Guyana

C

Natural Resources

The important mineral deposits of Guyana include bauxite, copper, gold, and diamonds. The timber from its forests are also important, although there are environmental concerns about deforestation. Some oil is located offshore.

The plants and trees of Guyana are noted for their great size; the giant water lily is common. The dense forests contain excellent woods, such as greenheart and mora, for use in the timber industry. The animal life is varied and includes deer, anteater, and two species of monkey. Among the birds are manakin, sugarbird, and cotinga; the diversity of brilliantly coloured birds and insects is considerable.

D

Environmental Concerns

Guyana is a sparsely populated country with vast but fragile forests and mineral resources. Most of Guyana’s population lives along the coast in an area of intensive agriculture. In this region there is considerable pollution. About 94 per cent (1995) of the country is forested, mostly with tropical rainforest, although dry forests occur in the north. Deforestation is accelerating rapidly. Other threats to forests include brush fires, soil erosion, and overhunting or poaching of wildlife. Mangroves are a critical coastal habitat and resource, providing biodiversity, breeding areas for fish, and protection against erosion by the sea. Mangroves are seriously threatened and inadequately protected. Guyana has formulated a National Environmental Policy and a Forest Action Plan, which address major issues of resource use, pollution control, and protection of the environment and indigenous peoples. However, there are few effective environmental laws, and the existing ones are not well enforced. Resources for managing protected areas are scarce. The protected system is limited to one national park, although plans to greatly expand the system have been introduced.

A serious threat to potential protected land is the major road linking Brazil and the Guyana coast, and the government-approved logging concessions along its length. Foreign companies are vying for huge logging contracts in the interior. Mining interests, especially for gold and diamonds, conflict with conservation plans. In 1995 a gold-mining operation spilled cyanide-treated waste water into the 1,010 km (630 mi) Essequibo, resulting in a major health threat to humans and wildlife downstream. The Programme for Sustainable Tropical Forestry in Guyana, funded by the World Bank and the United Nations (UN), seeks to establish a Global Environment Facility that would set up special protected forest areas and study sites with the aim of researching methods of sustainable use of tropical forests. Guyana works with neighbouring countries through the Amazon Cooperation Treaty, which provides for conservation-oriented development strategies in the Amazon region. Guyana is party to international treaties on biodiversity, climate change, endangered species, law of the sea, ozone layer, tropical timber, and whaling.

III

Population

Slightly more than 50 per cent of the total population of Guyana is made up of East Indians whose ancestors came from the Indian subcontinent. About 36 per cent of the people are of black African descent, and some 7 per cent are of mixed background. Approximately 7 per cent are Native Americans. In addition, small numbers of Europeans and Chinese live in Guyana. About 90 per cent of the population lives along the coast, and about 61 per cent resides in rural areas.

A

Population Characteristics

Guyana has a population of 770,794 (2008 estimate), giving the country an overall population density of about 3.9 people per sq km (10 per sq mi). Georgetown, the capital and principal port, has a population of 231,000 (2003 estimate). Smaller population centres include the port of New Amsterdam (25,000) and the mining community of Linden (formerly called Mackenzie-Wismar-Christianburg; 35,000).

B

Religion

About 50 per cent of the population is Christian, most being Anglican or Roman Catholic. The remainder are mainly Hindus (33 per cent) or Muslims (9 per cent).