Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A former British colony in northeastern South America: "British Guiana" was the name of a British colonial possession on the northern coast of South America. It ceased to exist as a political entity when it achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 and became the sovereign nation of Guyana.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun:
  • Sugar production was a major industry in British Guiana.
  • The borders of British Guiana were disputed with Venezuela for many years.
  • He studied the political history of British Guiana in the 1950s.

Advanced Usage

• Historical reference: The term is used almost exclusively in a historical context to refer to the period of British colonial rule (1814–1966).
  • The constitution of British Guiana was revised several times in the lead-up to independence.

Variants and Related Words

• Guiana: The broader geographical region in northeastern South America, which includes parts of several modern countries.
• Guyana: The independent nation that succeeded British Guiana in 1966. Its official name is the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
• Guianas: The plural form, often used to refer collectively to the three territories of Guyana (formerly British Guiana), Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana), and French Guiana.

Synonyms

• The colony of British Guiana (formal historical synonym).
• British Guiana colony.

Related Phrases

• Crown colony of British Guiana: A specific historical administrative designation.
  • It was governed as a Crown colony of British Guiana for much of its history.

Noun

1. a republic in northeastern South America; formerly part of the British Empire, but it achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1966