GUYANA• The Golden Arrowhead, Guyana's

National Flag has FIVE symbolic colors -- GREEN represents the agricultural and forested nature of Guyana, WHITE symbolizes the rivers and water potential of the country, a GOLDEN arrow represents Guyana's mineral wealth, BLACK portrays the endurance that will sustain the forward thrust of the Guyanese people and RED represents the zeal and dynamic nature of nation-building which lies before the young and independent Guyana.

GUAYANA’S LOCATION

Country -(long form) Co-operative Republic of Guyana Capital- Georgetown Total Area- 83,000.38 sq mi214,970.00 sq km(slightly smaller than Idaho) Population 697,181 (July 2001 est.)note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected Estimated Population in 2050- 786,846 Languages -English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu Literacy- 98.1% total, 98.6% male, 97.5% female (1995 est.) Religions- Christian 50%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 8% Life Expectancy- 60.52 male, 66.24 female (2001 est.) Government Type republic within the Commonwealth Currency 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents GDP (per capita) $4,800 (2000 est.) Industry bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold mining Agriculture sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest and fishery potential not exploited Arable Land 2% Natural Resources bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish

• "Mashramani" is derived from an Amerindian language and in translation means "the celebration of a job well done". It is probably the most colourful of all the country's festivals. There are spectacular costume competitions, float parades, masquerade bands, and dancing in the streets to the accompaniment of steel drum music and calypsos. Masquerades frequent the streets performing acrobatic dance routines, a vivid reminder of Guyana's African heritage. Calypso competitions with their witty social commentaries are another integral part of "Mash", and this culminates in the coronation of a King or Queen for the particular year.