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.
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Some of the key events about Guyana

  • 1763
    Berbice Slave Uprising resulted in significant loss of life and property damage
  • 1823
    Demerara Rebellion led to brutal suppression and execution of enslaved people
  • 1831
    Slavery was abolished in British Guiana (now Guyana)
  • 1856
    A cholera epidemic killed approximately 8% of the population
  • 1964
    Racial violence erupted between Afro-Guyanese and Indo-Guyanese communities
  • 1966
    Guyana gained independence from the United Kingdom
  • 1970
    Guyana became a Cooperative Republic
  • 1978
    Jonestown Massacre resulted in the deaths of over 900 people
  • 1980
    Assassination of prominent political activist Walter Rodney
  • 1992
    The country held its first free and fair elections since independence
  • 1997
    Violent protests and rioting followed disputed election results
  • 2000
    Guyana's first female president was elected
  • 2002
    Prison break led to a crime spree and multiple deaths
  • 2004
    The country joined the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME)
  • 2005
    Severe flooding affected over 290,000 people and caused significant economic damage
  • 2007
    Guyana hosted matches for the Cricket World Cup
  • 2012
    Linden protests resulted in deaths and injuries during clashes with security forces
  • 2015
    Significant oil reserves were discovered off Guyana's coast
  • 2018
    The International Court of Justice agreed to hear Guyana's case regarding its border dispute with Venezuela
  • 2020
    Guyana 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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