Guyana

Overview

The only country in South America with English as its official language rests on the continent's north-eastern coast. Its proximity to the Caribbean and its frequently tempestuous colonial past have resulted in an interesting mixing of many cultures. This is particularly apparent in the prevalence of the unofficial creole that is actually spoken by most of the Guyanese population. Exploring the interior with its thick forests which cover 85% of the country may not always be the simplest task but is made even more rewarding because of this. The thousands of kilometres of waterways are one of the exploration methods but off road vehicles and light aircraft can also be used. The light impact of man means that creatures such as jaguar, howler monkeys and arapaima can be seen. A popular activity is fishing, for which licences are required. However, falling in should be avoided as piranha lie in wait.

The capital, Georgetown, has a great deal of wooden colonial architecture including St. George's Cathedral amongst the tallest wooden buildings in the world. Many visitors will recognise the Dutch style canals and popularity of cricket as reminders of the colonial past. Finally, the Kaietur and Orinduik Falls should not be missed. The former as the spectacular tallest single drop waterfall from a sandstone tableland into its own gorge, the latter for the opportunity for swimming in an unusual location.

History

Before the arrival of Europeans the region was inhabited by both Carib and Arawak tribes who named it Guiana which means land of waters. The Dutch settled in Guyana in the late 16th century but their control ended when the British became the de facto rulers in 1796. In 1815 the colonies of Essequibo Demerara and Berbice were officially ceded to Great Britain at the Congress of Vienna and in 1831 were consolidated as British Guiana. Following the abolition of slavery in 1834 thousands of indentured laborers were brought to Guyana to replace the slaves on the sugar cane plantations primarily from India but also from Portugal and China. The British stopped the practice in 1917. Many of the Afro-Guyanese former slaves moved to the towns and became the majority urban population whereas the Indo-Guyanese remained predominantly rural. A scheme in 1862 to bring black workers from the United States was unsuccessful. The small Amerindian population lives in the country's interior. The people drawn from these diverse origins have coexisted peacefully for the most part. Slave revolts such as the one in 1763 led by Guyana's national hero Cuffy demonstrated the desire for basic rights but also a willingness to compromise. Politically inspired racial disturbances between East Indians and blacks erupted in 1962-64. However the basically conservative and cooperative nature of Guyanese society contributed to a cooling of racial tensions. Guyanese politics nevertheless occasionally has been turbulent. The first modern political party in Guyana was the People's Progressive Party (PPP)...more