Guyana is a South American country bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Brazil, Venezuela, and Suriname, known for its vast rainforests, significant mineral deposits, and a culturally diverse population comprised mainly of Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese people. It is a parliamentary republic with a history as a Dutch and then British colony, gaining independence in 1966. The capital is Georgetown, where most of the sparsely populated nation's residents live along the fertile, marshy coast.