Brazilian Guiana 1856

One of the intriguing historical and geographical features in world history is the name that has spread across South America, Oceania, and Africa - Guinea, Guyana, or Guiana. Although these names may sound similar, it would be naive to assume a common etymology. The origin of Guinea on the African coast can be traced back to a 15th-century Malian town called Djenné, the Portuguese description of today's Senegal as Guiné, or a Tuareg word used to describe black people as "aginaw." However, the etymology of Guiana or Guyana differs from this.

The expansive region known as the Guianas in South America, stretching over nine hundred miles, derives its name from an indigenous word meaning 'land of many rivers.' This is aptly fitting, as the northern region of the continent is indeed a basin of numerous rivers. The 'Guiana Shield' spans from the northern portions of Brazilian provinces such as Amazonas, Roraima, Pará, and Amapá (collectively known as Portuguese or Brazilian Guiana in colonial times), the Venezuelan provinces of Bolivar, Amazonas, and Delta Amacuro (known as Spanish Guiana), the Co-operative Republic of Guyana (formerly British Guiana), the Republic of Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana), and the current French overseas department of French Guiana or Guyane. This entire region is a complex labyrinth of natural flora, fauna, and dense forests, flooded with countless rivers and their tributaries and distributaries. Some of the major rivers flowing in this zone include Maroni (or Marowijne), Courantyne (Corentyne), Essequibo, Demerara, Berbice, Oyapock, Approuague, and Mana, among others.

While much has been discussed about the British, Dutch, and French Guianas, the remaining two - Spanish and Portuguese Guiana - are less commonly talked about. This is because, unlike the other three, Spanish Guiana was never an independent colony or even a territory. In the colonial era, Venezuela was divided into the following provinces:

1. Provincia de Maracaybo
2. Provincia de Barinas
3. Provincia de Caracas
4. Provincia de Cumana
5. Provincia de Guayana

From the first Spanish steps taken along the coast of Venezuela in 1498, through its independence in 1811 and its separation from Gran Colombia in 1830, the country remained a Spanish dependency. As a result, all parts of Venezuela were automatically considered 'Spanish,' including Provincia de Guayana, which became known as Spanish Guiana or Guayana.

The story of Brazilian or Portuguese Guiana follows a similar pattern, being part of the Portuguese Empire's 'Colony of Brazil.' Interestingly, there was a short-lived, unrecognized independent state called the 'Republic of Independent Guyana' or Counani in the Amapá region of Brazil. This state existed between 1886 and 1891 and emerged from a territorial dispute between France and Brazil. In 1897, following an armed skirmish between the two countries, the President of Switzerland intervened and settled the dispute by having both parties sign a treaty that resolved the matter of Amapá with Brazil.

The numerous Amerindian tribes in this region were mentioned differently on old maps. According to a supplement to the National Geographic in the March 1982 edition, the following are the native tribes of the Portuguese Guiana region:

1. Pianocoto
2. Apalai
3. Kaxúyana
4. Waiwai
5. Hixkaryana
6. Oyampi (Wayapí)
7. Palicur
8. Emerillon
9. Wayana (Roucouyenne)
10. Akumyo
11. Tirio

Another source, a map sketched by Charles W. Morse in 1856, lists different names for the tribes, as shown below:

1. Woyawais
2. Barakotos
3. Apamas
4. Aracajus
5. Amicouar
6. Cousaris

Here's a recreated map based on the one mentioned above.