Guyana

This article is about the South American country formerly known as British Guiana. For the wider region sometimes known as Guyana, see, see Guyanas.

Not to be confused with French Guyana, Dutch Guyana, Ghana, or Guinea.

Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Flag Coat of arms of Guyana Coat of arms
Motto: "One people, one nation, one destiny"
Anthem: Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains
Capital and largest city	Georgetown
Official languages	English
Government	Socialist republic
• President	Bharrat Jagdeo
Independence
• from the United Kingdom	May 26 1966
• Republic	February 23 1970
• Water (%)	8.4
Population
• July 2005 estimate	751,0001 (162nd)
• 2002 census	751,223
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
• Total	$3.489 billion (157th)
• Per capita	$4,612 (106th)
HDI (2003)	0.720 high (107th)
Currency	Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Time zone	UTC-4
Calling code	592
ISO 3166 code	GY
Internet TLD	.gy
Population estimate includes excess mortality due to AIDS. Around one-third of the population (230,000) live in the capital Georgetown.

Guyana (properly pronounced [gaɪˈa.na]; occasionally Anglicised as [gaɪ'æ.nə] or [giˈɑ.nə]), officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is the only nation state of the Commonwealth of Nations on the mainland of South America. It is north of the equator but in the tropics and is located on the Atlantic Ocean. Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil and to the west by Venezuela. It is the third smallest country on the mainland of South America and approximately the size of Great Britain. Guyana is the only South American country whose official language is English, and is one of only two remaining countries on mainland America whose traffic still drives on the left.

Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning "Land of many waters". The country can be characterized by its vast rain forests dissected by numerous rivers, creeks and waterfalls, notably Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River. Guyana's tepuis are famous for being the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel The Lost World. The country enjoys a diverse, multicultural society, high floral and faunal biodiversity, prize-winning rum, British Colonial architecture and Demerara sugar. Guyana also is known internationally for being the site of the notorious Jonestown Massacre.

Though part of South America, Guyana is an Anglo rather than Latin country and has some cultural similarities to parts of the West Indies. In addition to English, other languages of Guyana include Creole, Hindustani, Akawaio, Wai-Wai, Arawak and Macushi. The majority of the population are of Asian Indian ancestry (called East Indians) with blacks (Afro-Guyanese) making up about a third of the population. A large part of the population is bi-racial and there is a small Amerindian population as well.

Guyana is currently in a border dispute with both Suriname, which claims the land east of the Corentyne River in southeastern Guyana, and Venezuela which claims the land west of the Essequibo River as part of Guayana Esequiba.

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. Although Guyana was first sighted by Christopher Columbus during his third voyage (in 1498), it was not settled by Europeans until the Dutch in 1616, who established three separate colonies; Essequibo (1616), Berbice (1627), and Demerara (1752). The British assumed control in the late eighteenth century and the Dutch formally ceded the area in 1814. The three became a single British colony known as British Guiana in 1831.

The "Old Residence", a relic of colonial times.

Escaped slaves formed Maroon communities. 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 Guyana; however, the dispute continues.

During the Second World War, the United States arranged for its airforce to use British airports in South America, including those in British Guiana.

Guyana achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 and became a republic in 1970, remaining a member of the Commonwealth. The CIA and United States State Department along with the British government played a strong covert role in influencing who would politically control Guyana during this time. ^{[citation needed]}

Geography

Map of Guyana

Main article: Geography of Guyana

Guyana can be divided into four natural regions: a narrow and fertile marshy plain along the Atlantic {Low Coastal Plain} coast where most of the population lives, then a white sand belt more inland {Hilly Sand and Clay Region}, containing most of Guyana's mineral deposits, the dense rainforests {Forested Highland Region} across the middle of the country, the grassy flat savannah in the south and finally the larger interior highlands {Interior Savannah} consisting mostly of mountains that gradually rise to the Brazilian border. Guyana's main mountains are contained here, including Mount Ayanganna (6,699 ft (2,042 m)) and on Mount Roraima (9,301 ft (2,835 m) – the highest mountain in Guyana) on the Brazil-Guyana-Venezuela tripoint, part of the Pakaraima range. Roraima is said to be have been the inspiration for The Lost World. 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 three main ones being (west to east) the Essequibo, the Demerara, and the Berbice. There is also the Corentyne along the border with Suriname. At the mouth of the Essequibo are several large islands. The 90-mile (145-km) Shell Beach along the north-west coasts. Guyana is a major breeding area for sea turtles (mainly Leatherbacks) 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.

Demographics

Ethnic Composition

Ethnicity	Percentage
East Indian	43.5
African/Creole	30.2
Mixed	16.7
Amerindian	9.2
Portuguese	0.20
Chinese	0.19
White	0.06

The largest nationality sub-group is that of East Indians comprising 43.5 percent of the population in 2002. They are followed by persons of African heritage (30.2 percent). The third in rank are those of Mixed Heritage (16.7 percent), while the Amerindians are fourth with 9.2 percent. The smallest groups are the Whites (0.06 percent or 476 persons), the Portuguese (0.20 percent or 1496) and the Chinese (0.19 percent or 1395). A small group (0.01 percent or 112 persons) did not identify their race/ethnic background.

The distribution pattern has been similar to those of the 1980 and 1991 censuses, but the share of the two main groups has declined. The East Indians were 51.9 percent of the total population in 1980, but by 1991 had fallen to 48.6 percent, and then 43.5 percent in 2002 census. Those of African descent increased slightly from 30.8 to 32.3 percent during the first period (1980 and 1991) before falling to 30.2 percent in the 2002 census. With small growth in the population, the decline in the shares of the two larger groups has resulted in the relative shares of the ‘Mixed’ and Amerindian groups. The Amerindian population rose by 22,097 persons between 1991 and 2002. This represents an increase of 47.3 percent or annual growth of 3.5 percent. Similarly, the ‘Mixed’ population increased by 37,788 persons, representing a 43.0 percent increase or annual growth rate of 3.2 percent from the base period of 1991 census. The Whites and Chinese populations which declined between 1980 and 1991 regained in numbers by the 2002 census by 54.4 percent (168 persons) and 8.1 percent (105 persons) respectively. However, because of their relatively small sizes, the increase has effectively a zero effect on the overall change. The Portuguese group has declined constantly over the decades.

Languages

English is the official language of Guyana. In addition, Amerindian languages (see Cariban languages) are spoken by a small minority and Guyanese Creole (an English-based creole with African and Indian syntax) is widely spoken. While English is the main language, it is spoken with a broken accent. Standard grammar is avoided and a cornucopia of words are substituted.

Regions and neighborhood councils

Main articles: Regions of Guyana and Neighborhood Councils of Guyana

Regions of Guyana

Guyana is divided into 10 regions.

1. Barima-Waini
2. Pomeroon-Supenaam
3. Essequibo Islands-West Demerara
4. Demerara-Mahaica
5. Mahaica-Berbice
6. East Berbice-Corentyne
7. Cuyuni-Mazaruni
8. Potaro-Siparuni
9. Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo
10. Upper Demerara-Berbice

The regions are divided into 27 neighborhood councils.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Guyana

Politics of Guyana takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Guyana is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly of Guyana. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The 2006 national elections were the first peaceful elections in recent memory. The elections were free and fair and were a welcome departure from the turmoil of previous elections.

Historically, politics is a source of tension in the country and violent riots have often broken out during elections. During the 1980s, the political landscape was dominated by The People's National Congress, who retained their power by doctoring election results. In 1992, President Jimmy Carter of America oversaw the first "free and fair" elections and the People's Progressive Party has led the country since. The two parties are principally organized along ethnic lines and as a result often clash on issues of governance.

There has been a recent crime spate that has been linked to escaped convicts and corruption in the ranks of the government. The middle class has been the victims of ever-increasing robberies, kidnapping, carjacking, and home invasions in the past few years. The murder rate of Guyana is quite high for a country of its size, with a rate that is three times that of the United States. [1]

Economy

Tractor in a rice field on Guyana's coastal plain.

Main article: Economy of Guyana

Guyana is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere^[2] Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. Until recently the government was 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 had threatened the government's tenuous fiscal position and dimmed prospects for the future. However, the Guyanese economy has rebounded slightly and 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.

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.

File:Bourda-market.jpg

A section of Bourda Market.

The production of balatá (natural latex) was once big business in Guyana. Most of the balata bleeding in Guyana took place in the foothills of the Kanuku Mountains in the Rupununi. Early exploitation also took place in the North West District, but most of the trees in the area were destroyed by illicit bleeding methods that involved cutting down the trees rather than making incisions in them. Folk uses of balata included the making of homegrown cricket balls, the temporarily filling of troublesome tooth cavities, and the crafting of figurines and other decorative items (particularly by the Macushi people of the Kanuku mountains).

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.

In addition, the government initiated a major overhaul of the tax code with the start of 2007. The Value Added Tax (VAT) was brought into effect replacing six different taxes. Prior to the implementation of VAT it had been relatively easy to evade sales tax and many businesses were in violation of tax code. Many businesses were very opposed to VAT introduction due to the extra paperwork required, however the Government has remained firm on VAT. By replacing several taxes with one flat tax rate, it will also be easier for government auditors to spot embezzlement. While the adjustment to VAT has been a tough one, it may well improve day to day life due to the significant additional funds the government will have available for public spending.

President Bharrat Jagdeo has made debt relief a foremost priority of his administration. He has been quite successful, getting nearly $800 million⁸ (US) of debt written off by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, in addition to millions more from other industrial nations.

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Communications

Telephones

110,100 main lines (ITU, 2005)
281,400 mobile cellular (Informa Telecoms, 2005)

Radio broadcast stations

1 (government-owned, broadcasting on AM, FM, and shortwave)

Television broadcast stations

14 (in 2005; one government-owned station; twelve private stations which relay a variety of American programmes via satellite services)

Internet hosts

1,046 (ITU, 2006)

Internet users

160,000 (ITU, 2005)

Transport

Main article: Transport in Guyana

Railways

Total 116 miles (187 km), all dedicated to ore transport (2001 estimate)

Highways

Total 4,952 miles (7,970 km), of which 367 miles (590 km) paved and 4,586 miles (7,380 km) unpaved (1999 estimate)

Waterways

669 miles (1,077 km)

Ports and harbors

Georgetown, Port Kaituma

Airports

1 international airport (Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri); 1 regional int'l airport (Ogle Airport); and about 90 airstrips, 9 of which have paved runways (2006 estimate).

Culture

Holidays

Date	Name
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 5	Indian Arrival Day
May 26	Independence Day
First Monday in July	CARICOM Day
August 1	Emancipation Day
variable	Diwali
December 25	Christmas
December 26 or 27	Boxing Day

Main article: Culture of Guyana

See also: Literature of Guyana and Music of Guyana

Guyana, along with Suriname and Brazil, is one of the three non-Hispanic nations in South America. Guyana's culture is very similar to that of the English-speaking Caribbean, to the extent that Guyana is included and accepted as a Caribbean nation and is a founder member of the Caricom (Caribbean Community) economic bloc and also the home of the Bloc's Headquarters, the CARICOM Secretariat. Its geographical location, its sparsely populated rain forest regions, and its substantial Amerindian population differentiate it from English-speaking Caribbean countries. Its blend of East Indian (Asian Indian) and West Indian (black) cultures gives it similarities to Trinidad and distinguishes it from other parts of the Americas. 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. In addition to its CARICOM membership, Guyana is a member of CONCACAF, the international football federation for North and Central America and the Caribbean. Another aspect of Guyanese culture is its rich folklore about Jumbees.

Religion

See also: Hinduism in Guyana

See also: Islam in Guyana

The major religions in Guyana include Christianity, comprising 57% of the population, Hinduism at 37%, and Islam at 9%. Most Guyanese Christians are Protestants and include a mix of all races. Hinduism is dominated by the East/West Indians who came to the country, early 1800s, while Islam varies between Afro-Guyanese and Indian-Guyanese.

Events

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

Education

Bishops' High School

Guyana's educational system, which at one time was considered to be among the best in the Caribbean, significantly deteriorated in the 1980s due to the emigration of highly educated citizens and the lack of appropriate funding. Although the education system has recovered somewhat in the 1990s, it still does not produce the quality of educated students necessary for Guyana to modernize its workforce. The country lacks a critical mass of expertise in many of the disciplines and activities on which it depends.

The educational system does not sufficiently focus on the training of Guyanese in science and technology, technical and vocational subjects, business management, nor computer sciences. The Guyanese education system is modeled after the former British education system. Students are expected to write SSEE by the time they are 9-11, prior to commencing high school and CXC at the end of high school. Recently they have introduced the CAPE exams which all other Caribbean countries have now introduced. The A-level system left over from the British era has all but disappeared and is now offered only in a few schools (current as at January 2007) The reason for the insufficient focus or various disciplines can be directly attributed to the common choices made by students to specialize in areas that are similar (math/chemistry/physics or geography/history/economics). With the removal of the old A-level system that encouraged this specialization, it is thought that it will be more attractive for students to broaden their studies.

There are wide disparities among the geographical regions of the country in the availability of quality education, and the physical facilities which are provided are in poor condition.

Further adding to the problems of the educational system, many of the better-educated professional teachers have emigrated to other countries over the past two decades, mainly due to low pay, lack of opportunities and crime. As a result, there is a lack of trained teachers at every level of Guyana's educational system.

Public health

Service delivery

The delivery of health services is provided at five different levels in the public sector:

• Level I: Local Health Posts (166 in total) that provide preventive and simple curative care for common diseases and attempt to promote proper health practices. Community health workers staff them.
• Level II: Health Centres (109 in total) that provide preventive and rehabilitative care and promotion activities. These are ideally staffed with a medical extension worker or public health nurse, along with a nursing assistant, a dental nurse and a midwife.
• Level III: Nineteen District Hospitals (with 473 beds) that provide basic in-patient and outpatient care (although more the latter than the former) and selected diagnostic services. They are also meant to be equipped to provide simple radiological and laboratory services, and to be capable of gynecology, providing preventive and curative dental care. They are designed to serve geographical areas with populations of 10,000 or more.
• Level IV: Four Regional Hospitals (with 620 beds) that provide emergency services, routine surgery and obstetrical and gynecological care, dental services, diagnostic services and specialist services in general medicine and pediatrics. They are designed to include the necessary support for this level of medical service in terms of laboratory and X-ray facilities, pharmacies and dietetic expertise. These hospitals are located in Regions 2, 3, 6 and 10.
• Level V: The National Referral Hospital (937 beds) in Georgetown that provides a wider range of diagnostic and specialist services, on both an in-patient and out-patient basis; the Psychiatric Hospital in Canje; and the Geriatric Hospital in Georgetown. There is also one children’s rehabilitation centre.

This system is structured so that its proper functioning depends intimately on a process of referrals. Except for serious emergencies, patients are to be seen first at the lower levels, and those with problems that cannot be treated at those levels are referred to higher levels in the system. However, in practice, many patients by-pass the lower levels.

The health sector is currently unable to offer certain sophisticated tertiary services and specialized medical services, the technology for which is unaffordable in Guyana, or for which the required medical specialists simply do not exist. Even with substantial improvements in the health sector, the need for overseas treatment for some services might remain. The Ministry of Health provides financial assistance to patients requiring such treatment, priority being given to children whose condition can be rehabilitated with significant improvements to their quality of life.

In addition to the facilities mentioned above, there are 10 hospitals belonging to the private sector and to public corporations, plus diagnostic facilities, clinics and dispensaries in those sectors. These ten hospitals together, provide for 548 beds.

Eighteen clinics and dispensaries are owned by GUYSUCO.

The Ministry of Health and Labour is responsible for the funding of the National Referral Hospital in Georgetown, which has recently been made a public corporation managed by an independent Board. Region 6 is responsible for the management of the National Psychiatric Hospital. The Geriatric Hospital, previously administered by the Ministry of Labour, became the responsibility of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in December 1997.

Health conditions

One of the most unfortunate consequences of Guyana's economic decline in the 1970s and 1980s due to the rule of the PNC (People's National Congress) was that it led to very poor health conditions for a large part of the population. Basic health services in the interior are primitive to non-existent and some procedures are not available at all. The U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet warns "Medical care is available for minor medical conditions. Emergency care and hospitalization for major medical illnesses or surgery is limited, due to a lack of appropriately trained specialists, below standard in-hospital care, and poor sanitation. Ambulance service is substandard and may not routinely be available for emergencies." Many Guyanese seek medical care in the United States, Trinidad or Cuba.

Compared with other neighboring countries, Guyana ranks poorly in regard to basic health indicators. In 1998, life expectancy at birth was estimated at 66.0 for Guyana, 71.6 for Suriname, 72.9 for Venezuela; 73.8 for Trinidad and Tobago, 74.7 for Jamaica, and 76.5 for Barbados. In Guyana, the infant mortality rate in 1998 was 24.2, in Barbados 14.9; in Trinidad and Tobago 16.2; in Venezuela 22; in Jamaica 24.5; and in Suriname 25.1.

Maternal mortality rates in Guyana are also relatively high, being estimate at 124.6 for 1998. Comparable figures for other Caribbean countries are 50 for Barbados, 75 for Trinidad and 100 for Jamaica.

It must be emphasized, however, that although Guyana's health profile still suffers in comparison with most of the Caribbean, there has been remarkable progress between 1988 and 1998.

The leading causes of mortality for all age groups are cerebrovascular diseases (11.6%); ischemic heart disease (9.9%); immunity disorders (7.1%); diseases of the respiratory system (6.8%); diseases of pulmonary circulation and other forms of heart disease (6.6%); endocrine and metabolic diseases (5.5%); diseases of other parts of the Digestive System (5.2%); violence (5.1%); certain condition originating in the prenatal period (4.3%); and hypertensive diseases (3.9%).

The picture in regard to morbidity patterns differs. The ten leading causes of morbidity for all age groups are, in decreasing order: malaria; acute respiratory infections; symptoms, signs and ill defined or unknown conditions; hypertension; accident and injuries; acute diarrhoeal disease; diabetes mellitus; worm infestation; rheumatic arthritis; and mental and nervous disorders.

This morbidity profile indicates that it can be improved substantially through enhanced preventive health care, better education on health issues, more widespread access to potable water and sanitation services, and increased access to basic health care of good quality.

Music and entertainment

Music and entertainment in Guyana follows the lead of other Caribbean countries, as well as India. Radio stations play the latest Chutney, Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Hip-Hop and Hindi music. Local television stations air American, British and Indian broadcasts. Night clubs in Georgetown belt out the latest music late into the night on weekends.

Cuisine

Guyana cuisine has many similarities to that of the Caribbean. The food is diverse and includes dishes such as chicken curry, roti and the many variations on cookup rice(peas and rice),(a style of rice with different kinds of vegetables like plantain, okro, and beans), accompanied by chicken beef or fish. The food reflects the ethnic make up of the country and it's colonial history, and includes dishes from the Africans and creoles, East Indians, Amerindians, Chinese, Portuguese, and Europeans (mostly British).

Staple dishes include curried chicken, roti, plain rice, cookup rice (peas and rice), breads, beef/chicken stews, and Caribbean-style chow mein. Caribbean and Latin American ground provisions are also part of the staple diet and include cassava, sweet potato, edoes and others. Unique dishes include Pepperpot, made with cassreep (an extract of the casava) and is of Amerindian origin. There is also Metemgie, a thick rich soup with a coconut base filled with ground provisions, and big fluffy dumplings and is traditionally eaten with fried fish, or, more recently, chicken. Most Guyanese love the Caribbean style Chinese food sold in restaurants in the bigger towns. A favorite is Chicken in the ruff which is fried rice with Chinese style fried chicken on top.

There is an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood on the coast. Most people used to make their own Punches and drinks with fresh fruits, and were called "local drink". Fresh fish and seafood are an integral part of the food of the rural areas and small villages along the coast. The crab soups and soups with okra from the Berbice coastal region resemble that of the Louisiana creole soups.

Homemade bread-making is an art in many villages, and is a reflection of the British influence that includes pastries such as cheese roll, pine (pineapple) tart, and patties (sister to the Jamaican beef patty).

For an more information on Guyanese food and the hundreds of dishes, do an internet search or try

http://guyanaoutpost.com/recipes/recipes_cat.shtml

Some of the dishes on this website are not traditional, are American influenced or are from other parts of the Caribbean.

Sport

Providence Stadium seen from the East Bank Highway.

The major sports in Guyana are cricket (Guyana is part of the West Indies as defined for international cricket purposes), softball cricket (beach cricket) and soccer. The minor sports in Guyana are netball, rounders, lawn tennis, basketball, table tennis, boxing, squash, and a few others.

Guyana played host to international cricket matches as part of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. A brand new 15,000 seat stadium, Providence Stadium (pictured at right), was built in time for the World Cup, and was ready for the beginning of play on March 28. History was made on that date at the first international game of CWC 2007 held at the stadium when Lasith Malinga of the Sri Lanka team performed a helmet trick, or double hat-trick (four wickets in four consecutive deliveries).

Environment and biodiversity

Satellite image of Guyana 2004.

See also: Category:Flora of Guyana and Category:Fauna of Guyana

Guyana abounds with plant and animal life. Each region boasts unique species.

The following habitats have been categorized for Guyana: coastal, marine, littoral, estuarine palustrine, mangrove, riverine, lacustrine, swamp, savannah, white sand forest, brown sand forest, montane, cloud forest, moist lowland and dry evergreen scrub forests (NBAP, 1999). About 14 areas of biological interest have been identified as possible hotspots for a National Protected Area System.

More than 80% of Guyana is still covered by forests, ranging from dry evergreen and seasonal forests to montane and lowland evergreen rain forests. These forests are home to more than a thousand species of trees. Guyana's tropical climate, unique geology, and relatively pristine ecosystems support extensive areas of species-rich rain forests and natural habitats with high levels of endemism. Approximately eight thousand species of plants occur in Guyana, half of which are found nowhere else.

Numbers of fauna species are correspondingly high. Guyana, with 1,168 vertebrate species, boasts one of the richest mammalian fauna assemblages of any comparably sized area in the world.

The Guiana Shield region is little known and extremely rich biologically. Unlike other areas of South America, over 70% of the natural habitat remains pristine.

The rich natural history of British Guiana was described by early explorers Sir Walter Raleigh and Charles Waterton and later by naturalists Sir David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell.

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.

File:Leopard zoo.jpg

Among many other mammals, Guyanese jungles are home to the jaguar.

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 an intention to nominate Historic Georgetown 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 Forest and the Kanuku Mountains. The Iwokrama Rain 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 four hundred species of birds and other animals.

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 eco-regions 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).

Landmarks

St. George's Cathedral

St. George's Anglican Cathedral

At the time of its construction, the tallest wooden building in the world; now dwarfed by other structures such as the Todaiji Temple in Japan.

Demerara Harbour Bridge

The world's fourth-longest floating bridge (formerly the longest).

Kaieteur Falls

This is the tallest single-drop falls, and one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world.

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Building

Houses the largest and most powerful political union in the Caribbean.

Providence Stadium

Situated in Providence on the east bank of the Demerara River and built in time for the ICC World Cup 2007, it is the largest sports stadium in the country. It is also near the Providence Mall, forming a major spot for leisure in Guyana.

Guyana International Conference Centre

Presented as a gift from the People's Republic of China to the Government of Guyana. It is the only one of its kind in the country.

Stabroek Market

A large cast-iron colonial structure that looked like a statue was located next to the Demerara River.

The City Hall

A beautiful wooden structure also from the colonial era.

Military

Main article: Military of Guyana

Forces

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

Available manpower

206,199 males aged 15 to 49, of which 155,058 fit for service (2002 estimates)

Expenditure

$7 million (1.7% of GDP)

Miscellaneous

• The 1856 British Guiana 1c magenta stamp is considered the rarest in the world, with only one copy known to exist (the other having been destroyed by a previous owner).
• 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 was once illegal.
• On November 18 1978, the Jonestown Massacre took place in the jungle of Northwest Guyana; 913 members of the Peoples Temple cult died in a mass suicide.
• The 1990 edition of the Guinness Book of Records lists the Guyanese-born Sir Lionel Luckhoo as "the world's most successful lawyer". He obtained 245 consecutive acquittals for clients that were accused of murder.
• A Guyanese saying is that if you eat labba and drink black water while visiting Guyana, you are bound to return. (Labba is a small agouti or South American rodent that is eaten in a dark stew called "pepper pot"; "Black water" is the water found in the many creeks in the interior of Guyana, made black by tannin found in rotting vegetation.)
• Andrew "Six-Heads" Lewis was the first man from Guyana to win a world boxing championship, when he beat James Page to claim the WBA Welterweight Championship of the World.

See also

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Further reading

• Stanley E. Brock, All the Cowboys Were Indians and Jungle Cowboy
• Donald Haack, Bush Pilot In Diamond Country
• Hamish McInnes, Climb To The Lost World (1974)
• Andrew Salkey, Georgetown Journal (1970)
• Marion Morrison, Guyana (Enchantment of the World Series)
• Bob Temple, Guyana
• Noel C. Bacchus, Guyana Farewell: A Recollection of Childhood in a Faraway Place
• Marcus Colchester, Guyana: Fragile Frontier
• Matthew French Young, Guyana: My Fifty Years in the Guyanese Wilds
• Margaret Bacon, Journey to Guyana
• Father Andrew Morrison SJ, Justice: The Struggle For Democracy in Guyana 1952-1992
• Vere T. Daly, The Making of Guyana
• D. Graham Burnett, Masters of All They Surveyed: Exploration, Geography and a British El Dorado
• Ovid Abrams, Metegee: The History and Culture of Guyana
• Evelyn Waugh, Ninety-Two Days
• Gerald Durrell, Three Singles To Adventure
• Colin Henfrey, Through Indian Eyes: A Journey Among the Indian Tribes of Guiana
• Stephen G. Rabe, U.S. Intervention in British Guiana: A Cold War Story
• Charles Waterton, Wanderings in South America
• David Attenborough, Zoo Quest to Guiana (Lutterworth Press, London: 1956)

External links

Government

• President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana - Official Website
• Encyclopaedia Britannica - Guyana Country Page
• 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.
• [3] - Declassified US State Department documents detailing covert action from the start of postwar independence.

General

• Raval Online - Articles, Blogs and Photos
• Guymine.com - Popular Guyanese website that focuses on Linden, the second largest town
• SDNP Guyana - Guyanese directory and host to ministerial sites
• Open Directory Project - Guyana directory category
• [4] - The Mittleholzer Foundation - Online Guyanese Forum
• Guyana Outpost - One of the premier web sites on Guyana and Guyanese
• Guyana - On Guyana and its people
• National Symbols of Guyana
• BBC profile of Guyana
• [5] The Committee Dedicated to the Establishment of an American Guyana
• Hinduism in Guyana and Suriname
• Guyana Resource Center
• Guyana's Overstream
• Map of Guyana - Tourist Destinations
• [6] - U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet for Guyana with entry reuirements and travel information and warnings
• "Guyana". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.

News media

• Guyana Portal
• GuyaneseTavern.com - A popular web portal featuring up-to-date news and videos of Guyana
• Guyana Palace.com
• Guyana and the Caribbean News and Information
• Guyana News and Information One 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.
• Voice of Guyana International - independent owned Internet radio
• propaganda press - political blog and commentary

Map

• Guyana on Google Maps.