Region, northern South America.
Located on the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts, it lies between the Negro , and Amazon rivers and covers an area of about 181,000 sq mi (468,800 sq km). It consists of Guyana (formerly British Guiana), Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana), and French Guiana ; most of it is covered by dense forests containing valuable wood. Settlements are largely confined to the coast and river valleys. The earliest known inhabitants were the Surinam Indians. Its coast was sighted by {{link=Columbus, Christopher">Christopher Columbus in 1498, and the area was explored by the Spanish in the early 16th century. The Dutch founded settlements с 1580 and the French and English in the early 17th century.