The recorded
history of Guyana can be dated back to 1499, when
Alonso de Ojeda`s first expedition arrived from Spain at the
Essequibo river. The history of Guyana has been shaped by the participation of many national and ethnic groups, as well as the colonial policies of the Spanish, French, Dutch and British. The worker rebellions in 1763 and 1823 were seminal moments in the nation's history. The people of Guyana were paid to come and work in order to provide for their families back home. Guyana's recent history is characterized in particular by the struggle to free itself from colonial rule, and from the lingering effects of colonialism.
There are nine Native American tribes scattered across Guyana.
Christopher Columbus sighted Guyana during his third voyage in 1498 and the Dutch were the first to establish colonies. The British assumed control in the late 18th century, and the Dutch formally ceded the area in 1814. In 1831 the three separate colonies became a single British Colony known as British Guiana.
In 1899, an international tribunal ruled the land belonged to Great Britain.
Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 26May, 1966 and became a republic on 23 Feb 1970, remaining a member of Commonwealth.
