ABSTRACT
The territories of Guyana (formerly British Guiana), Suriname (formerly also known in English as Dutch Guiana) and French Guiana represent a uniquely challenging and interesting group of countries to study. Situated on the north-eastern coast of the South American mainland, the ‘Three Guianas’ occupy a distinctive position in the region, the hemisphere and internationally. They are similar in many ways: from their physical geography, to the complex social, economic and ecological challenges that they face. However, they are rarely considered together as a consequence of their distinct social and political legacies resulting from contrasting patterns of British, Dutch and French colonialism. In addition, the Three Guianas have not always fitted easily into studies on the Caribbean or Latin America. They are fundamentally West Indian societies, but they often stand apart due to their geography, size, low population densities and distinctive ecology. They are also estranged from the wider South American continent. The Guianas’ experience of the distinctive brands of British, Dutch and French colonialism was quite different, and the Amazon rainforest, which forms an enormous band across their respective interiors, has long cut them off from their neighbours. So for these reasons they have usually been considered on their own terms, without reference to the broader regional context. This edited collection acts as a corrective, by analysing the Guianas in a truly integrated way, whilst also exploring their growing links, both formal and informal, with other countries in the hemisphere and beyond. The Introduction begins this process by outlining the key characteristics and trends that are impacting on the Guianas. The effects of history, politics, ethnicity, migration, regionalisation, infrastructure, and energy, inter alia, are provoking deep and complex changes in the development panorama of the three territories. These are considered briefly here and more substantively in the chapters to come.
