DemeraraBerbice

Demerara-Berbice was a British colony located on the northeastern coast of South America, in present-day Guyana. It was formed in 1831 through the amalgamation of the colonies of Demerara and Berbice. These two colonies had been established by the Dutch in the 17th century before being captured by the British during the Napoleonic Wars. The combined colony of Demerara-Berbice was a major producer of sugar, with a plantation economy heavily reliant on enslaved labor.

Following the abolition of slavery in 1838, indentured laborers, primarily from India and China, were brought in to work on the sugar estates. The colony remained under British rule until 1966, when it became part of the independent nation of Guyana. The name Demerara-Berbice is no longer an official administrative division, but the names of the rivers Demerara and Berbice, which gave the colony its identity, are still prominent geographical features in Guyana. The legacy of the colonial period, particularly the plantation system and its impact on demographics and culture, continues to shape Guyana today.