Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America, a legacy of British colonisation that began in earnest in the early 19th century after the territory passed from Dutch and French hands. The Dutch influence left its mark on the landscape — the name 'Guyana' derives from an indigenous word meaning 'land of many waters', but the system of coastal polders and sea walls is entirely Dutch in origin. English became the official language, while Guyanese Creole — a creole based on English with influences from Dutch, African languages, and indigenous tongues — emerged as the everyday vernacular. The country's ethnic diversity, shaped by the importation of enslaved Africans and later indentured labourers from India, China, and Portugal, means Hindi, Urdu, and several indigenous languages also have active speaker communities today.
