Guyana is a Country of South America. It is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north and northeast, and is bordered by Suriname to the east, Brazil to the south and west, and Venezuela to the northwest. It covers an area of 214 970 km2. The main cities are Georgetown, the capital, with a population of 229,600 residents (2004), Linden (44,500 residents) and New Amsterdam (32,900 residents).
Guyana is characterized by a coastal region with 30 kilometers and where the sea has been gaining ground. Here, man strives to build dykes to protect himself against the tides. The area of white sands is not very fertile, but contains deposits of bauxite. The mountainous region is located in the Midwest of the country and culminates in the Brazilian border in the Pacaraima mountain range; in the south, there is a plateau covered with vast savannas.
Climate
The climate is tropical. It is generally hot and humid, only more moderate in the Northeast because of the winds. It has two rainy seasons a year, between May and August and from November to January.
Economy
Guyana has natural resources, such as mining reserves of bauxite, gold, diamonds, magnesium and uranium. It has enormous hydroelectric resources and land suitable for agriculture in the coastal area, where sugar cane is grown. Guyana’s main trading partners are the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and Italy.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is 2.2.
Population
In 2006, the Republic of Guyana had a population of 767,245 residents, most of whom live in rural areas. The population density is 4. The birth and death rates are, respectively, 18.28% and 8.28%. Average life expectancy is 65.86 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.740 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.730 (2001). The two most important ethnic groups are Indians (50%) and blacks (36%), Amerindians 7% and others /%; there are also important minorities of Chinese and Portuguese and about 35,000 indigenous Indians. The predominant religions are Protestantism (34%), Hinduism (34%) and Catholicism (18%). The official language is English.
History
The territory was inhabited by Indians when, in 1500, the first Europeans arrived. The area of Guyana today was a Dutch colony between 1621 and 1796, when it was conquered by the British. It became an English colony in 1831 under the name of British Guiana. English colonists made slaves black, but with the progressive abolition of slavery, between 1834 and 1838, plots of land were allocated to blacks. An economic crisis ensued because sugar was the main production and had to compete with countries like Brazil and Cuba. At this time, Indian emigrants arrived in Guyana who introduced the culture of rice and coffee. From 1846 to 1917 240,000 emigrants arrived in Guyana. In 1950 Cheddi Jagan started to bet on the country’s independence and founded the Progressive People’s Party and three years later he wrote a liberal Constitution that provided for free elections. Jagan became Prime Minister, an attitude that Winston Churchill did not like. The internal struggles intensified, strikes followed by fires in the plantations. In 1957 elections were held and the left party led by the Indian Cheddi Jagan won. London sent military reinforcements to Georgetown, suspended the Constitution and was to govern the country on an interim basis. In July 1961 it received the status of internal autonomy. Until independence in 1966, Guyana suffered political and economic struggles and joined the Commonwealth. For Guyana democracy and rights, please check localbusinessexplorer.
Forbes Burnham emerged as the new national leader in opposition to Jagan, despite calling himself a socialist. National companies are controlled by the Government through a cooperative policy that is the country’s official doctrine.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Guyana, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Guyana. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Guyana
Check out the maps of this northern South American country, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela. View a shaded relief map of Guyana.
