Mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Climate
Tropical; hot humid moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August November to January)
Natural Hazards
Mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Note:
The third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively
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. Read more on Wikipedia
