[3] In the 1920s, Edward “Tiny” McTurk chose the area as a headquarters for balata bleeding midway between the confluence of the Essequibo and the Rupununi River.

[4][5] The Rupununi savannah became a major cattle producing region, and Karanambo was a ranch during that time.

After the decline in beef prices, Karanambo came to use for eco-tourism; fishing, bird-watching, or other outdoor exploration.

Considered "out of touch with the rest of the world", the area lacks phones, postal facilities, proper roads or public transport.

Evelyn Waugh's A Handful of Dust is a fictionalized account of the author's experience in the region.