South America: Plan your Journey

Guyana

The Co-operative Republic of Guyana is a nation on the northern coast of South America, just above the Equator and a part of the western part of the wider region of Guiana. The country is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south by Brazil, to the west by Venezuela and to the north by the Atlantic Ocean. It is the third smallest country in South America and approximately the size of Great Britain or Idaho. more...

National name: Cooperative Republic of Guyana
Full country name: Guyana
Area: 83,000 sq mi (214,970 sq km)
Population: 765,283 (growth rate: 0.3%); birth rate: 18.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 33.3/1000; life expectancy: 65.5; density per sq mi: 9
Capital City: Georgetown
Language: English (official), Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Government: Republic
President Bharrat Jagdeo (1999)
Prime Minister:Samuel Hinds (1999)
Religion: Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Islam 10%, other 5%
Monetary unit: Guyanese dollar
Independence: 26 May 1966 (from UK)
Ethnicity/race: East Indian 50%; black 36%; Amerindian 7%; white, Chinese, and mixed 7%

History of Guyana

At the time the first Europeans arrived in the area around 1500, Guyana was inhabited by Arawak and Carib tribes of Amerindians. European settlement began in the early 17th century with the Dutch, who established three separate colonies; Essequibo (1616), Berbice (1627), and Demerara (1752). The British assumed control in the late 18th century and the Dutch formally ceded the area in 1814. The three became a single British colony known as British Guiana in 1831. more...

Overview of Guyana's Economy

Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.)
GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $2.899 billion
Real growth rate: 1.9%.
Inflation: 4.5%
Unemployment: 9.1%
Arable land: 2%.
Agriculture: sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp
Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish.
Exports: $570.2 million (f.o.b., 2004 est.): sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber.
Imports: $650.1 million (f.o.b., 2004 est.): manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food.
Major trading partners: Canada, U.S., UK, Portugal, Belgium, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy, Cuba (2003).

Also Read: A Brief insight in The Economy of Guyana | Demographics of Guyana | Ecology of Guyana | Music of Guyana | Activities of Guyana

Political System of Guyana

- Politics in Guyana

Climate, Vegetation and Faunau

- Climate: Guyana’s climate is warm and tropical throughout the year. The rainfall is generally high for most of the year, as is the humidity. December to January and May to June are the rainy seasons, while in coastal areas the climate is tempered by sea breezes.
- Food and Drink
: The food in hotels and restaurants reflects the range of influences on Guyanese society. more...
- Culture: Guyana's culture is very similar to that of the English-speaking Caribbean. more...
- Nightlife: There are numerous nightclubs and bars in Georgetown.

Facts for Travellers

Visa:United States entry requirements are the same in all states, with most foreign travelers requiring a visa. The US State Department issues all US visas. more...
Time Zone:
GMT - 4.
Electricity: 110 and 220 volts AC, 60Hz.
Location: South America, northeast coast.
Country dialing code: 592
Highest Point: Mt. Roraima (2,810 m) (9,219 ft)
Official Currency: Guyana Dollar
Latitude/Longitude: 5º N, 59º W

Geography of Guyana

Guyana can be divided into three regions: a narrow and fertile marshy plain along the Atlantic coast where most of the population lives, then a white sand belt more inland consisting of dense rainforests and containing most of Guyana's mineral deposits, and finally the larger interior highlands consisting mostly of mountains that gradually rise to the Brazilian border. more...

Shopping in Guyana

Hibiscus Plaza outside the Post Office in Georgetown has a wide variety of local arts and crafts including straw hats, baskets, clay goblets and jewelry. Other shops sell Amerindian bows and arrows, hammocks, pottery and salad bowls. Government-run shops sell magnificent jewelry, utilizing local gold, silver, precious and semi-precious stones. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of the goods. It is absolutely essential to ensure that receipts and correct documentation are retained, otherwise visitors may experience difficulty when clearing customs. more...

Also Read: Foreign relations of Guyana | Tourist Attractions of Guyana | Getting in Guyana

Climate of Venezuela Weather The climate varies according to altitude. Lowland areas have a tropical climate. The dry season is from December to April and the rainy season from May to December. During the rainy season, there is the possibility of flooding in certain low-lying areas, such as the Llanos and in some valley of the [...]
Activities in Venezuela Hiking and trekking Venezuela has 42 national parks and around 20 nature reserves (monumentos naturales) which, together, cover some 15 per cent of the total land mass. All types of walks, ranging from signposted trails to mountain climbing and jungle paths, are possible. Visitors should note that a permit, issued by central [...]
Tourist Attractions in Venezuela Venezuela offers a great variety of landscapes - tropical beaches, immense plains, enormous rivers, forests, jungle, waterfalls and great mountains. Unfortunately, the flash floods and mudslides which hit Venezuela in 1999 severely damaged the country’s infrastructure; some of which may still not have been fully restored. Travelers should check prior to [...]
Nightlife in Venezuela There are many nightclubs and discos in the major cities of Venezuela. The National and Municipal Theaters offer a variety of concerts, ballet, plays, operas and operettas. There are other theaters - some of which are open-air - in Caracas, as well as several cinemas.

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