Guyana
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Introduction
Guyana, in northern South America, is bounded on the west by Venezuela, on the north by the Caribbean Sea, on the east by Surinam, and on the south by Brazil. Formerly British Guiana.
Background
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, and since then it has been 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. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet Jagan, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat Jagdeo, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006.
Editor's Notes
- A more detailed country profile on Guyana may be found at: The CIA World Fact Book.
- Website of the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana