Guyana

A country of exceptional natural beauty, combining the Caribbean and South America, with fascinating touches of a sometimes-turbulent past. The picturesque capital and primary port is Georgetown, a city of comfortable, modern hotels, fine colonial buildings, 19th-century stilted wooden houses, and broad tree-lined boulevards. The capital also reports to have the world’s tallest wooden building, (St. George's Cathedral) in the world.

Mighty rivers, including the Demerara, the Berbice and the Essequibo, dominate life in Guyana and today Guyana remains one of the world's most exciting destinations for adventuresome travel and exploration.

Jaguar still roams the rain forest, and the strange cries of groups of howler monkeys echo through the trees. The Giant River Otter, the Black Caiman, and the Arapaima (the largest freshwater fish in the world) swim in the rivers of the Rupununi.

Kaieteur Falls, where the 400-foot wide Potaro River (five times the height of Niagara) plunges 741 feet downward from the Pakaraima Plateau, is one of the world's great waterfalls, as well as the breathtaking size of the Kaieteur. Other sights of interest are the Orinduil Falls, The Marshall Falls, The Kaieteur Gorge and Mount Roraima.

Understand The Geography

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 has an Atlantic coast.

Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil and to the west by Venezuela.

The official name of Guyana is the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. 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 is currently in a border dispute with Suriname, which claims the land east of the Corentyne River in south-eastern Guyana. Venezuela claims the land west of the Essequibo River as part of Guayana Esequiba.

Climate Conditions

The local climate is tropical and generally hot and humid, though moderated by northeast trade winds along the coast.

There are two rainy seasons, the first from May to mid-August, the second from mid-November to mid-January.

Understanding The Culture

The country enjoys a friendly, multicultural society, high floral and faunal biodiversity, prize-winning rum, British Colonial architecture and Demerara sugar.

Though physically part of South America, culturally Guyana is Caribbean rather than Latin American and it is considered part of the West Indies.

Other languages of Guyana include Creolese, Hindi, Wai-Wai, Arawak and Macushi.