GuyanaVictoria



=Guyana=

The flag of [|Guyana] is known as the [|Golden Arrowhead].



The black edge represents the courage and strength that the people of Guyana have. The green background of the flag represents the rich forests and agriculuture of Guyana, while the gold represents the many mineral resources. The white border symbolizes the waters, and the red is the fiery spirit of the people.



[|"Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains"] is the title of Guyana's National Anthem. The words were written by [|Archibald Leonard Luker] and the music was written by [|Robert Cyril Gladstone Potter]. It was selected a month before Guyana's indpendence in 1966.

Guiana (Guyana) is [|Amerindian] for 'the land of many waters.'

Guyana's [|national motto] is, "One people, one nation, one destiny."

=Location=



Guyana is located North of Brazil. [|Georgetown] is the capital of Guyana. It is located at [|6.48°N, 58.10°W]. Other major cities include [|Bartica (6.41°N 58.63°W), Corriverton (5.90°N 57.17°W), Linden (5.99°N 58.27°W), and New Amsterdam (6.25°N 57.53°W)].

=Place=





[|Kaieteur Falls] is one of the largest waterfalls in the world, coming in with a perpendicular drop of [|741 feet!] It is about five times higher than Niagra Falls, located on the border of Canada and the United States.



The [|Demerara River] flows out to the Atlantic Ocean. Its muddy water is very charecteristic of Guyana's coastine.

The Rupununi Savannah is home to about fourteen communities and 3500 individuals. The savannah itself covers about [|6,000 sqaure miles] of land, making it the largest savannah in Guyana.



This is the precipitation map for February 3, 2007. Guyana is outlined in black. You can see that they could get a mild to heavy rain on the coast. Guyana has a [|tropical] climate moderated by the Northeast Trade Winds. It has two rainy seasons; from May to August and November to January.

=People=



The only [|indigenous] people in Guyana are the Amerindians.



The homes of Amazonian Indians are leaf-roofed. The family/families sleep in cotton hammocks.



This is an Amazonian Indian dressed in traditional clothing.



Facts, Statistics, and the Government
The [|president] of Guyana, [|Bharrat Jagdeo], was reelected as president in [|2006] for the second time. Jagdeo (first elected in [|1999]) is the successor of Jane Jagan, whose husband, [|Cheddi] [|Jagan], was elected president in what most consider to be Guyana's first fair election since their independance from the United Kingdom in 1966.

Guyana's currency is the Guyanese dollar. One US dollar is equal to [|one hundred ninety Guyanese dollars].

The estimated [|2006 population] for Guyana is 767,245. About 26.2% of this estimate are fourteen and younger. The majority of the population (about 68.6%) is between the ages of fifteen and sixty-four. Only about 5.2% of the estimated 767,245 population are over the age of sixty-five. In [|2000], there were only about 18,706 females over the age of sixty-five, and there were only about 15,170 males over the age of sixty-five.

[|English] is the official language of Guyana, however Amerindian dialects, [|Creolese], Hindu, Wai-Wai, Arawak, Macushi and Urdu are also spoken.

[|Christianity] is the religion of approximately 50% of Guyana's population. Hinduism compromises about 35% of the population, while about 10% have Islamic beliefs. The other 5% of Guyana's people practice [|Bahá'í Faith]or have indigenous beliefs.

The three main teachings of [|Bahá'í Faith] are


 * the unity of God.
 * the unity of religion.
 * the unity of mankind.

Bahá'ís believe that the Messenger of God for this day is [|Bahá’u’lláh]. The [|teachings] of Bahá’u’lláh are said to help reconnect a person's soul to the sacred world, and help it shed light on the collective destiny of humans.

There are currently over [|five million] people who believe in the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.

The [|life expectancy] for a Guyanese female in 2005 was 68. This is the highest it has been in five years! A [|Guyanese male] is expected to live about 63 years.

In 2003, about [|99%] of people in Guyana could read and write. In 2002, about 98% of women in Guyana were literate, compared to [|99%] of adult males. The adult literacy rate for all of South America is smaller, with only about 89% of women being able to read and write and about 90% of males. In 1980, the youth literacy rate was 99%. In 2002, the literacy rate had bumped up to 100%.

Approximately 49% of [|Guyana's people] are of East Indian origin, whereas only 32% are of African ancestry. About 12% of the population is of mixed ancestry, and 6% is Amerindian. 1% of the population is Caucasian or of Asian descent.

Mount Roraima is [|Guyana's highest point], with a total elevation of 2,835 meters.

Approximately 9% of the people in Guyana are [|unemployed].

In 2005, there were about 281,400 [|cell phones] in use, and only about 110,100 landlines. In 2004, there were about 137 [|telephones] per 1,000 people.

Guyana has 274 [|waterfalls], 18 lakes, and 4 mountain ranges.

In 2005, there were only about 160,000 [|Internet users] in Guyana.

Guyana has 90 [|airports]. Of the 90, only 9 of them have paved runways, and 81 do not.

In 1999 there were approximately 7,970 km of [|roadway]. Only about 590 km of that were paved, and 7,380 km were unpaved roads.

In 2006, the [|median age] was about 27 years old. The male median is about 27, and the female is approximately 28 years.

Roughly 90% of Guyana's [|population] live on the coast.

In 2004, Guyana had approximately 1,100 [|military personnel].

In 2000, there were about 604 [|radios] per 1,000 people, and only about 100 televisions per 1,000 people.

=Human-Environment Interaction=



Part of Guyana is rainforest. Called [|Iwokrama Forest], it is located west of the Pakaraima Mountains.

=Movement=

Sugar, gold, shrimp, rice, timber, and bauxite are Guyana's major [|exports].

A [|plane] ticket from Newark, New Jersey to Georgetown, Guyana can cost anywhere from $847 to $1,285 per person. The price depends on which airline you use, when you leave, and how many lay-overs you have.

Guyana was [|first colonized] by the Dutch in 1616. The Dutch created three seperate colonies; [|Essequibo], [|Berbice], and [|Demerara]. However, the Dutch were forced to leave in the late 1700s, when the British came and claimed the three colonies as their own. In 1831, the three british colonies became one big colony, known as the British Guiana.

Guyana, formerly British Guiana, gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. It became a republic in 1970, and still remainds a member of the [|Commonwealth].

=Region=

Guyana is located in the north-east section of [|Latin America].

Guyana is located in the northern [|hemisphere].