ABOUT GUYANA
WHY GUYANA?Vast unspoiled rain forests dissected by numerous rivers, creeks and beautiful waterfalls.
HISTORY:
Spanish explorers first charted the territory that is now Guyana in 1499. In the 1620s the Dutch established a permanent and successful colony on an island in the Essequibo River. The English and French also founded settlements on the South American coast during the 1600s. All three nations claimed rights in the whole region extending from the Orinoco River to the Amazon River.
By the mid-18th century, Dutch settlers and traders had prevailed over rival Spanish and British expeditions. They formed three colonies in the region. During the 17th century, the Dutch penetrated well into the interior of Guyana and developed trade contacts with the Arawak- and Carib-speaking indigenous people. The Dutch concentrated on sugar cultivation, however, and in the first quarter of the 18th century they rapidly developed sugar plantations. Under the leadership of Laurens Storm Van's Gravesande, the Dutch commander from 1742 to 1772, the Dutch built sea defenses and drainage and irrigation systems in the coastal lowlands. Many English planters from Barbados also moved to the Dutch colony.
Following the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, the French occupied Holland. In 1795 the Dutch offered administration of the colonies to the British because they did not want the colonies to fall under the control of the French. The British officially took possession of the area from the Dutch in 1814. In 1831 the British merged the three Dutch colonies that had existed on the territory that is now Guyana, forming a single colony known as British Guiana.
The Dutch and British imported African slaves to work the sugar plantations. During the years of British rule, diseases introduced from Europe killed many Native Americans. An influx of European immigrants and African slaves reduced the Native American population to a tiny minority. Following the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1833, the British brought laborers from India to work the plantations. The resulting division of Guyana's population into African and Indian ethnic groups had long-lasting effects on Guyana's society.
PEOPLE / CULTURE:
The indigenous peoples of Guyana are collectively known as Amerindians and constitute about 4 percent of the population. Indian groups include the Warao (Warrau), Arawak, Carib, Wapisiana (Wapishana), Arecuna, the mixed “Spanish Arawak” of the Moruka River, and many more in the forest areas. The Makusí (Macussí or Macushí) are the most prominent of the savanna
Guyana (full name is Co-operative Republic of Guyana) is a tropical country situated on the northern coast of South America.
It is the only country in South America where English is the official language. It is bordered by Venezuela on the west, Suriname on the east, Brazil on the south and the Atlantic Ocean on the north.
Guyana has an area of 214,969 sq km (83,000 sq mi), about the size of Great Britain. The name Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning Land Of Many Waters.
Kaieteur is one of the highest waterfalls in the world, being nearly five times as high as the Niagara Falls in North America. Our Falls have a clear drop of 741 feet, then a further drop of 81 feet over the great rocks at the bottom. Kaieteur was discovered in 1870 by C. Barrington Brown, who also discovered Orinduik and Kuribrong Falls. The name Kaieteur is an Amerindian word, and the falls should properly be called Kai-Tuk. Georgetown being the chief port and capital is situated on the right bank of the Demerara River estuary. In Georgetown, familiar landmarks include the lively Stabroek Market, the sea-wall and the Anglican cathedral of St George, the tallest wooden building in the world.
Guyana has a population of 758,619 (1991 estimate). About 50 percent of the people are of East Indian descent, and about 30 percent are of black African descent. Five percent are Native Amerindians, and about 10 percent are of mixed background. Others include Chinese and Europeans. About 90 percent of the mostly rural population lives along the coast. About 42 percent are Christians, 34 percent are Hindus, and 9 percent are Muslims. The country's official language is English.
The economy is dominated by agriculture, concentrated largely on the alluvial belt along the coast. Sugar and rice account for most agricultural exports. Forestry and fishing industries also contribute to the economy, and Guyana is a major producer of the mineral bauxite. Manufacturing remains limited. The currency is the Guyana dollar (135 Guyana dollars equal U.S.$1; 1997,approx.). Guyana's chief executive is a president, elected to a five-year term by the unicameral National Assembly. The Assembly consists of 12 nonelected members and 53 members elected to five-year terms.
Guyana achieved independence in May 1966, and became a republic on February 23, 1970--the anniversary of the Cuffy slave rebellion. From December 1964 until his death in August 1985, Forbes Burnham ruled Guyana in an increasingly autocratic manner, first as prime minister and later, after the adoption of a new constitution in 1980, as executive president. During that time- frame, elections were viewed in Guyana and abroad as fraudulent. Human rights and civil liberties were suppressed, and two major political assassinations occurred: the Jesuit Priest and journalist Bernard Darke in July 1979, and the distinguished historian and WPA Party leader Walter Rodney in June 1980. Agents of President Burnham are widely believed to have been responsible for both deaths.
Guyana has been a beneficiary of a debt write-off which has saved more than £100 million annually in debt-servicing payments, following the Government’s implementation of a major economic reform program. Since 1997, many formerly state-owned assets and industries have been sold, and deregulation measures introduced, as part of that program. A major obstacle to Guyana’s future economic progress is a shortage of trained personnel, especially in the fields of management and technical expertise; the emigration rate remains high, and only serves to compound this long-term problem. Guyana is a founder member of the regional trading bloc CARICOM. The country’s main export markets are the UK, the USA, Canada, Germany, Indonesia and Trinidad & Tobago.