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Guyana (properly pronounced ; occasionally Anglicised as or ), officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is the only nation state of the Commonwealth of Nations on the mainland of South America. It is north of the equator but in the tropics and is located on the Atlantic Ocean. Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil and to the west by Venezuela. It is the third smallest country on the mainland of South America and approximately the size of Great Britain. Guyana is the only South American country whose official language is English, and is one of only two remaining countries on mainland America whose traffic still drives on the left. Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning "Land of many waters". The country can be characterized by its vast rain forests dissected by numerous rivers, creeks and waterfalls, notably Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River. Guyana's tepuis are famous for being the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel The Lost World. The country enjoys a diverse, multicultural society, high floral and faunal biodiversity, prize-winning rum, British Colonial architecture and Demerara sugar. Guyana also is known internationally for being the site of the notorious Jonestown Massacre. Though part of South America, Guyana is an Anglo rather than Latin country and has some cultural similarities to parts of the West Indies. In addition to English, other languages of Guyana include Creole, Hindustani, Akawaio, Wai-Wai, Arawak and Macushi. The majority of the population are of Asian Indian ancestry (called East Indians) with blacks (Afro-Guyanese) making up about a third of the population. A large part of the population is bi-racial and there is a small Amerindian population as well. Guyana is currently in a border dispute with Suriname, which claims the land east of the Corentyne River in southeastern Guyana. Venezuela claims the land west of the Essequibo River as part of Guayana Esequiba.
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