9781422286432

Guyana

10

Present-day Guyana consists of 83,000 square miles (214,970 square kilo- meters), making it slightly smaller than the state of Idaho. It has a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean of 270 miles (435 km), which makes up the northern border of the country. Several rivers help make up Guyana’s border on the west with Venezuela and Brazil. Brazil also lies to the south, separated from Guyana by the Akarai Mountains. The Courantyne River forms the country’s eastern border with Suriname. The three largest rivers in the country are the Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo. One of Guyana’s most notable landmarks is Kaieteur Falls, locat- ed on the Potaro River in west-central Guyana. There the water tumbles more than 740 feet (225 meters). Some early European explorers believed that Guyana was the location of El Dorado , a mythical land filled with golden cities and great wealth. In truth, Guyana does produce gold and diamonds, though not nearly in the quantities the explorers were hoping for. Bauxite , which is used to make alu- minum, is in fact the country’s most abundant mineral. bauxite— a mineral that is used to make aluminum. El Dorado— the mythical city of gold and diamonds that some believed was located in Guyana. endangered— nearing extinction (as a wildlife species). equatorial— located at or near the equator. erosion— the gradual wearing away of a coastline into the sea. savanna— a grassy plain with very few trees. Words to Understand in this Chapter