Cultivation is confined almost entirely to the narrow coastal strip of rich, alluvial soil. Agricultural expansion requires heavy expenditures for protection against flooding and for drainage and irrigation, because part of the strip is below the high-tide mark of the sea and rivers and because of the heavy seasonal rainfall. The government is trying to increase the amount of land available for cultivation through reclamation projects. Most consisted of hardwoods, used mainly in construction and furniture making. Large tracts of forestland were opened for logging in the early 1990s.
Fishing is concentrated along the Atlantic coast.
The annual catch in the early 1990s was about 37,100 metric tons. Shrimp is a valuable export. Gold and diamonds are also produced. Manufacturing and Energy Manufacturing in Guyana is limited to processing bauxite and to production of sugar, rum, other foods and beverages, construction materials, clothing, soap, and cigarettes. The country has great hydroelectric potential.