Guyana

Template:Guyana infobox

The Co-operative Republic of Guyana is a nation on the northern coast of South America, just above the Equator and a part of the western part of the wider region of Guiana. The country is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south by Brazil, to the west by Venezuela and to the north by the Atlantic Ocean. It is the third smallest country in South America and approximately the size of Great Britain or Idaho.

Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning Land of Many Waters, and the country is mostly characterized by vast unspoiled rain forests dissected by numerous rivers, creeks and beautiful waterfalls. It is also famous as the location of the legendary El Dorado, the inspiration for The Lost World, for its friendly multicultural society, high biodiversity, prize-winning rum, wooden architecture, and Demerara sugar.

Though physically part of South America, culturally, Guyana is more Caribbean than Latin American—demonstrated by the fact that English is the main language.

History

Main article: History of Guyana

At the time the first Europeans arrived in the area around 1500, Guyana was inhabited by Arawak and Carib tribes of Amerindians. European settlement began in the early 17th century with the Dutch, who established three separate colonies; Essequibo (1616), Berbice (1627), and Demerara (1752). The British assumed control in the late 18th century and the Dutch formally ceded the area in 1814. The three became a single British colony known as British Guiana in 1831.

The abolition of slavery in 1834 led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured laborers from Madeira (Portugal)(beginning in 1834), Germany (first in 1835), Ireland (1836), Scotland (1837), Malta (1839), China and India (beginning in 1838) to work on the sugar plantations. In 1889 Venezuela claimed the land up to the Essequibo. Ten years later an international tribunal ruled the land belonged to British Guiana.

Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 and became a Republic in 1970, remaining a member of the Commonwealth.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Guyana

Legislative power rests in the unicameral Guyanese parliament, called the National Assembly, with 53 members chosen on the basis of proportional representation from national lists named by the political parties. An additional 12 members are elected by regional councils at the same time as the National Assembly.

Executive authority is exercised by the president, who appoints and supervises the prime minister and other ministers. The president is not directly elected; each party presenting a slate of candidates for the assembly must designate in advance a leader who will become president if that party receives the largest number of votes. Any dissolution of the assembly and election of a new assembly can lead to a change in the assembly majority and consequently a change in the presidency. An ethnocultural divide between the two main ethnic groups has persisted and has on occasion led to turbulent politics.

The highest judicial body is the Court of Appeal, headed by a chancellor of the judiciary. The second level is the High Court, presided over by a chief justice. The chancellor and the Chief Justice are appointed by the president. The Audit Office of Guyana (AOG) is the country's Supreme Audit Institution (SAI).

Guyana is a full and participating founder-member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the headquarters of which is located in Georgetown. The CARICOM Single Market & Economy (CSME) will, by necessity, bring Caribbean-wide legislation into force and a Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

Presidents

Bharrat Jagdeo 1999 - Present
Janet Jagan 1997 - 1999 Jagan website
Sam Hinds March 6, 1997 - Dec 19, 1997
Desmond Hoyte 1985 - 1992
Forbes Burnham 1966 - 1985
Arthur Chung 1970 - 1980
Cheddi Jagan 1957 - 1964, 1992 - 1997 Jagan website

Regions

Main article: Regions of Guyana

Guyana consists of 10 regions:

Barima-Waini
Cuyuni-Mazaruni
Demerara-Mahaica
East Berbice-Corentyne
Essequibo Islands-West Demerara
Mahaica-Berbice
Pomeroon-Supenaam
Potaro-Siparuni
Upper Demerara-Berbice
Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Geography

Map of Guyana

Main article: Geography of Guyana

Guyana can be divided into three regions: a narrow and fertile marshy plain along the Atlantic coast where most of the population lives, then a white sand belt more inland consisting of dense rainforests and containing most of Guyana's mineral deposits, and finally the larger interior highlands consisting mostly of mountains that gradually rise to the Brazilian border. Guyana's main mountains are contained here, including Mount Ayanganna (2042 m) and on Mount Roraima (2,835 m - highest mountain in Guyana) on the Brazil-Guyana-Venezuela tripoint, part of the Pakaraima range. There are also many steep escarpments and waterfalls, including the famous Kaieteur Falls. Between the Rupununi River and the border with Brazil lies the Rupununi savannah, south of which lie the Kanuku Mountains.

There are many rivers in the country, the main four being (west to east) the Essequibo, the Demerara, the Berbice and the Corentyne along the border with Suriname. At the mouth of the Essequibo are several large islands. The 145 km Shell Beach along the north-west coast of Guyana is a major breeding area for turtles and other wildlife.

The local climate is tropical and generally hot and humid, though moderated by northeast trade winds along the coast. There are two rainy seasons, the first from May to mid-August, the second from mid-November to mid-January.

International disputes - all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks UNCLOS arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters.

See also List of cities in Guyana, Regions of Guyana

Economy

Main article: Economy of Guyana

The main economic activities in Guyana are agriculture (producing rice and Demerara sugar), bauxite mining, gold mining, timber, shrimp and minerals. The sugar industry, which accounts for 28% of all export earnings, is largely run by Guysuco which employs more people than any other industry. Many industries have a large foreign investment. The mineral industry, for example, is heavily invested in by the American company Reynolds Metals and the Canadian Alcan and the Korean/Malaysian Barama Company has a large stake in the logging industry.

The Guyanese economy has exhibited moderate economic growth since 1999, based on an expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. Low prices for key mining and agricultural commodities combined with troubles in the bauxite and sugar industries threaten the government's already tenuous fiscal position and dim prospects for the future.

Major private sector organizations include the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI); see a list of companies in Guyana.

Economic Summary - GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $2.899 billion; per capita $3,800. Real growth rate: 1.9%. Inflation: 4.5%. Unemployment: 9.1% (2000) (understated). Arable land: 2%. Labor force: 418,000 (2001 est.); agriculture n.a., industry n.a., services n.a. Agriculture: sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp. Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining. Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish. Exports: $570.2 million (f.o.b., 2004 est.): sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber. Imports: $650.1 million (f.o.b., 2004 est.): manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food. Major trading partners: Canada, U.S., UK, Portugal, Belgium, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy, Cuba (2003)

Communications - Telephones: main lines in use: 80,400 (2002); mobile cellular: 87,300 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 3 (one public station; two private stations which relay U.S. satellite services) (1997). Internet hosts: 613 (2003). Internet users: 125,000 (2002).

Transportation - Railways: total: 187 km (all dedicated to ore transport) (2001 est.). Highways: total: 7,970 km; paved: 590 km; unpaved: 7,380 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 1,077 km; note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2004) . Ports and harbors: Georgetown. Airports: 49 (2004 est.).

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Guyana

Guyana's population of 751,223 (Statistics Bureau, 2002) is diverse: the three major groups are the Indians or Indo-Guyanese (around 50%) who have remained predominantly rural, the Africans or Afro-Guyanese (about 36%-43%) who constitute the majority urban population, and the Amerindians (around 7%, some estimates say as low as 4%) who live in the country's interior. They are divided into a number of different groups, the main ones being the Akawaio, Arawak, Carib, Macushi, Makuxi, Pemon and Wapishana. Chinese and Europeans (mostly Portuguese and British) and those of mixed origins make up the remainder (roughly 2%). The overwhelming majority of the population - around 90% - live along the coastal strip, where population density is more than 115 persons per km². There is much racial tension between the Indian and African communities, and the two main parties are largely mono-racial.

Religion in Guyana runs mainly along racial lines. Christianity (50%) predominantly Anglicanism, is the main religion practiced by Afro-Guyanese, though some are Black Muslim or other Christian denominations. The Indo-Guyanese community mainly follow Hinduism (35%), though there is a sizable minority who practice Islam (10%). Guyana is the country with the largest percentage of Bahá'ís (7%).

Emigration has been a large and persistent problem in Guyana, with an estimated 500,000 Guyanese living abroad. Since independence, as many as 10,000 Guyanese have left and settled permanently in the United States alone per year and demand to emigrate remains very high. Canada, Britain and English-speaking Caribbean islands are the other main countries people choose to emigrate to. At the same time, the birth rate has fallen sharply, and because of the emigration, can no longer sustain the country's population level. Many in the government worry that the country may become depopulated, but few concrete steps have been taken to stem the outflow.

Culture

**Holidays**
Date	English Name	Remarks
January 1	New Year's Day
February 23	Mashramani-Republic Day
Variable	Phagwah
Variable	Eid-ul-Fitr
Variable	Good Friday
Variable	Easter Monday
May 1	Labour Day
May 26	Independence Day
July	CARICOM Day
August 1	Emancipation Day
Variable	Diwali
December 25	Christmas
December 26	Boxing Day

Main article: Culture of Guyana

Guyana's culture is very similar to that of the English-speaking Caribbean. It is so similar that Guyana is included and accepted as a Caribbean Nation. Only its geographical location differentiates it from the rest of the English speaking Caribbean countries. Guyana shares similar interests with the islands in the West Indies, such as food, festive events, music, sports, etc. Guyana plays international cricket as a part of the West Indies cricket team, and the Guyana team plays first class cricket against other nations of the Caribbean.

For Guyanese writers see Literature of Guyana.

Cultural events in Guyana

Mashramani (Mash)
Phagwah (Holi)
Deepavali (Diwali)

The major religion in Guyana is Christianity, accounting for approx. 48% of the population. Hindus make up approx. 36%, while Muslims account for 12% of the population. The rest of the population is split into a number of other religious groups.

Sports in Guyana The major sports in Guyana are cricket, Softball cricket (beach cricket) and football. The minor sports in Guyana are netball, rounders, lawn tennis, basketball, table tennis, boxing, and a few others.

Languages English (official language), Amerindian dialects (see Cariban languages), Creole, Hindi, Urdu.

Ecology and World Heritage Site status

Countries interested in the conservation and protection of natural and cultural heritage sites of the world accede to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage that was adopted by UNESCO in 1972. Guyana is no exception, and signed the treaty in 1977. In fact, Guyana was the first Caribbean State Party to sign the treaty. Sometime in the latter half of the mid-1990s Guyana seriously began the process of selecting sites for World Heritage nomination and three sites were considered: Kaieteur National Park, Shell Beach and Historic Georgetown. By 1997, work on Kaieteur National Park was started and in 1998 work on Historic Georgetown was begun. To date, however, Guyana has not made a successful nomination.

In 2000(?) Guyana submitted the Kaieteur National Park, including the Kaieteur Falls, to UNESCO as its first World Heritage Site nomination. The proposed area and surrounds have some of Guyana’s most diversified life zones with one of the highest levels of endemic species found anywhere in South America. The Kaieteur Falls is the most spectacular feature of the park falling a distance of 226 m and exceeding the height of Niagara Falls (USA/Canada) five times. Unfortunately, the nomination of Kaieteur Park as a World Heritage Site was not successful, primarily because the area was seen by the evaluators as being too small, especially when compared with the Central Suriname Nature Reserve that had just been nominated as a World Heritage Site (2000). The dossier was thus returned to Guyana for revision.

Guyana continues in its bid for a World Heritage Site. Work continues, after a period of hiatus, on the nomination dossier for Historic Georgetown – a Tentative List indicating Historic Georgetown as being put forward for nomination was submitted to UNESCO in December 2004. There is now a small committee put together by the Guyana National Commission for UNESCO to complete the nomination dossier and the management plan for the site. Recently, in April 2005, two Dutch experts in Conservation spent two weeks in Georgetown supervising Architecture staff and students of the University of Guyana in a historic building survey of the selected area. This is part of the data collection for the nomination dossier. It is expected that the completed nomination document will be submitted in 2006.

Meanwhile, as a result of the Kaieteur National Park being considered too small, there is a proposal to prepare a nomination for a Cluster Site that will include the Kaieteur National Park, the Iwokrama Rain Forest and the Kanuku Mountains. The Iwokrama Forest, an area rich in biological diversity, has been described by Major General (Rtd) Joseph Singh as “a flagship project for conservation.” The Kanuku Mountains area is in a pristine state, and is home to more than 400 birds and animals. These three sites together, we feel, more than adequately meet the requirements of exceptional natural beauty and biological diversity, as well as the requirements of size and integrity, for a successful nomination.

There is much work to be done for the successful nomination of these sites to the World Heritage List. The State, the private sector and the ordinary Guyanese each have a role to play in this process and in the later protection of the sites. Inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage will open Guyana to more serious tourists thereby assisting in its economic development.

Guyana exhibits two of the WWF's Global 200 ecoregions most crucial to the conservation of global biodiversity, Guianan moist forests and Guyana Highlands moist forests and is home to several endemic species including the tropical hardwood Greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiei).

Military

Military branches: Guyana Defence Force (GDF; includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National Service (GNS), Guyana Police Force

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 206,199 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 155,058 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $7 million (FY94)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.7% (FY94)

Trivia

The 1856 British Guiana 1c magenta stamp is considered the rarest in the world, with only one copy known to exist.

The 1959 film Green Mansions, starring Audrey Hepburn and Anthony Perkins, was filmed in Guyana (then British Guiana).

Guyana is the only South American country where the death penalty is still in use for serious crimes and where homosexuality remains illegal.

On November 18, 1978, the Jonestown Massacre took place in the jungle of Northwest Guyana; 912 members of the cult died in a mass suicide.

Guyanese people say that if you visit Guyana and "Eat Labba and Drink Creek Water", you are bound to return to Guyana. (Labba is a small agouti or South American rodent that is eaten in a dark stew called "pepper pot").

Miscellaneous topics

Communications in Guyana
Foreign relations of Guyana
Military of Guyana
Music of Guyana
Transportation in Guyana
Islam in Guyana

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to::

Guyana

Government

President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana - Official Website
National Assembly
Official Website of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA)
Official Website of the Guyana Office for Investment - GO-Invest
Government of Guyana National HIV/AIDS Programme - National website providing HIV/AIDS information to health professionals, general public and partners.

General

SDNP Guyana - Guyanese directory and host to ministerial sites
Open Directory Project - Guyana directory category
The Black Magic Lounge - Fresh content and unique design like no other Guyanese site
Guyana Outpost - One of the premier web sites on Guyana and Guyanese
Guyana - On Guyana and its people
BBC profile of Guyana
Hinduism in Guyana and Suriname

News media

- Guyana News and InformationOne of the most popular websites for current news and information, this site also hosts an email directory of people from the Guyanese Community and Discussion Forum.
GINA - Government Information Agency. Updated daily.
The Guyana Chronicle - Local daily government run newspaper.
Kaieteur news - Local daily independent newspaper.
Stabroek News - Local daily independent newspaper. Updated daily and maintains archives for 7 days.

Get an overview of Guyana on Google Maps.

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