Guyana

Physical. Guyana extends over an area of almost 83,000 square miles (slightly smaller than Idaho) on the northeast shoulder of the South American continent. The country mainly runs southward and inland for 450 miles. Guyana borders on Venezuela and Suriname. Its climate is tropical; hot and humid moderated by northeast trade winds with two rainy seasons, one from May to mid-August and another from mid-November to mid-January. There are three distinct geographical areas—the coastal belt, the forested and mountainous area and the savannah zone. The narrow coastal belt, a thin strip only 10-40 miles in width (just 4% of the land area) is intensively cultivated and is home to 90% of the population. This area actually lies several feet below sea level at high tide and is protected from the sea by an elaborate system of dams, walls, and groynes—similar to the system in the Netherlands, from which Guyana’s first European settlers originated. Some natural resources include bauxite, gold, diamonds and hardwood timber.

People. Just over 700 thousand people inhabit Guyana. English, indigenous dialects, Creole, Hindi and Urdu are the languages used. Guyana is a society deeply divided along ethnic lines. The country is over half East Indian with almost a third of the population black and 14% mixed. East Indians predominate in rural areas constituting the bulk of the labor force in the sugar-growing plantations and they comprise nearly all the rice growing industry. Blacks are concentrated in the urban areas, employed in clerical secretarial positions in public bureaucracy, teaching and semi-professional positions. They are predominant in the state structure. Half the country is Christian with one-third Hindu and less than a tenth Muslim.

Government. The country gained its independence from the United Kingdom on May 26, 1966. The urban/rural split between the Africans (descendants of the original slaves) and East Indians was developed under British administration, which provided one group with a variety of resources and political advantages. This division is reflected in Guyana’s two major political parties—the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) which draws predominately Indian support, and the People’s National Congress formed in 1957 as an ethnic African breakaway from PPP. The left-wing PPP under Cheddi Jagan won elections until independence and the PNC won every election from 1966 through 1992. In 1992, the PPP again won and current President Bharrat Jagdeo has ruled since 1999.

Economy. Moderate Economic growth continued into 2006.  Important deals were concluded with Russian and German businesses to process and ship bauxite. A Russian company would process the ore into aluminum and a German company would provide facilities for shipping and barging the bauxite.  Trade negotiations have continued with China on an accelerated basis.  These gains have not prevented the emigration of large numbers of professionals to the US.

Areas of Concern. Economic growth is a priority, as the minimum wage will not sustain an average family.  Emmigration to the US is extreme.  Environmental concerns include water pollution and deforestation.  Smoothing ethnic tensions will be critical despite the current president’s policies that tend rather to exacerbate them. Otherwise Venezuela may pursue aggressive measures to resolve its long-standing border dispute with Guyana.
 

For more...

For your action

Churches around the world