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Guyana

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Countries; Countries

             Co-operative Republic of Guyana

   Flag of Guyana Coat of arms of Guyana
   Flag           Coat of arms
   Motto: One people, one nation, one destiny
   Anthem: Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains
   Location of Guyana
          Capital        Georgetown
       Largest city      Georgetown
    Official languages   English
   Government            Semi-Presidential Republic
    - President          Bharrat Jagdeo
    - Prime Minister     Samuel Hinds
       Independence
    - From the UK        May 26, 1966
    - Republic           February 23, 1970
                           Area
    - Total              214,969 km² ( 84th)
                         83,000 sq mi
    - Water (%)          8.4
                        Population
    - July 2005 estimate 751,000 ( 162nd)
    - 2002 census        751,223
    - Density            3.5/km² ( 217th)
                         9.1/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total              $3.489 billion ( 157th)
    - Per capita         $4,612 ( 105th)
        HDI  (2003)      0.720 (medium) ( 107th)
         Currency        Guyanese dollar ( GYD)
         Time zone       ( UTC-4)
       Internet TLD      .gy
       Calling code      +592

   Guyana ( pronounced [gaɪ'a.na], occasionally Anglicized as [gaɪ'æ.nə])
   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 has
   an atlantic coast. 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 in the mainland Americas to drive on the left.

   The official name of Guyana is the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
   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
   friendly, multicultural society, high floral and faunal biodiversity,
   prize-winning rum, British Colonial architecture and Demerara sugar.

   Though physically part of South America, culturally Guyana is Caribbean
   rather than Latin American and it is considered part of the West
   Indies. Other languages of Guyana include Creolese, Hindi, Wai-Wai,
   Arawak and Macushi.

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

History

   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, 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
   18th century and the Dutch formally ceded the area in 1814. The three
   became a single British colony known as British Guiana in 1831.
   Colonial relic - Old Residence
   Enlarge
   Colonial relic - Old Residence

   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 Guiana;
   however, the dispute continues

   During the Second World War, the U.S. made an agreement that gave its
   airforce access to British airports in South America and brought it
   into the war against Germany. Soon after that it also went to war
   against the Japanese Empire following Pearl Harbour

   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.

Geography

   Map of Guyana
   Enlarge
   Map of Guyana

   Guyana can be divided into five natural regions: a narrow and fertile
   marshy plain along the Atlantic coast where most of the population
   lives, then a white sand belt more inland, containing most of Guyana's
   mineral deposits, the dense rainforests across the middle of the
   country, the grassy flat savannah in the south 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 (6,699  ft; 2,042  m) and on Mount Roraima
   (9,301 ft; 2,835 m - 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.
   Guyana is the only country in South America that is part of the West
   Indies (Caricom Treaty).

   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 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.

Demographics

   Guyana's population of 751,223 is diverse: the three largest groups are
   the Indians or Indo-Guyanese (43.5% in 2002) who have remained
   predominantly rural, the Africans or Afro-Guyanese (30.2%) who
   constitute the majority urban population, and those of mixed origin
   (16.7%). The Amerindians (9.2%) who live in the country's interior, are
   divided into a number of different groups, the main ones being the
   Akawaio, Arawak, Carib, Macushi, Makuxi, Pemon and Wapishana. Several
   smaller groups, including Chinese, "Whites" and others make up less
   than 1% of the population. The overwhelming majority of the population
   - around 90% - live along the coastal strip, where population density
   is more than 298 persons per square mile (115/km²). There is much
   racial tension between the Indian and African communities, and the two
   main parties are largely mono-racial. The trend over time is for the
   Amerindian and mixed-race proportion to grow, mainly at the expense of
   the Indo-Guyanese proportion, while the black percentage remains
   roughly stable. In 1980, Guyana had an absolute majority (51.9%) of
   Indo-Guyanese, but now no group forms a majority.

   Religion in Guyana runs mainly along racial lines. Christianity,
   practiced mainly by Afro-Guyanese and mixed-origin citizens, makes up
   about 50% of Guyana and it is Guyana's largest religion. Hinduism,
   primarily practiced by Indo-Guyanese, is the faith of 35% of the
   population, and Islam is the faith of 10%. Guyana also has a Bahá'í
   population at 5%.

   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 per year have left and settled permanently in the
   United States alone and demand to emigrate remains very high. The
   number of legal immigrants to the U.S. is the highest in South America
   (astonishing considering Guyana's small population) and the rate of
   illegal migration is believed to be high as well. Most legal immigrants
   are sponsored by family members in the United States, few immigrate
   based on job skills. Canada, the United Kingdom 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. Results from the 2002 census, however, suggest that emigration
   in the last decade has decreased somewhat compared to the 1980s.

Emigration from Guyana to the United States

     * 1986–1990: 52,649
     * 1991–1995: 44,138
     * 1996–2000: 29,711
     * 2001–2005: 40,695

   There are over 500,000 Guyanese in the US and Canada compared to
   750,000 in Guyana.

Economy

   Tractor in rice field, coastal plain, Guyana
   Enlarge
   Tractor in rice field, coastal plain, 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.
   A section of Bourda Market
   Enlarge
   A section of Bourda Market

   The production of balatá 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,
   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.

   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: 102,700 (2004 - source:
   ITU); Mobile cellular: 219,000 (Sep 2005 - source: Informa Telecoms).
   Radio broadcast stations:1 (government owned, broadcasting on AM, FM,
   and shortwave) The government has refused to grant radio licenses to
   private operators (1998). Television broadcast stations: 14 (one
   government owned station; twelve private stations which relay a variety
   of American programmes via satellite services) (2005). Internet hosts :
   642 (2004 - source: ITU). Internet users: 145,000 (2004 - source: ITU).

   Transportation - Railways: total: 116 miles (187 km)—all dedicated to
   ore transport—(2001 est.). Highways: total: 4,952 miles (7,970 km);
   paved: 367 miles (590 km); unpaved: 4,586 miles or 7,380 kilometres
   (1999 est.). Waterways: 669 miles (1,077 km); note: Berbice, Demerara,
   and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 93 miles
   (150 km), 62 miles (100 km), and 50 miles (80 km) respectively (2004).
   Ports and harbors: Georgetown. Airports: 1 international airport (
   Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri), 1 upgraded regional
   airstrip at Ogle and numerous (49) small airstrips along the coast and
   in interior locations (2004 est.). See Transport in Guyana. There are
   no flying boats in Guyana

Society

Culture

                                                         CAPTION: Holidays

                                              Date            English 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 December              Boxing Day

   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 and is a member of the Caribbean Community Caricom
   economic bloc.It is one of the four nations that founded the Caribbean
   Community. 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. Further adding to
   its distinction as a member of the Caribbean community, 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.

   Music & Entertainment in Guyana follows the lead of other Caribbean
   countries and India. Radio stations play the latest rap, reggae,
   dancehall, soca and chutney music, as well as Bollywood influences of
   bhangra and other 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.

   See: Music of Guyana

   Cuisine and Recipes

   For the main article, see wikibooks:Cookbook:Cuisine of Guyana

   Cultural events in Guyana
     * Mashramani (Mash)
     * Phagwah ( Holi)
     * Deepavali ( Diwali)

   The major religions in Guyana include Christianity, comprising 50% of
   the population, Hinduism at 35% and Islam with 10% of the population.
   The remaining 5% consist of Bahai, and indigenous religious beliefs.

   Sport in Guyana 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, and a few others.

   Languages English (official language), Amerindian languages (see
   Cariban languages), Guyanese Creole, Hindustani (Hindi- Urdu).

Politics

   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.

   Guyana is divided into 10 administrative regions.

Education

   Bishops' High School
   Enlarge
   Bishops' High School

   Guyana's educational system, which at one time was considered to be
   among the best in the Caribbean, deteriorated in the 1980s due to the
   emigration of highly educated citizens and the lack of appropriate
   funding. Although the education system had displayed a remarkable
   recovery 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 of 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 modelled after the former British education system. Students
   are expected to write SSEE by the time they are 10-11, prior to
   commencing high school and GCE at the end of high school. The retention
   of the O and A level systems used from colonial times has remained in
   all school within the country. 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)

   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 dearth of trained teachers at every
   level of Guyana's educational system.

Public health

Delivery of services

   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 specialised 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
   10 hospitals together, provide for 548 beds.

   18 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(PeoplesNationalCongress) 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 to other neighbouring 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

   In Guyana the leading causes of mortality for children under the age of
   one are: certain conditions originating in the prenatal period (46.9%);
   intestinal infectious diseases (15.6%); congenital anomalies (10.4%);
   diseases of the respiratory system (6.7%); nutritional deficiencies
   5.8%); bacterial diseases (4.0%); diseases of the blood and the
   blood-forming organs (2.0%); endocrine and metabolic disease immunity
   disorders (1.8%); accidents (1.6%); and diseases of the Nervous System
   (1.1%).

   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.

Biodiversity

   Satellite image of Guyana 2004.
   Enlarge
   Satellite image of Guyana 2004.

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

   The following habitats have been categorised 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 1,000 tree species.
   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 8,000
   species of plants occur in Guyana, half of which are found nowhere
   else.

   Numbers of fauna species are correspondingly high. Guyana, with 1,168
   vertebrates, 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.

   See Category:Flora of Guyana, Category:Fauna of Guyana

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.
   Guyanese jungles are home to the jaguar and other species of wildlife
   Enlarge
   Guyanese jungles are home to the jaguar and other species of wildlife

   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 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 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).

Landmarks

     * St. George's Anglican Cathedral - Was the tallest wooden building
       in the world at the time of construction. Now dwarfed by other
       structures such as the Todaiji Temple in Japan.
       St. George's Cathedral
       Enlarge
       St. George's Cathedral

     * Demerara Harbour Bridge - Was the longest floating bridge in the
       world. Now the fourth longest floating bridge in the world.
     * Kaieteur Falls - 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 - Under construction on the east bank of the
       Demerara River for the ICC World Cup 2007. Construction has
       started. When completed it will be a major spot for leisure in
       Guyana. It will also be near the Providence Mall which, when
       completed, will be the largest mall 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 located next
       to the Demerara River.
     * The Town Hall - A beautiful wooden structure also from the colonial
       era.

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)

Human Rights

   Guyana is the only country in South America where homosexual sex is
   illegal.

Trivia

     * 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; 912 members of the Peoples Temple cult
       died in a mass suicide.
     * The Guinness Book of Records (1990 ed) lists the Guyanese born Sir
       Lionel Luckhoo as "the world's most successful lawyer" because he
       obtained 245 consecutive acquittals for his clients that were
       accused of murder.
     * Guyanese people say that if you visit Guyana and "Eat Labba and
       Drink Black 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", "Black water" is the water found in the many
       creeks in the interior of Guyana, made black by tannin found in
       rotting vegetation).
     * In the fictional universe of the Pokemon series of video games, it
       has been stated that the Legendary Pokemon Mew was first discovered
       deep in jungles of Guyana.
     * British Politician Peter Mandelson on a visit to Guyana is said to
       have been misheard as asking for labba curry when in fact he was
       asking for the lavatory.

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