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GUYANA
Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a
British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban
areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar
plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent
politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, but until the early
1990s it was ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi
JAGAN was elected president, in what is considered the country's first free and
fair election since independence. Upon his death five years later, he was
succeeded by his wife Janet, who resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her
successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001.
History
First charted by Spain in 1499, Guyana came under Dutch control by the
mid-1700s. The British gained possession of Guyana in 1814. British rule brought
large influxes of Africans and East Indians. In 1961 Guyana achieved internal
self-government under Cheddi Jagan of the People's Progressive Party (PPP). In
1962 Jagan's austerity program led to riots and a general strike. After British
troops restored order, the nation was left on the brink of economic chaos. The
1964 elections resulted in a coalition government under Forbes Burnham of the
People's National Congress (PNC). On May 26th, 1966 Guyana gained independence
from the British. Four years later on February 23rd, 1970 Guyana became a
republic. The country is now called The Cooperative Republic of Guyana. In 1978
Guyana was the scene of the mass suicide and murder of more than 900 members of
a religious cult on orders of their leader,James Warren("Jim") Jones. A new
constitution became effective in 1980. Burnham was then elected president. He
governed until his death in 1985, when Desmond Hoyte of the PNC became
president. In 1992 an internationally supervised election returned Jagan and the
PPP to power. Elections were held again in December of 1997, and the PPP/Civic
under the leadership of Janet Jagan (the widow of the late Cheddi Jagan), won a
second mandate. On August 8th. 1999 President Janet Jagan announced that she is
stepping down for health reasons and handing over the Presidency to Finance
Minister Bharrat Jagdeo. Once again on March 19th. 2001, the Guyanese People
went again to the Polls. The PPP/Civic once again won the elections.
Economy
The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-02, based on
expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere
for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation,
and the continued support of international organizations. Growth then slowed in
2003 and came back gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export
earnings. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient
infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the
urgent need for expanded public investment. The bauxite mining sector should
benefit in the near term from restructuring and partial privatization.
Population
Guyana has a population of 758,619 (1991 estimate). About 50 percent of the
people are of East Indian descent, and about 30 percent are of black African
descent. Five percent are Native Amerindians, and about 10 percent are of mixed
background. Others include Chinese and Europeans. About 90 percent of the mostly
rural population lives along the coast. About 42 percent are Christians, 34
percent are Hindus, and 9 percent are Muslims. The country's official language
is English. In the late 1980s about 134,700 pupils were enrolled in 425
elementary schools in Guyana. Some 100 secondary, technical, and
teacher-training institutions had a total of approximately 73,400 students. The
country’s principal institution of higher education, the University of Guyana
(1963), in Georgetown, was attended by about 2300 students.
Currency
The currency is the Guyana dollar (135 Guyana dollars equal U.S.$1;
1997,approx.)
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