The country achieved independence on May 26, 1966. To the S lies the dense forest area that makes up about three-fourths of the country. Beyond the forest lies a region of savanna. Climate Guyana has a tropical climate, with little seasonal temperature change. The important mineral deposits of Guyana include bauxite, manganese, gold, diamonds, and kaolin.
Some petroleum is located offshore.
The dense forests contain excellent woods, such as greenheart and mora, for use in the lumber industry. The animal life is varied and includes deer, anteater, and two species of monkey. In addition, small numbers of Europeans and Chinese live in Guyana. In the late 1980s about 118,000 pupils were enrolled in about 425 elementary schools in Guyana. Some 100 secondary, technical, and teacher-training institutions had a total of approximately 77,500 students.