Why French Guiana Is Called "Guiana"

The name "Guiana" derives from the Carib Amerindian word Guayana or Wayana, meaning "land of many waters"—referring to the region's dense river networks. Amerindians used it for the entire northern South American coast. Today it specifically denotes the five territories between Venezuela and Brazil: Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Essequibo, and Brazil's Roraima state (formerly Territory of Rio Branco).