The Cooperative Republic of Guyana is a country on the Atlantic coast of South America.
It borders Brazil to the south and west, Venezuela to the northwest, and Suriname to the east.
Guyana is also one of the smallest and most sparsely populated countries in the world, with a population of only 804,567, is the only country in the region to have English as an official language, and most people belong to Christian, Hindu, and Islamic faiths.
The most famous and popular sport besides soccer is cricket, and the capital is surrounded by sea and jungle, so people travel mainly by air and sea.
The first part of the name is due to the government system, and the second part is due to its location in the geographical region of Guyana.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the name means “the land of many waters.”
WHERE IS THE ORIGIN OF GUYANA?
Like the neighboring countries of Suriname and French Guiana, Guyana is one of the territories conquered by the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and France.
Before the arrival of foreigners, these territories were inhabited by the Arawaks and Caribs.
Without forming an organized state, about 30,000 people lived in tribes, hunted, and gathered.
The first European to explore the coast of Guyana was the Spaniard Alonso de Ojeda, who arrived in the Demerara region and mapped the area.
Years later, in 1530, the official colonization of Guyana occurred with the arrival of Diego de Ordás, who founded the Province of Guyana and granted it to the Spanish Crown.
The province included the present-day Venezuelan states of Bolivar, Delta Amacuro, and Amazonas and the Essequibo region, a 160,000 km area in present-day Guyana that is now disputed with Venezuela.
The search for the legendary El Dorado motivated the European explorers to reach Guyana, but they never found it.
Since they did not find any treasures, the economy was based on agriculture, especially in the coastal areas.
After a series of wars between the British and the Dutch, the local population rose against the abuse by the Europeans.
Eventually, the British won the victory and the right to free trade and became the territory’s rulers.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN GUYANA
During the British occupation, workers of African, Chinese, Javanese, and Indian origin arrived, and Guyana developed into a multi-ethnic country through miscegenation.
People of different origins have lived together peacefully.
WHAT SPORTS ARE THERE IN GUYANA?
Unlike its South American neighbors, the most popular sports in Guyana are cricket and basketball, but soccer and volleyball are also popular.
WHAT IS GUYANA’S WEALTH?
The country of Guyana, with a population of over 800,000, has more than 10 billion barrels of oil reserves, which could increase with new discoveries.
It is already the country with the largest per capita reserves in the world, ahead of Brunei, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
ESSEQUIBO, THE AREA OF GUYANA CLAIMED BY VENEZUELA
The Essequibo is the western part of the territory that makes up the Republic of Guyana.
Although this territory represents two-thirds of the country, it remains “disputed” as Venezuela makes territorial claims, considers this part an integral part of its country, and demands its administrative return.
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