Guyana :: essays research papers

Guyana Guyana is a country located on the northern coast of South America. It is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean and on the east by Suriname. On the south side Guyana is bordered by Brazil, and on the west side is Brazil and Venezuela. Guyana achieved its independence on May 26, 1966 when it broke away from Britain. Land and Resources Guyana has three different major geographical regions. These consist of a belt of soil which ranges from five to forty miles, a dense forest area which makes up about four-fifths of the country and a region of savanna. The country also has many rivers that have some spectacular waterfalls and one river has the highest single-drop waterfall in the world. These rivers are navigable from the sea to about one-hundred miles inland, after that they are no longer navigable due to rapids and falls. Natural Resources The lands of Guyana have many valuable natural resources. Within the lands you can find gold, diamonds, kaolin, manganese and bauxite. If you were to travel a little ways off shore, you could also locate some petroleum. These natural resources are very important in helping out the economy of this poor country. The lands have much resource also found in the vegetation and the forests. The plants and trees are documented for their abnormal size and density. Guyana has an excellent lumber industry, they sell some of the finest greenheart as well as mora. Within the forests are a big variety of wildlife which can range from deer to anteater and a few types of monkeys. The birds are very diverse, they consist of for example sugarbirds, cotingas and manakins all which feed on Guyana's vast array of insects. Population , Education and Culture Guyana has an estimated 800,000 people or on an average of 3.8 people per square mile. Georgetown is the capital and it holds a few hundred thousand people. Being the capital, it is the main port city and holds the major educational institution in Guyana. The University of Guyana is the best higher education and there are many schools throughout the country. In the past few years the country has taken education to much higher level. Guyana was settled by East Indians, many still speak Urdu, Hindu and Tamil dialects. The official language is English. The culture is close to the Suriname and French Guiana than to the rest of South America. All of these various cultures have remained fairly distinct and in today's society each group has its own style of life and culture. Economy In 1966, Guyana was in the early stages of developing its resources.