Guyana Fast Facts

Guyana is located in South America, bordering Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname, and the Atlantic Ocean. Untouched rainforests and impressive waterfalls are just 2 of the many reasons to visit this exciting country. See Andyeducation for education in Guyana.

Capital City george town
Size 214,970 km²
Resident 735,000
Official Language English
Currency Guyanese Dollar
Time Zone UTC-4
Telephone Area Code +592

Fast facts to know

  • Name means “land of many waters”.
  • Only South American country that continues to use the death penalty.
  • Guyana dollar is subject to relatively high inflation.
  • Only country in South America where English is spoken.
  • Alluvial zones, river deltas, mangroves and salt marshes are usually not suitable for swimming.
  • Due to its colonial history in culture and way of life rather a Caribbean country.
  • Gold and diamond fields threaten nature, many illegal prospectors.
  • Iwokrama and Pakaraima Mountains are one of the four last largely untouched rainforest zones on earth.
  • There is left-hand traffic.
  • Guyana’s constitution guarantees freedom of belief and religion > colorful coexistence of countless faiths.
  • Unexplored rainforests with more than 700 species of birds and more than 1,000 species of trees.
  • It houses a variety of exotic plants such as the huge Victoria Regia (water lily), colorful orchids, the Greenheart (iron-hard ebony), the sky-storming Mora tree or the bromeliads, in whose flowers the tiny poison dart frog “Golden Frog” hides for the rest of its life.

Exciting cities in Guyana

  • george town
  • NewAmsterdam
  • Corriverton
  • Bartica

History of Guyana

  • In the 17th and 18th centuries, it consisted of the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice, which were founded by the Netherlands.
  • 1763 slave uprising in Berbice.
  • Ownership changed several times between the colonial powers of the Netherlands, Great Britain and France until 1815.
  • In 1831 the colony of British Guiana was founded.
  • 1834 Abolition of slavery.
  • In 1953 British troops intervened in British Guiana to prevent a communist state.
  • 1966 Independence from the UK.
  • 1970 Cooperative Republic Declaration under Prime Minister Forbes Burnham.
  • 1978 Jonestown massacre.
  • 1989 economic program: away from a state-controlled planned economy towards a free market economy.

Climate & travel weather in Guyana

  • Year-round tropical climate with only small temperature differences.
  • Coast: two distinct rainy seasons (November to January, May to July).
  • Savanna region: a rainy season from late April to late September.
  • Guyana is outside the hurricane belt and is not threatened by hurricanes.
  • Recommended travel time:
    • Freshwater fishing: mid-February to April and late August to late November.
    • Trekking tours and bird watching: dry seasons.
    • Waterfalls in Potaro National Park: end of the rainy season / beginning of the dry season.

Ideas for excursions in Guyana

  • Orinduik Falls.
  • Boat trips through rainforests of the Iwokrama and Pakaraima Mountains.
  • Experience the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway (hanging bridges & platforms in the treetops).
  • Guided tour to the diamond and gold mines.
  • george town
    • Town Hall.
    • Walther Roth Museum.
    • National Museum of Guyana.
    • Botanical Garden.
    • Stabroek Market.
  • Potaro National Park.
  • Vacation on a ranch.
  • Horseback riding in the savannah.
  • Guided tours along the Guyana River through beautiful nature.

Eating & Drinking in Guyana

  • Influence of European, African and Indian culture noticeable.
  • Spices such as nutmeg, ginger, cane sugar, pepper and allspice are considered important elements.
  • Staple foods: Rice, bread, yams, sweet potatoes, cassava and plantains.
  • Rich in fresh vegetables and fruits from the rainforest.
  • On the coast: Fish and shrimp abound.
  • National dish: Bouillon d’Awara.
  • In general, Guyana’s cuisine is relatively hot and spicy.
  • Popular drinks: Banks (local beer) and Demerara rum (Guyanese specialty).
  • Typical dishes:
    • Poulet and poisson boucané (smoked chicken and fish).
    • Blaff (onion, garlic, celery and basil soup).
    • Pimentade (fish soup with tomato sauce).
    • Rôti Cougnade (grilled fish).
    • Fricassees with rice and red beans.
    • Bouillon d’Awara (pulp of this palm tree with smoked chicken and fish stew).
    • Fufu (plantains).
    • Metemgee (plantains cooked with yams, cassava and edow in coconut milk and coconut meat).
    • Chicken Sag (Chicken Curry).
    • Garlic Pork (pork in garlic).
    • Pepper Pot (Hot stew flavored with cassreep, an extract of cassava root).

Particularly scenic

  • Savannah landscape Rupununi.
  • Potaro National Park with the Kaieteur Waterfalls.
  • Pristine rainforests.
  • highland region.

Guyana Fast Facts