Guyana Dutch and British colonization made an indelible mark on Guyana, leaving behind a now dilapidated colonial capital, a volatile mix of peoples, and a curious political geography. The country's natural attractions, however, are impressive, unspoiled and on a scale that dwarfs human endeavor. Guyana has immense falls, vast tropical rainforest and savanna teeming with wildlife. If the government doesn't destroy the environment in a bid to pay off its huge foreign debt, Guyana could be the eco-tourism destination of the future. Right now, it's the place for independent, rugged, Indiana Jones types who don't mind visiting a country that everybody else thinks is in Africa. Facts at a Glance Full country name: Co-operative Republic of Guyana Area: 215,000 sq km Population: 825,000 Capital city: Georgetown (pop 200,000) People: 51% East Indian, 43% Afro-Guyanese, 4% Amerindian, 2% European & Chinese Language: English (though most Guyanese speak a Creole), also Hindi and Urdu Religion: 57% Christian, 33% Hindu, 9% Muslim Government: Democracy President: Dr Cheddi Jagan Environment Roughly the size of the UK, Guyana is bordered by Venezuela to the west, Suriname to the east, and overshadowed by Brazil to the south. Its northern coast abuts the Atlantic Ocean. The country's most prominent geological feature is the Guiana Shield, a vast crystalline upland north of the Río Solimões, the Amazon's major channel. From Mt Roraima (2772 meters), on the Brazilian border, the shield recedes in steps all the way to the coast. Thick rainforest covers great chunks of the interior, though south-western Guyana features extensive grassland. About 90% of the population lives on the agriculturally rich coastal plain. Guyana's varied and spectacular wildlife includes brightly-plumed birds and mammals such as tapirs, ocelots and monkeys. The equatorial climate results in high temperatures, tempered by cooling sea breezes. There are two rainy seasons: from May to mid-August and from mid-November to mid-January. History The aboriginal inhabitants of the Guyanese coast were Carib Indians who had driven the peaceful Arawak north and westwards into the Antilles. European settlement didn't occur until 1615, when the Dutch West Indian Company erected a fort and depot on the lower Essequibo River. The Dutch traded with the Indian peoples of the interior, and established riverside plantations - worked by African slaves - and sugar quickly became the dominant crop. While the coast remained firmly under Dutch control, the English were busy establishing sugar and tobacco plantations west of the Suriname River. Conflict between the two countries meant parts of the region changed hands a number of times, but by 1796 Britain had become the major power. In 1834, slavery was abolished forcing many plantations to close or look for another source of labour. The British solved the problem by shipping indentured workers from India. From 1846-1917, almost 250,000 laborers entered Guyana, dramatically transforming the country's demographic balance and laying the basis for persistent ethnic tensions. Guyana achieved independence in 1966 and four years later became a co-operative republic within the Commonwealth. The sugar industry was nationalized and the country's economic base diversified through production of rice and bauxite. However, Guyana's economy was in almost permanent recession up until 1990 as it slid out of mainstream engagement with the rest of the world and experienced the exodus of much of its educated class. Its domestic economy was not helped by border disputes with neighboring Venezuela and Suriname. In 1992, elections installed the US-educated dentist Dr Cheddi Jagan as president. An ageing Marxist, Dr Jagan was in danger of seeming an anachronism, but Guyana's recovery means he's more likely to be consulting the IMF than the teachings of Karl Marx. As Guyana re-engages with the rest of the world economy, it's pristine environment is coming under intense pressure from international companies seeking logging and mining concessions. Recommended Reading The country's best known work of literature is ER Braithwaite's To Sir With Love, a cracking good yarn which was turned into a surprisingly good film (Sidney Poitier starred and Lulu sang the signature tune, remember?). Never mind that it was set in London. His epic poetry is more closely focused on the Caribbean experience. VS Naipaul held nothing back in his travelogue The Middle Passage. His brother Shiva satirized Guyanese intellectual life in The Hot Country and chronicled the appalling waste of life at the Jonestown massacre in Journey to Nowhere: a New World Tragedy (also published as Black and White) Evelyn Waugh wheezed his way through Guyana's rugged interior in the 1930s and wrote about his experiences in Ninety-Two Days. The country's history and geography are revealed in David Lowenthals' West Indian Societies