Mineral and Human Resources in Guyana

• The topics covered are mineral resources, semi-precious minerals, human resources, education, migration, health, and human development.

Mineral Resources and Semi-Precious Minerals

• Resources are anything physical or natural, which can improve living standards or create wealth.
• Semi-precious minerals are used in jewelry and crafts, but less valuable as diamonds or rubies.
• A mineral resource is the concentrations of materials with economic interest on land.
• Mineral resources like copper, manganese, salt coal and petroleum are formed in the soil.
• Guyana possesses precious and semi-precious stones, bauxite, sand, and stone.
• The country also contains vast deposits of kaolin that have not been exploited yet.

Types of Resources

• Physical resources are harnessed from nature and include minerals, plants, land and water.
• Physical resources are classified as renewable or non-renewable.
• Renewable resources can be recycled or replaced and include weather, animals, plants and land.
• Non-renewable resources, such as petroleum, minerals and bauxite, cannot be replaced after use.
• Human resources include talents, skills, and abilities that help improve the standard of living.

Mining in Guyana

• The Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) manages the mining sector in Guyana.
• GGMC operates under the Mining Act of 1989, and is the guardian of all Guyanese minerals.
• Exploration activities require permission from the GGMC.
• The GGMC has 5 technical divisions; Geological Services, Petroleum, Environment and Mines.
• There are nine mining stations managed across the 6 mining districts.

Gold and Diamond Mining

• Gold, a precious metal used in jewelry and decoration, is ductile (able to deform without losing toughness).
• In its pure form, gold is bright, soft, ductile, and slightly reddish-yellow.
• Guyana’s gold mines include Aurora Gold Mine, Omai Gold Mines, and Bartica.
• Other areas include: Mahdia, and the Marudi Mountains.
• Diamonds are mined by hand or using suction dredges in the rivers and the Pakaraima Mountains of Mazaruni
• A suction dredge is a machine that scoops or suctions sediments from waterways to mine underwater.
• Most diamonds in Guyana are exported as rough diamonds due to a lack of a significant diamond cutting industry.
• Medium-scale operations in the diamond industry hinder maximum extraction

Bauxite, Petroleum, Sand and Stone

• Bauxite, a sedimentary rock with high aluminum content, is the world's main aluminum source.
• When refined, bauxite yields alumina, which is used to create aluminum metal and abrasives.
• Abrasives are used for cleaning/polishing hard surfaces.
• Major bauxite mining sites are in Region 10 at Linden, Kwakwani on the Berbice River, and Aroaima.
• Petroleum is a naturally occurring liquid beneath the earth's surface, refined into fuel.
• Petroleum, a fossil fuel created by organic matter decomposition, powers vehicles and heating units.
• It is also used to create plastics.
• In Guyana, sand and stone are abundant materials used mainly for road and building construction.
• White sand is a resource which can be used to make glass, however, is not fully explored.

Semi-Precious Minerals

• Semi-precious minerals include soapstone, topaz, rose quartz, jasper, amethyst.
• These minerals, found in large quantities in Guyana's mountainous areas, are designed for jewelry and other decorative pieces.

Economic Importance of Minerals

• Minerals, such as gold, are of great value to Guyana as a system of trade and for earning foreign exchange.
• Ministry of Finance indicates that the mining and quarrying sectors accounted for 8.4% of Guyana's annual 2020 GDP.

Population & Human Resources

• Population refers to the total persons living in a specific region.
• Guyana's population is estimated to be 786,559 in 2020.
• A census is a survey that provides age, sex, and size of the population.
• Additional information collected includes employment, affiliation, salary, birth/death rate, ethnicity, and migration.
• A census is usually taken every ten years.

Population Distribution in Guyana

• Population distribution measures the persons residing in a country.
• Much of the population lives on the low coastal plain, while the Hilly Sand and Clay region, such as bauxite miners and loggers and Amerindians.
• The Interior Savannahs are populated by Indigenous Guyanese persons
• The Highland Region has a sparse population.

Factors Influencing Population Distribution

• Population density is affected by; climate, physical land features, infrastructure availability, and the availability of physical resources like minerals.
• The density is high where persons reside closely together, and low when residing further apart.
• The dependency ratio formula and its meaning are to be researched
• The labor force consists of persons aged 16-60/65 years, who work or are willing to work.
• Employment is being employed full time, and obtaining a salary or wage per qualifications.
• Unemployment is being in the labor force, capable of, and willing to work, but without a job.
• Underemployment occurs when one takes a temporary job or they are overqualified for a position.

Unemployable

• Factors which contribute to this incude;
• Incarceration
• Ailments
• Being under the age of sixteen
• Being over the age of 60/65 and retired and not seeking employment
• Lacking skills and qualifications

Education

• "Educate" is derived from the Latin term ‘educere’, which translate to "to lead out" or "to bring out".
• Education means bring out of the child/student, a spirit of learning, a curiosity or thirst for knowledge.
• Education main aim is develop abilities and tap into innate talent.
• Sociologist Rodney Stark states that, education is the most economic-advancement under present conditions.
• True education is the harmonious Physical, Mental, Moral and Social development

Types of Education

• Three types of education exist, formal, non-formal, and informal.
• Formal education leads to degrees and diplomas.
• It is uniformed, structured, sequential, subject oriented and full-time.
• Non-formal education an organized learning activity.
• It is outside the established system, serving learning objectives and clienteles.
• Non-formal characteristics include: life/learner environment focus, learner participation, diversified content/method and flexibility

Informal Learning

• Informal education is a lifelong process that shapes behavior & self-formation.
• Skills, values and knowledge are acquired in media, markets and libraries.
• This education even refers to morals, beliefs etc.
• A key characteristic of informal education is being uncontrolled, which is why it can’t be excluded of somebody’s life.

Education Formal/Non-Formal Comparison

• Formal education is mainly for young, universal, or compulsory students.
• It is conducted written, teacher-centered method and aims to conform.
• Non-formal education is for interested, voluntary adults.
• This operates with on part-time basis with life-integrated and participatory programs.
• Here, learner-centered methods encourage promotion and more oral testing.

Levels of Education

• The levels include kindergarten, primary, secondary and tertiary.
• Kindergarten cultivates interpersonal skills, and formal entry preparations to primary.
• Lower-level ages for kindergarten are 3-5, for primary, it is 5-11.
• Secondary to tertiary education offers to utilize curriculum to become specialized.
• This is based primarily on the Arts, Sciences and Law aspects.
• Secondary students' ages are 11-19, and post-secondary in tertiary.

Human Resources

• Overview of migration, health, and connection with human resource development.
• Migration and health have significant impact on the advancement of human resources.
• Effective management of migration promotes economic growth and a healthy population.
• Improved human-resource communities are developed from taking action and promoting awareness.

Migration and its Effects

• Migration is the movement of individuals from one living space to another living space.
• Two types of migration exist: internal, and external.
• External are countries leaving their native country for another one.
• Internal refers to the population moving in the same borders for another.
• Rural to urban migration and family and job moves are examples of internal.

External & Internal Migration

• Internal reasons are universities, educational and financial opportunities and natural disaster.
• External reason example; Refugees fleeing conflict zones.
• Leaving their native place in search of better opportunities, education and family can bring external.
• The effects of this are economic opportunities, social and political factor (conflict).

Brain Drain Definition

• Brain drain is skilled labor and educated people, leaving their current country for another.
• The effects of this skilled worker shortage is loss of innovation and development.
• The remittances can have a negative impact.

Emigration vs Immigration

• Impact of Emigration:
• Loss of skilled labor.
• Shortage of workers in key industries.
• Impact of Immigration:
• Increase in labor force.
• Boost to local economy.
• Cultural exchange and diversity.

Health & Well-Being

• Wellness is a general state of body, physical, or social well-being.
• A healthy person is one with emotional, physical and mental capacities and unaffected ailments.
• Physical and mental health are key, as well promotion as important points are to prevent.
• A healthy citizenry can contribute to productivity and advancement.
• This can also lead to a healthy, creative, high-performance workforce.

Illness Effects

• Illness impacts human resources by decreasing workforce and performance levels and expanding the costs.
• Accessing healthcare is key here, promotion/support is a must to promote prevention.

Healthcare

• Health organizations and hospitals are examples of care opportunities in Community.
• Pharmacies can also be used to provide better healthcare.
• This is an increase to support a greater population, even local schools to show their support.

Growth definition

• Growth refers to permanent changes to one's size or figure.
• It is part of someone's current development or the size of increasing shoe size.

Development definition

• Development is achieving a new set of abilities that allows to do.
• This includes, speaking and walking, as well, as, express emotional.
• The process can continue throughout its life.

Stages of Growth & Development

• Five total growth/development stages including; prenatal, adulthood, childhood, adolescence, and senescence.
• The period between conception and live birth is the prenatal stage, where a rapid development and growth occurs.
• Adulthood consists of starting at age 18+ to the physical/career part for focus.

Development cont

• Childhood from newborn to 12-13, adolescence is from 18-21.
• This has high-performance to cognitive development.
• Then for Senescence this is physical changes, better known in elder years.
• A few main factors; genetics, Nutrition, and environmental physical activity

Importance of Growth

• This leads the importance of better support throughout each development/stage.
• Provides better knowledge, setting goals, as well of applying support daily.