Orinoco. It is drained by a number of rivers. It is divided into three sections. Dutch Guiana in the middle has for its capital and seaport Paramaribo; the capital of French Guiana on the east is Cayenne, noted for the so-called pepper of that name; the capital city of British Guiana on the west is Georgetown. British Guiana has about 90,000 square miles of area, Dutch Guiana about half as much, and French Guiana about one-third as much. The coast is low and swampy. Tropical vegetation has grown far out into the sea. The interior rises gradually into low mountain ranges rich in gold, iron, sapphire, diamonds, mercury, garnets, and plumbago. The mineral wealth has, however, been little developed. The surface of the coast is exceedingly rich. The river valleys are clothed with tropical vegetation of great density and enormous height, resembling that of the Amazon. There are several hard, heavy woods valuable for furniture and cabinetmaking. The forests are almost impassable, save by way of the rivers. The enormous water lily, known as the Victoria Regia, is native in this region. Orchids climb from tree to tree. The region is a Paradise for the sloth, deer, anteater, armadillo, peccary, jaguar, tapir, monkey, innumerable bats, the manatee, alligator, and boa constrictor. Tropical birds of brilliant plumage, including tanagers, orioles, and hummingbirds, are found in abundance. It is said that the insects of this region, especially the flies and beetles, are unrivaled for brilliancy of color. The productions and commerce of the three districts are monopolized by the countries to which they belong. Cacao, sugar, coffee, bananas, rice, maize, rum, molasses, gold, timber, precious woods, diamonds and charcoal are exported. The population is a mixture of Indians, Italians, coolies from the East Indies, Chinese, Spaniards, and Portuguese, with, of course, a dominant colony of officials and traders in every district, representing the country to which it belongs.