Guyana
Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic mainland British West Indies. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the country's largest city. Guyana is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the west, and Suriname to the east. With a land area of 214,969 km2 (83,000 sq mi), Guyana is the third-smallest sovereign state by area in mainland South America after Uruguay and Suriname, and is the second-least populous sovereign state in South America after Suriname; it is also one of the least densely populated countries on Earth. The official language of the country is English, although a large part of the population is bilingual in English and the indigenous languages. It has a wide variety of natural habitats and very high biodiversity. The country also hosts a part of the Amazon rainforest, the largest tropical rainforest in the world.
Some of the key events about Guyana
- 1763Berbice Slave Uprising resulted in significant loss of life and property damage
- 1823Demerara Rebellion led to brutal suppression and execution of enslaved people
- 1831Slavery was abolished in British Guiana (now Guyana)
- 1856A cholera epidemic killed approximately 8% of the population
- 1964Racial violence erupted between Afro-Guyanese and Indo-Guyanese communities
- 1966Guyana gained independence from the United Kingdom
- 1970Guyana became a Cooperative Republic
- 1978Jonestown Massacre resulted in the deaths of over 900 people
- 1980Assassination of prominent political activist Walter Rodney
- 1992The country held its first free and fair elections since independence
- 1997Violent protests and rioting followed disputed election results
- 2000Guyana's first female president was elected
- 2002Prison break led to a crime spree and multiple deaths
- 2004The country joined the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME)
- 2005Severe flooding affected over 290,000 people and caused significant economic damage
- 2007Guyana hosted matches for the Cricket World Cup
- 2012Linden protests resulted in deaths and injuries during clashes with security forces
- 2015Significant oil reserves were discovered off Guyana's coast
- 2018The International Court of Justice agreed to hear Guyana's case regarding its border dispute with Venezuela
- 2020Guyana became the world's fastest-growing economy due to its oil production
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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