Regional Inequality and Development: A Study of the Coastal-Hinterland Dichotomy in Guyana

In the developed countries real GDP per capita in leading regions is approximately 70% higher than that in lagging or backward regions. Researchers have also indicated that regional disparities in social issues have the potential to contribute to ethnic conflict and racial polarization among the population. For developing countries, researchers have noted much higher levels of disparity at the subnational level. In Guyana spatial development pattern has, for decades, been influenced by a combination of geographical, historical, demographic, socio-economic, and environmental factors with the result that there is an easily discernable north–south divide between the coastal and hinterland regions with respect to development. Although extensive efforts have been made at both the national and regional administrative levels to address the coastal-hinterland dichotomy in development, the gap still persists. The main objective of this chapter is to identify and analyze the nature of regional disparities among the ten Administrative Regions in Guyana and to propose policy interventions that focus on bringing about regional closure in development. Statistical data and information have been drawn from several sources that include government records, published reports, research papers, and journal articles. The main finding is that the coastal regions in Guyana continue to exhibit higher levels of development than those of the hinterland and therefore suggest the need for targeted long-term policy interventions if the goal of regional equity is to be achieved.