Grade Six Social Studies
Hello Boys and Girls!
Last week we concluded our comprehensive series on the Natural Regions of Guyana. We discussed that Natural Regions are areas that have similar features such as soil, build of land, plants or vegetation, and climate.
We have established that Guyana has FOUR Natural Regions:
1. The Low Coastal Plain
2. The Hilly Sand and Clay Region
3. The Highland Region
4. The Interior Savannahs
This week we will continue to study our beautiful country Guyana. Our focus this week would be on the Resources of Guyana.
We are going to:
1) Describe the concept of ‘Resources’
2) Discuss the importance of resources
3) Examine the types of resources found in Guyana 4) Locate Resources on a Map of Guyana
Resources of Guyana
Our country has many important resources that its people use to develop their communities and the country. When we develop our communities we make them better, healthier, and more comfortable. It is important to note that if any community is to develop resources are necessary.
Do you know what resources are?
Resources are living and non-living materials which are valuable and useful to a country and its people. Therefore anything useful to man is considered a resource.
Types of Resources
In Guyana we have TWO main types of resources: 1) Human Resources
2) Natural Resources
Let’s examine the concept of Human Resources!
The human resources of this country or any country are its people- the men, women, and children. They use their skills and knowledge to contribute to the country’s development. These skills and knowledge are passed on to the people in most cases in schools, colleges, technical institutes, and universities. When this happens human resources are developed.
Skills
Some jobs require special skills. A person who drives a vehicle or operates an excavator has to have a special ability or skill. Persons who are involved in skilled jobs usually have to undergo a lengthy period of training.
Talents
Besides specialized training, people often depend on their natural ability or talent to perform certain jobs.
Labour
Residents in our community provide the labour for work in the fields, in the factories, in the gold mines, and in the forested areas. They clean the trenches and drains, cut the sugar–cane, and generally provide the manual labour for work. While persons who worked in offices and factories work in a cleaner environment and may be better paid, they cannot do without the labourers in the field. If there are no cane harvesters to cut the sugar cane, there would be no workspace for the factory workers. The clerical workers would also be affected since there would be no work for them. If investors are setting up a saw mill in the hinterland, they would have to ensure that there is a pool of labourers to cut the trees and carry out field operations.
Fact/Tip: Guyana’s human resources are its greatest asset (most valuable) since it is the people who have to exploit and utilize the natural resources for the nation’s benefit.
Do you know what Natural Resources are?
Natural resources are those things in the environment that nature has provided for use. We can also say that natural resources are made by nature and not by man.
Some of Guyana’s natural resources include: √ Soil type √ Landforms √ Flora and Fauna √ Water √ Sunlight √ Minerals
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
When we speak of renewable resources, we refer to those resources which can replenish themselves. Renewable resources are resources that will replenish to replace the portion depleted by usage and consumption, either through natural reproduction or other recurring processes in a finite amount of time in a human time scale. They can even be kept for a very long time if care is taken to preserve them. For example water, forest, fish, soil, etc.
NON RENEWABLE RESOURCES
A non-renewable resource is a natural substance that is not replenished with the speed at which it is consumed. It is a finite resource. Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal are examples of non-renewable resources. Because these may not last forever, care should be taken when we use or exploit, or mine them. Gold and diamonds are also examples of non-renewable resources. We must remember that by exploiting both renewable and non-renewable resources we can change our environment.
Let’s examine the importance of natural resources!
Natural resources are used to make food, fuel, and raw materials for the production of goods. All of the food that people eat comes from plants or animals. Natural resources such as coal, natural gas, and oil provide heat, light, and power. Natural resources also are the raw materials for making products that we use every day from our toothbrushes and lunch box to our clothes, cars, televisions, computers, and refrigerators.
The resources of Guyana are used to provide:
√ Food- so that we Guyanese can eat well and live healthy lives
√ Jobs- so that Guyanese can earn money to provide their families with the things they need
√ Land on which people can build their homes, hospitals, schools, markets, and other places of importance
√ Water to quench thirst, cook, and keep themselves and their surroundings clean
√ √
Minerals and food for export - these bring in foreign exchange which is used to develop Guyana