Dutch colonisation of the Guianas Dutch colonisation of the Guianas Dutch colonisation of the Guianas the coastal region between the Orinoco and Amazon rivers in South America began in the early 16th century. The Dutch originally claimed all of Guiana (also called "De wilde kust", the "Wild Coast") but following attempts to sell it first to Bavaria and then to Hanau and the loss of sections to Portugal, Britain, and France the section actually settled and controlled by the Netherlands became known as Dutch Guiana (Dutch: "Nederlands-Guiana"). The colonies of Essequibo and Demerara were controlled by the Dutch West India Company, while Berbice and Surinam
Republic of Independent Guiana Republic of Independent Guiana The Republic of Independent Guiana () commonly referred to by the name of the capital Counani (rendered "Cunani" in Portuguese by the Brazilians), was a short-lived independent state in South America. "Counani" was created on 23 July 1886 in the area that was disputed by France (as part of French Guiana) and Brazil in the late nineteenth century. The state was founded by French settlers and existed from 1886 to 1891. The territory of the former state of Counani is now located in the Brazilian state of Amapá. Some years after, in 1904 a Frenchman named