in full Co-operative Republic of Guyana, republic, N South America, on the Atlantic coast, formerly BRITISH GUIANA, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is bounded on the N by the Atlantic Ocean, on the E by Suriname, on the S by Brazil, and on the W by Brazil and Venezuela. The country achieved independence on May 26, 1966. Guyana has an area of 214,969 sq km (83,000 sq mi); its coastline is about 435 km (about 270 mi) long.

LAND AND RESOURCES

Guyana can be divided into three major geographical regions. A belt of alluvial soil, varying in width from about 8 to 65 km (about 5 to 40 mi) and mostly below sea level, extends along the coast and is protected by a system of dams and dikes. To the S lies the dense forest area that makes up about three-fourths of the country. The forests extend into an interior highland region with a maximum elevation, atop Mt. Roraima, of 2772 m (9094 ft). Some of the rivers form spectacular waterfalls, notably Kaieteur Falls (225 m/740ft ft high), on the Potaro R., one of the highest single-drop waterfalls in the world. Beyond the forest lies a region of savanna. Several important rivers—the Essequibo, Demerara, Courantyne, and Berbice—cross the country in a S to N direction. The rivers are navigable by oceangoing freighters only to about 100 to 160 km (about 60 to 100 mi) from the sea; farther inland navigation is not possible because of rapids and falls.

Climate.

Guyana has a tropical climate, with little seasonal temperature change. The annual rainfall (about 1525 to 2030 mm/about 60 to 80 in) on the coast occurs mainly from April to August and November to January. The savanna region receives some 1525 mm (some 60 in) of rain annually, mainly from April to September.

Natural Resources.

The important mineral deposits of Guyana include bauxite, manganese, gold, diamonds, and kaolin. Some petroleum is located offshore.

The plants and trees of Guyana are noted for their great size; the giant water lily, Victoria regina, is common. The dense forests contain excellent woods, such as greenheart and mora, for use in the lumber industry. The animal life is varied and includes deer, anteater, and two species of monkey. Among the birds are manakins, sugarbirds, and cotingas; the diversity of brilliantly colored birds and insects is considerable.

POPULATION

Nearly 50% of the total population of Guyana is made up of East Indians, whose ancestors came here from the Indian subcontinent. About 36% of the people are of black African descent, and some 7% are of mixed background. Approximately 7% are American Indians. In addition, small numbers of Europeans and Chinese live in Guyana. About 90% of the largely rural population lives along the coast. About 52% of the people are Christians, most being Anglicans or Roman Catholics. The remainder are mainly Hindus (34%) or Muslims (9%). The official language is English; Hindi, Urdu, and American Indian languages also are used.

Population Characteristics.

The estimated population of Guyana in 1994 was 733,000. In 2003 the estimated population was 765,000, giving the country an overall population density of about 4 persons per sq km (about 9 per sq mi). Georgetown, the capital and principal port, had a population (2001 est., greater city) of 280,000. Smaller population centers include the port of New Amsterdam (1994 est., 17,700) and the mining community of Linden (formerly called Mackenzie-Wismar-Christianburg; 27,200).

Education.

In the late 1980s about 118,000 pupils were enrolled in about 425 elementary schools in Guyana. Some 100 secondary, technical, and teacher-training institutions had a total of approximately 77,500 students. The country’s principal institution of higher education, the University of Guyana (1963), in Georgetown, was attended by about 2400 students in the early 1990s.

Culture.

Until independence, Guyana was tied culturally more closely to Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana) and French Guiana than to the rest of South America. Guyana was settled by East Indians, who still speak Urdu, Hindi, and Tamil dialects; black Africans; and a few Europeans, mostly from Great Britain. These groups have remained fairly distinct; today each has its own style of life and culture, although the ties of nationhood tend to bind them together.

ECONOMY

One of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, Guyana has an annual gross national product of less than $400 per capita. Reversing 15 years of decline, the economy began to recover in the early 1990s after the introduction of a reform program that encouraged foreign investment and curtailed direct government participation in the economy. Agriculture (especially sugar cultivation), mining, and services are the main economic sectors. The annual government budget included $121 million in revenue and $225 million in expenditure in the early 1990s.

Labor.

In the late 1980s Guyana’s wage labor force consisted of about 270,000 persons. The Trades Union Congress is the leading labor federation.

Agriculture.

Agriculture accounts for about one-fourth of the gross domestic product and employs about one-third of the labor force. Sugar and its by-products and rice account for most of the agricultural exports; 3.1 million metric tons of sugarcane and 274,000 metric tons of rice were produced annually in the early 1990s. Coconuts, citrus fruit, corn, manioc, and other tropical fruits and vegetables are grown mainly for home consumption. Large areas of rough pasture exist in the interior savannas. Substantial numbers of cattle, hogs, sheep, and chickens are raised.

Cultivation is confined almost entirely to the narrow coastal strip of rich, alluvial soil. Agricultural expansion requires heavy expenditures for protection against flooding and for drainage and irrigation, because part of the strip is below the high-tide mark of the sea and rivers and because of the heavy seasonal rainfall. The government is trying to increase the amount of land available for cultivation through reclamation projects.

Forestry and Fishing.

In the early 1990s about 175,000 cu m (about 6.2 million cu ft) of wood was harvested annually from Guyana’s forests. Most consisted of hardwoods, used mainly in construction and furniture making. Large tracts of forestland were opened for logging in the early 1990s. Fishing is concentrated along the Atlantic coast. The annual catch in the early 1990s was about 37,100 metric tons. Shrimp is a valuable export.

Mining.

Guyana is a major producer of bauxite; about 897,000 metric tons were mined annually in the early 1990s. Gold and diamonds are also produced.

Manufacturing and Energy.

Manufacturing in Guyana is limited to processing bauxite and to production of sugar, rum, other foods and beverages, construction materials, clothing, soap, and cigarettes.

In the early 1990s Guyana had an installed electricity-generating capacity of about 114,000 kw; annual production was some 225 million kwh, nearly all generated in thermal facilities and far short of demand. The country has great hydroelectric potential.

Currency and Foreign Trade.

The Guyana dollar consists of 100 cents (179 Guyana dollars equal U.S.$1; 2002). The Bank of Guyana, established in 1965, is the central bank. The chief exports are sugar, bauxite, alumina, rum, rice, gold, shrimp, and timber. The principal imports are petroleum products, machinery, foodstuffs, tobacco, cotton fabrics, and footwear. In the early 1990s, annual imports cost about $335 million, and exports earned some $339 million. The U.S., Great Britain, and Trinidad and Tobago are the leading trade partners.

Transportation.

Guyana has about 7200 km (about 4470 mi) of roads, most of which are near the coast. The country is served by about 190 km (about 120 mi) of railroad track. Guyana’s main seaports are Georgetown and New Amsterdam. The rivers provide an important means of access to the interior. The national airline is Guyana Airways, which provides domestic and international service. The main airport, Cheddi Jagan International, is at Timehri near Georgetown.

Communications.

Guyana had some 16,000 telephones in the early 1990s; radio-telephone links are frequently the only efficient means of communication with the interior. The government operates the main broadcasting services. In the early 1990s approximately 310,000 radios and 15,000 televisions were in use.

GOVERNMENT

Guyana is governed under a constitution adopted in 1980.

Executive.

The head of state and chief executive of Guyana is a president, elected to a 5-year term by the National Assembly. The president appoints a cabinet, which is headed by a prime minister.

Legislature.

Legislative power in Guyana is vested in the unicameral National Assembly, which is made up of 12 indirectly elected members and 53 members popularly elected to 5-year terms under a system of proportional representation.

Judiciary.

The law of Guyana is based mostly on English common and statute law. The highest tribunal of the country is the Supreme Court of Judicature, which is divided into a court of appeal and a high court.

Local Government.

Guyana is divided into ten regions. Each region is governed by a council.

Political Parties.

The People’s National Congress (PNC; founded 1957) held power from independence until 1992, when the People’s Progressive party (PPP; 1950) won a parliamentary majority. The PPP retained its majority in the December 1997 elections.

Health and Welfare.

The Guyana government provides social assistance, including old-age pensions and relief for the aged, the infirm, and destitute children. Health conditions are improving. Life expectancy at birth averaged 68 years for women and 62 for men in the early 1990s; the infant mortality rate was 48 per 1000 live births.

Defense.

The armed forces of Guyana are organized in one group, called the Guyana Defense Force, which in the early 1990s had about 1700 members. Paramilitary forces numbered 4500.

International Organizations.

In addition to its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, Guyana is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Organization of American States, the World Trade Organization, and the Caribbean Community and Common Market, and is an African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) state of the European Union.

HISTORY

The territory that is now Guyana was first charted by Spanish explorers in 1499. By the mid-18th century Dutch settlers and traders had prevailed over rival Spanish and British expeditions. Although formal possession fell to the British in 1814, the Dutch system of administration persisted during most of the precolonial period (the colony of British Guiana came into being in 1831).

British Rule.

During the years of British rule, the native Amerindian population was reduced to a tiny minority by large influxes of African and East Indian peoples. Guyana received its first constitution under the British administration in 1928, but universal suffrage was not granted until 1953.

In 1961 Guyana achieved full internal self-government, and the People’s Progressive party (PPP), under the leadership of Cheddi Jagan (1918–97), gained a majority in the legislative assembly. In 1962 Jagan introduced a program of severe economic austerity that caused violent riots and a general strike. British troops were called in to restore order in February 1962 and again in 1963. In 1963 the disorders took on racial overtones; persons of African descent clashed with the East Indian supporters of Jagan. When calm was restored, the nation was left on the brink of economic chaos.

Following constitutional conferences between Guyana and Great Britain in 1962 and 1963, elections were held in late 1964. The PPP again received the most votes but failed to gain a majority. The British government thereupon called on Forbes Burnham, leader of the minority People’s National Congress (PNC), to form a coalition government.

Independence.

In 1965 the British Guiana Independence Conference met in London, and a new constitution was approved. On May 26, 1966, Guyana was declared an independent nation. It joined the UN in 1966. Guyana became a charter member of the Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA) in 1968. Elections that year confirmed Burnham in office. On Feb. 23, 1970, Guyana was proclaimed a republic, and Arthur Chung (1918–    ) was named president. The PNC won again in 1973.

In the early 1970s Guyana established diplomatic relations with China and several other Communist nations. In the economic sphere, an investment plan was adopted in 1973, calling for expenditure of $1.15 billion by 1976. The country aimed at self-sufficiency in agriculture, the development of oil resources, and greater decision-making power in the development of its bauxite deposits and profits from them. The government assumed control of all foreign trade in 1974.

Guyana was the scene of the Jonestown mass suicide and murder in 1978, when more than 900 members of a religious cult, primarily U.S. citizens, took poison on orders of their deranged leader, James Warren (“Jim”) Jones (1931–78).

In 1978 the term of the National Assembly was extended for a year beyond its 5-year limit in anticipation of a new constitution; it was extended again in 1979. After the new socialist constitution was put into effect in 1980, Prime Minister Burnham was elected president and given most state powers. The PNC retained its overwhelming majority in the assembly, but an international team of observers questioned the validity of Burnham’s victory. He governed until his death in 1985, and was succeeded by Desmond Hoyte (1929–2002). Elections that same year confirmed PNC control of the assembly and Hoyte as president. Hoyte held on until October 1992, when, in an internationally supervised election, Jagan and the PPP returned to power. After Jagan died in March 1997, the prime minister, Samuel Hinds (1943–    ), succeeded to the presidency, and the late president’s American-born widow, Janet Jagan (1920–    ), became prime minister. Following the December 1997 elections, which were won by the PPP, Jagan became president and Hinds prime minister. The PNC, citing irregularities, challenged the election results. Street protests paralyzed the country until mid-January, when the rival parties agreed on a timetable for overhauling the constitution and holding new elections within three years. Following Hagan’s resignation in August 1999 for health reasons, the Finance Minister Bharrat Jagdeo (1964–    ), a Moscow-educated economist of East Indian descent, assumed the presidency. In March 2001 he was elected president for a 5-year term. The winner among nine candidates, Jagdeo captured 53 percent of the vote to 42 percent won by the former President Hoyte.

For further information on this topic, see the Bibliography, section 1243. Guyana.