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2008 Stanford Super Series

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72-474: The 2008 Stanford Super Series was a cricket tournament sponsored by Texan billionaire Allen Stanford . The tournament was played between 25 October – 1 November consisting of 5 warm-up matches and a US$ 20 million for the grand finale. This final match was played between the Stanford Superstars and England. Before it began, the tournament was threatened with cancellation due to a row between Digicel ,

144-636: A National Protected Area System. More than 80% of Guyana is still covered by forests, which also contain the world's rarest orchids , ranging from dry evergreen and seasonal forests to montane and lowland evergreen rain forests. These forests are home to more than a thousand species of trees. Guyana's tropical climate, unique geology, and relatively undisturbed ecosystems support extensive areas of species-rich rain forests and natural habitats with high levels of endemism . There are about 8000 species of plants in Guyana, half of which are found nowhere else. The country

216-434: A key component for receiving international aid through REDD programmes. The earliest residents of Guyana employed a variety of agricultural practices for subsistence living but also had extensive networks of trade, dealing in items such as blow pipes, curare , cassava graters, and other essentials. These trade networks were important even at the time of the earliest European contact, and Dutch traders were inclined to gift

288-471: A large impact on Guyana's GDP since drilling began in 2019. GDP grew sharply (43%) through the COVID-19 pandemic year of 2020, and is anticipated to continue at a high level in 2021 (estimated at 20%). The non-oil sectors contracted as public health measures were in place to control the virus spread; the growth of GDP rests on the oil sector for these two years. Preservation of Guyana's pristine forests has been

360-540: A match, actions for which he later apologised The England team was later hit by a stomach bug, leading Kevin Pietersen to declare that he was looking forward to the tournament's completion. Before the tournament ended, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that they would be reviewing the five-year contract that they had signed with Stanford, bringing into question their participation in future tournaments However,

432-547: A more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organisations. Guyana held huge amounts of debt which have been written off through various international agencies. In 2003 Guyana qualified for US$ 329 million of debt relief, in addition to the US$ 256 million from the original World Bank plan for assisting heavily indebted poor countries in 1999. The Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative in 2006/7 wrote off about US$ 611 million of Guyana's debt by

504-589: Is tropical and generally hot and humid, though moderated by northeast trade winds along the coast. There are two rainy seasons, the first from May to mid-August, the second from mid-November to mid-January. Guyana has one of the largest unspoiled rainforests in South America, some parts of which are almost inaccessible by humans. The rich natural history of Guyana was described by early explorers Sir Walter Raleigh and Charles Waterton and later by naturalists Sir David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell . In 2008,

576-510: 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. The region known as "

648-482: Is home to six ecoregions: Guayanan Highlands moist forests , Guianan moist forests , Orinoco Delta swamp forests , Tepuis , Guianan savanna , and Guianan mangroves . The Guiana Shield region is little known and extremely rich biologically. Unlike other areas of South America, over 70% of the natural habitat remains pristine. Guyana ranks third in the world with a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 9.58/10. The rich natural history of British Guiana

720-638: Is now Guyana has been inhabited for millennia. Nine indigenous tribes reside in Guyana: the Wai Wai , Macushi , Patamona , Lokono , Kalina , Wapishana , Pemon , Akawaio , and Warao . Many of these peoples practised shifting agriculture alongside hunting . Historians speculate that the Arawaks and Caribs originated in the South American hinterland and migrated northward, first to the present-day Guianas and then to

792-706: Is now serving a penal sentence in the US. Following the first year of the series, the future of the competition was put in doubt after Stanford disbanded his team of 12 'Stanford Legends' who had been acting as ambassadors for the tournament. In the wake of fraud charges made against Stanford, the ECB terminated all contracts with Stanford in February 2009, meaning that the England cricket team took no further part in Stanford organised matches. Stanford

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864-529: 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 km (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

936-404: Is the most offensive. It has no context as a proper sporting competition, it is neither country versus country, club versus club or invitation XI versus invitation XI. It is a rococo hybrid. It has money, but nothing else going for it." It has since been alleged that Stanford's creation of the tournament was primarily a method to launder his income from the fraudulent business schemes for which he

1008-480: Is the only mainland South American nation in which English is the official language. However, the majority of the population speak Guyanese Creole , an English-based creole language , as a first language. Guyana is part of the Commonwealth Caribbean . It is part of the mainland Caribbean region maintaining strong cultural, historical, and political ties with other Caribbean countries as well as serving as

1080-553: The Akawaio , Arawak ( Lokono ), Arekuna ( Pemon ), Carib ( Karinya ), Makushi , Patamona , Wai Wai , Wapichan , and Warao . They are the third-largest demographic group in the country and are the majority population in the southern interior. The Afro-Guyanese population mainly descend from West African ethnicities such as the Ashanti from Ghana , the Yoruba from Southwest Nigeria ,

1152-564: The BBC broadcast a three-part programme called Lost Land of the Jaguar which highlighted the huge diversity of wildlife, including undiscovered species and rare species such as the giant otter and harpy eagle . Guyana has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. It is home to more than 225 species of mammals , 900 species of birds , 880 species of reptiles, and more than 6,500 different species of plants. Among these wildlife categories

1224-627: The Champions Cup , as well as playing in a series of other exhibition matches with the Superstars and England. The tournament collapsed following the arrest (and subsequent conviction) of Allen Stanford for an $ 8 billion fraud , part of which funded the prize money for the Super Series. Allen Stanford proposed emphasizing Twenty20 cricket as a way to promote cricket in the West Indies . He created

1296-661: The Courentyne River at 724 km (450 mi), the Berbice at 595 km (370 mi), and the Demerara at 346 km (215 mi). The Courentyne river forms the border with Suriname. At the mouth of the Essequibo are several large islands, including the 145 km (90 mi) wide Shell Beach along the northwest coast, which is also a major breeding area for sea turtles (mainly leatherbacks ) and other wildlife. The climate

1368-601: The Igbo from South-Eastern Nigeria , and the Mandingo from Senegal . Most Indo-Guyanese are descended from indentured labourers who migrated from North India , especially the Bhojpur and Awadh regions of the Hindi Belt in the present-day states of Uttar Pradesh , Bihar , and Jharkhand . A significant minority of Indo-Guyanese are also descended from indentured migrants who came from

1440-547: The Indian Premier League , declined as they did not want to be involved in a privately funded programme. When that deal fell through, Stanford increased the prize money to US$ 20 million and aimed to get either England or Australia involved. After meeting with the ECB from April through June, Stanford finally signed a five-year deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board to host a series of US$ 20 million, winner-take-all matches, worth $ 100 million in total. In addition,

1512-644: The International Monetary Fund , the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank . In 2006, Japan finalised its bilateral debt cancellation agreement, in 2007, US$ 15 million was written off by China and in 2008, Venezuela cancelled US$ 12.5 million. In 2008, the economy witnessed a 3% increase in growth amid the global economic crisis ; it grew 5.4% in 2011 and 3.7% in 2012. IMF projected economic growth to be 53% in 2020 following

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1584-457: The Macushi people). When the country gained independence from British rule, a policy of nationalisation was enacted by Forbes Burnham to address the inequities that were established by plantation-based colonial rule. All large-scale industries such as foreign-owned bauxite mining ( Reynolds Metals and Rio Tinto's Alcan) and sugar ( GuySuCo ) operations were taken over by the government. However,

1656-600: The Orinoco and Courantyne rivers. Dutch sovereignty over these settlements was recognised in 1648 by Spain with the Peace of Münster , which stated under Article 5 that the Dutch would retain all of the lordships, cities, castles, fortresses, trades and lands in the... West Indies under their possession at the time. However, the treaty did not specify the boundary between Spanish Guiana and Dutch Guiana . Guyana achieved independence from

1728-578: The People's National Congress Reform rose to power, quickly becoming a repressive authoritarian leader. Politics became divided on race with the Afro-Guyanese supporting Burnham's People's National Congress and the Indo-Guyanese supporting Jagan 's People's Progressive Party , in what became known as aapan jaat politics, loosely translated from Guyanese Hindustani as "vote for your own kind". Guyana

1800-530: The Stanford 20/20 , a yearly tournament featuring teams from the island nations that made up the West Indies. From the first edition of his tournament in 2006, he aimed to have the best players from his tournament play as a team against an international team. Initially, South Africa had been planned to play against the Stanford team for a prize of US$ 5 million, but that effort fell through after scheduling conflicts with

1872-723: The West Indies Cricket Board 's (WICB) main sponsor, and Stanford. Digicel argued that it should get sponsorship rights because it is WICB's sponsorship rights holder and that the tournament was officially sanctioned by the WICB. All 2008 Super Series matches took place at the Stanford Cricket Ground in Antigua , and started at 5:30 pm local time (9:30 pm in the United Kingdom). All games were aired on Sky Sports in

1944-543: The headquarters for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). In 2008, the country joined the Union of South American Nations as a founding member. In 2017, 41% of the population of Guyana lived below the poverty line . Guyana's economy has been undergoing a transformation since the discovery of crude oil in 2015 and commercial drilling in 2019, with its economy growing by 49% in 2020, making it, by some accounts, currently

2016-599: The Americas after the United States , Canada , and The Bahamas , and has been one of the countries with the most improvement in Human Development Index ranking since 2015. According to the World Bank in 2023, very significant poverty still exists and the country faces significant risks in structurally managing its growth. The name "Guyana" derives from Guiana , an earlier name for a larger region that included

2088-478: The Atlantic coast (low coastal plain) where most of the population lives; a white sand belt further inland (hilly sand and clay region), containing most of Guyana's mineral deposits; the dense rain forests (Forested Highland Region) in the southern part of the country; the drier savannah areas in the south-west; and the smallest interior lowlands (interior savannah) consisting mostly of mountains that gradually rise to

2160-625: The Brazilian border. Some of Guyana's highest mountains are Mount Ayanganna (2,042 m or 6,699 ft), Monte Caburaí (1,465 m or 4,806 ft) and Mount Roraima (2,772 m or 9,094 ft – the highest mountain in Guyana) on the Brazil-Guyana-Venezuela tripoint border, part of the Pakaraima range. Mount Roraima and Guyana's table-top mountains ( tepuis ) are said to have been

2232-632: The Caribbean islands. The Arawak, mainly cultivators, hunters, and fishermen, migrated to the Caribbean islands before the Carib and settled throughout the region. Although Christopher Columbus was the first European to sight Guyana during his third voyage (in 1498), and Sir Walter Raleigh wrote an account in 1596, the Dutch were the first Europeans to establish colonies: Pomeroon (1581), Essequibo (1616), Berbice (1627), and Demerara (1752). After France invaded

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2304-627: The Champions Cup whilst Stanford Superstars and England contested the Final, labelled the 20/20 For 20 match. The matches were well attended, but the press (especially the British contingent) was mainly very sceptical. "Of all the short-form matches currently being organised," wrote Stephen Brenkley in The Independent on 26 October 2008, "the conclusion is easily reached that Stanford Superstars v England

2376-569: The Digicel agreement did not come into play. Digicel won the suit, in front of the High Court in London, England. However, they later reached a deal with Stanford Super Series officials, that allowed the tournament to continue for at least three years. Stanford Super Series The Stanford Super Series was a series of Twenty20 cricket matches in 2008, sponsored by Allen Stanford . The main game of

2448-583: The Dutch Republic ( 1795 ), the British assumed control in 1796, with the Dutch and British signing the London Convention in 1814 that ceded Demerara-Essequibo and Berbice to Britain. In 1831, the united colonies of Demerara-Essequibo and separate colony of Berbice together became a single British colony known as British Guiana . Since its independence in 1824, Venezuela has claimed the area of land to

2520-431: The Essequibo watershed support a remarkable diversity of fish and aquatic invertebrates, and are home to giant otters , capybaras , and several species of caimans . On land, large mammals, such as jaguars , tapirs , bush dogs , giant anteaters , and saki monkeys are still common. Over 800 species of birds have been reported from the region, and the reptile and amphibian faunas are similarly rich. In February 2004,

2592-683: The Government of Guyana issued a title to more than 4,000 km (1 × 10 ^ acres) of land in the Konashen Indigenous District as the Kanashen Community-Owned Conservation Area, managed by the Wai Wai , and the world's largest community-owned conservation Area. The Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development was also created for the protection and sustainable use of

2664-636: The Guianas " consists of the large shield landmass north of the Amazon River and east of the Orinoco River known as the "land of many waters". Nine indigenous tribes reside in Guyana: the Wai Wai , Macushi , Patamona , Lokono , Kalina , Wapishana , Pemon , Akawaio and Warao . Historically dominated by the Lokono and Kalina tribes, Guyana was colonised by the Dutch before coming under British control in

2736-514: The ICC and ESPN-Star and scheduling constraints that tournament was infeasible. Instead, Stanford invited the winners of the World Twenty20 , India, to play for a prize of US$ 5 million (later US$ 10 million) and planned to ask Australia to come as a back-up should India decline or be unavailable. India, who were in the process of launching the highly successful first year of their domestic Twenty20 league,

2808-456: The Iwokrama forest area. Since 2009, Guyana and Norway have collaborated to promote green development in Guyana while keeping deforestation at low levels. The main economic activities in Guyana are agriculture (rice and Demerara sugar ), bauxite and gold mining, timber, seafood, minerals, crude oil and natural gas. The discovery of major crude oil reserves off the Atlantic coast has since made

2880-612: The Series matched the English national cricket team against an all-star team from the Caribbean , called the Stanford Superstars . The prize money awarded in the tournament was winner-take-all; the players for the winning team in the yearly game took home $ 20 million prize money, and the losing players did not earn anything. The domestic West Indies and England Twenty20 champions competed for

2952-452: The Trinidad and Tobago v England game was described as 'thrilling'. The tournament received a large amount of media coverage whilst it was extremely popular with fans in the West Indies. Commentators were generally positive about the success of the tournament within its host venue, with Jonathan Agnew claiming that it was organised significantly better than the previous World Cup , also held in

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3024-616: The UK. The Stanford Superstars was a squad selected from the best players in the Stanford 20/20 competition. England competed in the first year of a five-year contract to be involved in the tournament. Trinidad and Tobago qualified as the winners of the Stanford 20/20 whilst Middlesex Crusaders qualified as winners of the Twenty20 Cup in England and Wales. The tournament was seen to have been commenced successfully, though pitch conditions meant that its opening matches were low-scoring. Criticism

3096-452: The Union of South American Nations. The Guyanese government officially ratified the treaty in 2010. In March 2020, President David A. Granger narrowly lost the snap elections , following Granger's government loss of a vote of no confidence back in 2018. Granger refused to accept the results, but eventually five months later, Irfaan Ali of the People's Progressive Party/Civic was sworn in as

3168-771: The United Kingdom as a dominion on 26 May 1966 and became a republic on 23 February 1970, remaining a member of the Commonwealth . Shortly after independence, Venezuela began to take diplomatic, economic, and military action against Guyana to enforce its territorial claim to the Essequibo region . Five months after Guyana's independence, in October 1966, Venezuelan troops crossed the international border and seized Ankoko Island which has been under occupation ever since. Venezuelan troops quickly constructed military installations and an airstrip. Following independence, Forbes Burnham of

3240-414: The WICB. In 2008, Stanford looked to expand the tournament and decided once again to feature a high-stakes game featuring the best players in the West Indies versus an international team. Stanford initially wished to invite Sri Lanka, India, Australia and South Africa to come and play a single-elimination tournament in Antigua, with the winner facing his all-star team. However, due to contractual issues with

3312-405: The West Indies Cricket Board, filed suit to halt the Stanford Super Series. They claimed that due to their deal with the West Indies Cricket Board, that they were due certain advertising and broadcasting rights that were not being granted to them. The response from the West Indies Board, and from the representatives of the Super Series was that the Stanford Superstars were an unofficial team, and thus

3384-1526: The West Indies. On 14 August 2008, the All-Stars selection panel, which was led by cricketing legend Sir Viv Richards , and which included fellow West Indies cricketing luminaries as Sir Everton Weekes , Curtly Ambrose , Lance Gibbs , Richie Richardson , Andy Roberts and Courtney Walsh , announced 17 players who would play under the Stanford SuperStars colours in the Super Series. [REDACTED] Chris Gayle ( c ) [REDACTED] Daren Powell [REDACTED] Jerome Taylor [REDACTED] Sylvester Joseph ( Vice-captain ) [REDACTED] Chad Hampson [REDACTED] Dave Mohammed [REDACTED] Kieron Pollard [REDACTED] Rayad Emrit [REDACTED] Ramnaresh Sarwan [REDACTED] Shivnarine Chanderpaul [REDACTED] Lennox Cush [REDACTED] Andre Fletcher [REDACTED] Sulieman Benn [REDACTED] Lionel Baker [REDACTED] Lindon James Support Staff: [REDACTED] Coach, Head: Eldine Baptiste [REDACTED] Coach, Asst: Roger Harper [REDACTED] Coach, Fielding: Julien Fountain [REDACTED] Coach, Manager: Cardigan Connor [REDACTED] Analyst: Robin Singh [REDACTED] Trainer: Hector Martinez [REDACTED] Physiotherapist: Kim Jackson [REDACTED] Physiotherapist Julio Gonsalves [REDACTED] Physical Therapist: Virgil Browne ( Dwayne Bravo [REDACTED] (injury), and Xavier Marshall [REDACTED] (failed drug test) were named to

3456-429: The areas now called Guyana ( British Guyana ), Suriname ( Dutch Guiana ), French Guiana , the Guayana Region in Venezuela ( Spanish Guyana ), and Amapá in Brazil ( Portuguese Guiana ). According to the Oxford English Dictionary , the name "Guyana" comes from an indigenous Amerindian language and means "land of many waters". The word Co‑operative in the official name refers to co-operative socialism . What

3528-519: The championship game; $ 1 million would go to the management team and the remaining $ 7 million would be split between the English Cricket Board and the West Indies Cricket Board . The Stanford Superstars and an England XI were scheduled to compete in the first five tournaments. Alongside them were the champions of the Stanford 20/20 in the West Indies and the champions of the Twenty20 Cup in England . These were Trinidad and Tobago and Middlesex Crusaders . The two domestic champions competed for

3600-438: The colonies of the territory were merged and the land was given over to the British Empire in 1814. Upon emancipation in 1838, almost all of the former slaves abandoned the plantations, and Indians were brought to the country under indenture contracts from 1838 until the end of the system in 1917. The production of balatá (natural latex ) was once a big business in Guyana. Most of the balatá bleeding in Guyana took place in

3672-466: The completion of the first off-shore oil project. Actual growth in GDP in 2020 was 43%; reports in April 2021 anticipate 20% growth for 2021. The government initiated a major overhaul of the tax code in early 2007. A Value Added Tax (VAT) replaced six different taxes. Prior to the implementation of the VAT, it had been relatively easy to evade sales tax, and many businesses were in violation of tax code. Many businesses opposed VAT introduction because of

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3744-423: The deal included an annual Twenty20 quadrangular involving England (as hosts), West Indies and two invitational teams with a prize of US$ 9.5 million. The final $ 20 million prize was split as follows: each of the 11 players on the winning team who played in the championship game would take home $ 1 million. Another $ 1 million would be split amongst the players who were selected for the winning team, but did not play in

3816-466: The descendants of indentured labourers from India who make up 43.5% of the population, according to the 2002 census. They are followed by the Afro-Guyanese , the descendants of enslaved people brought from Africa, primarily West Africa , who constitute 30.2%. The Guyanese of mixed heritage make up 16.7%. The Indigenous peoples, known locally as Amerindians , make up 10.5% of the population. The nine Indigenous nations in Guyana, defined by language, are

3888-445: The economy under nationalisation was plagued by problems; political instability leading to an exodus of skilled labour, inexperienced management, aging infrastructure. Poor international market conditions also expanded the country's debt. The Guyanese economy rebounded slightly and exhibited moderate economic growth after 1999, due to expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favourable atmosphere for business initiatives,

3960-401: The extra paperwork required; however, the Government has remained firm on the VAT. Replacing several taxes with one flat tax rate, it will also be easier for government auditors to spot embezzlement . The large majority (about 90%) of Guyana's 744,000 people live along a narrow coastal strip that ranges from a width of 16 to 64 km (10 to 40 mi) inland and makes up approximately 10% of

4032-400: The first Guyanese election since 1964 to be internationally recognised as free and fair. Cheddi Jagan of the PPP was elected and sworn in as president on 9 October 1992. This reversed the monopoly that Afro-Guyanese traditionally had over Guyanese politics. The poll was marred by violence however. In May 2008, President Bharrat Jagdeo was a signatory to the UNASUR Constitutive Treaty of

4104-438: The foothills of the Kanuku Mountains in the Rupununi savannah . Early exploitation also took place in the North West District, but most of the trees in the area were destroyed by illicit bleeding methods that involved cutting down the trees rather than making incisions in them. Uses of balatá included the making of cricket balls , temporary dental fillings, and the crafting of figurines and other decorative items (particularly by

4176-1416: The initial team under the initial selection procedures, but withdrew before the Series was played. Darren Sammy [REDACTED] and Travis Dowlin [REDACTED] were named to replace them in the squad.) On 9 September 2008, three weeks after the Superstars squad was named, the England Cricket Board announced their 15-man squad for the 2008 Super Series. Kevin Pietersen , Hampshire , (captain) James Anderson , Lancashire Ian Bell , Warwickshire Ravi Bopara , Essex Stuart Broad , Nottinghamshire Paul Collingwood , Durham Alastair Cook , Essex Andrew Flintoff , Lancashire Stephen Harmison , Durham Samit Patel , Nottinghamshire Matt Prior , Sussex Owais Shah , Middlesex Graeme Swann , Nottinghamshire Ryan Sidebottom , Nottinghamshire Luke Wright , Sussex Rishi Bachan Samuel Badree Darren Bravo Kevon Cooper Daron Cruickshank Daren Ganga (captain) Sherwin Ganga Justin Guillen Amit Jaggernauth Richard Kelly William Perkins Denesh Ramdin Ravi Rampaul Lendl Simmons Navin Stewart Neil Carter Neil Dexter Steven Finn Billy Godleman Tyron Henderson Ed Joyce Murali Kartik Dawid Malan Eoin Morgan Tim Murtagh David Nash Alan Richardson Ben Scott Andrew Strauss Shaun Udal (captain) Digicel , who sponsored

4248-430: The inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 's 1912 novel The Lost World . There are also many volcanic escarpments and waterfalls, including Kaieteur Falls which is believed to be the largest single-drop waterfall in the world by volume. North of the Rupununi River lies the Rupununi savannah , south of which lie the Kanuku Mountains . The four longest rivers are the Essequibo at 1,010 km (628 mi) long,

4320-486: The late 18th century. It was governed as British Guiana with a mostly plantation-style economy until the 1950s. It gained independence in 1966 and officially became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. The legacy of British colonialism is reflected in the country's political administration, lingua franca and diverse population, which includes Indian , African , Indigenous , Chinese , Portuguese , other European , and various multiracial groups. Guyana

4392-408: The local peoples in order to maintain successful settlements. After the initial rush to find gold in the New World waned, the Dutch found the climate to be suitable for growing sugar cane, converting large tracts of the Guyanese coast into plantations and supplying with labour from the Atlantic slave trade . The country and economy were run by a small European planter elite which continued on when

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4464-629: The most notably famous are the Arapaima , which is the world's largest scaled freshwater fish; the giant anteater , the largest anteater; the giant otter , the world's largest and rarest river otter; and the Guianan cock-of-the-rock bird ( Rupicola rupicola ). The following habitats have been categorised for Guyana: coastal, marine, littoral, estuarine, palustrine, mangrove, riverine, lacustrine, swamp, savanna, white sand forest, brown sand forest, montane, cloud forest, moist lowland and dry evergreen scrub forests (NBAP, 1999). About 14 areas of biological interest have been identified as possible hotspots for

4536-412: The nation's total land area. Guyana's population is racially and ethnically heterogeneous, with ethnic groups originating from India, Africa, Europe, and China, as well as Indigenous peoples . Despite their diverse ethnic backgrounds, most groups share a common language of English and its Guyanese English Creole vernacular. The largest ethnic group is the Indo-Guyanese (also known as East Indians ),

4608-451: The new president because of allegations of fraud and irregularities. The National Trust of Guyana has designated nine historic sites as national monuments. A referendum in neighbouring Venezuela was held in December 2023 on the annexation of the disputed Essequibo region , which lies entirely in the territory of Guyana. The vote passed with a 95% majority, but with a low turnout, with analysts stating Maduro's government had falsified

4680-413: The results. This came at the same time as a Venezuelan military buildup on the Guyanese border, sparking concerns of war between the two states. The territory controlled by Guyana lies between latitudes 1° and 9°N , and longitudes 56° and 62°W ; it is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries. The country can be divided into five natural regions: a narrow and fertile marshy plain along

4752-471: The very low human population density of the area, most of these forests are still intact. The Smithsonian Institution has identified nearly 2,700 species of plants from this region, representing 239 distinct families, and there are certainly additional species still to be recorded. The diversity of plants supports diverse animal life, recently documented by a biological survey organised by Conservation International . The reportedly clean, unpolluted waters of

4824-458: The west of the Essequibo River . Simón Bolívar wrote to the British government warning against the Berbice and Demerara settlers settling on land which the Venezuelans, as assumed heirs of Spanish claims on the area dating to the 16th century, claimed was theirs. In 1899, an international tribunal ruled that the land belonged to Great Britain. From the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 , the British inherited Dutch territory which included lands between

4896-418: The world's fastest-growing economy. As it is said to have 11 billion barrels in oil reserves, the country is set to become one of the largest per capita oil producers in the world by 2025. The discovery of over 11 billion barrels of oil reserves off the coast of Guyana since 2017 is the largest addition to global oil reserves since the 1970s. Guyana is now ranked as having the fourth-highest GDP per capita in

4968-402: Was also levelled at the floodlights in the Antigua pitch, which were low enough to obstruct the vision of fielding players, with Middlesex captain Shaun Udal stating "I have not known a ground where the visibility is as bad". The behaviour of organiser Allen Stanford was also questioned, particularly after he offended a number of England players by acting flirtatiously with their wives during

5040-421: Was described by early explorers Sir Walter Raleigh and Charles Waterton and later by naturalists Sir David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell . Southern Guyana is host to some of the most pristine expanses of evergreen forests in the northern part of South America. Most of the forests found are tall, evergreen hill-land and lower montane forests, with large expanses of flooded forest along major rivers. Thanks to

5112-441: Was elected three times as a member of the UN Security Council in 1975–76, 1982–83 and 2024–25. In 1978, a total of 918 people died at the Jonestown mass murder-suicide led by American cult leader Jim Jones at a remote settlement in northwest Guyana. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter visited Guyana to lobby for the resumption of free elections. On 5 October 1992, a new National Assembly and regional councils were elected in

5184-679: Was later convicted of 13 of 14 charges laid against him by U.S. authorities and was sentenced to 110 years in prison, which he is currently serving in United States Penitentiary, Coleman in Coleman, Florida Guyana in South America  (grey) 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 . Georgetown

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