Three Guianas; The Galapagos of Land Law?

Abstract The land law of the Guianas: Guyana, Suriname (Dutch Guiana) and French-Guiana is not well known, although interesting and authentic. The three Guianas have highly complex legal systems for the land law for together under 2 million inhabitants. Each of the Guianas have their own land law, which is formed through time adding legal principles from feudal law, Roman Dutch law, Common law, colonial law and Civil law for almost four centuries. In spite of the different legal systems, the countries found similar solutions for geographic and demographic challenges. This raises the question how land law is shaped by local circumstances. This question leads us to free allocation of land, State monoplies on land and a mix of legal systems. Ending in a new question; did the Guianas find the golden ratio of land law?