Why is French Guiana called Guiana?

French Guiana is called "Guiana" because it is located on the northeastern coast of South America, and the name "Guiana" comes from the Caribbean Amerindian word "Guayana" or "Wayana". This word is believed to have meant "land of many waters", referring to the network of rivers and streams in the region. Amerindians used the word to describe the entire northern region of South America but it has come to refer specifically to the five territories between Venezuela and Brazil: Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Essequibo, and the Territory of Rio Branco (now the state of Roraima in Brazil).