ABSTRACT
Guyana has been described as a country of tremendous mineral potential, and most of this mineral potential is to be found in the Essequibo region. Guyana's energy future is more likely, however, to depend on development of its hydroelectric potential, and in this the Essequibo region is crucial. The vast Essequibo region represents nearly two-thirds of Guyanese national territory. Gold and diamond mining, ninety percent of which is done in the Essequibo territory, is carried out in the streams of the foothills of the Sierra Pakaraima and further north and east. Speculation about Venezuelan ability to develop the Guayana Esequiba, as the Essequibo area in known to Venezuelans, must be based on the capacity it has shown for developing its own interior. The Corporation Venezolana de Guayana has also been assigned the responsibility for the planning of agricultural development in the Orinoco delta, which has long been a fertile agricultural area.
