Guyana
Guyana is the only country in South America where English is the official language, and around 85 per cent of it is still rainforest.
- CapitalGeorgetownMuch of it sits below sea level behind a sea wall
- PopulationAbout 800,000One of the smallest populations in South America
- Forest coverAbout 85 per centAmong the highest of any country
- LanguageEnglishThe only South American country where it is official
Guyana was a British colony, which is why it speaks English while every neighbour speaks Spanish, Portuguese or Dutch. Most Guyanese live on a narrow coastal strip, and much of that strip is below sea level, protected by a sea wall and a system of drainage canals built by Dutch engineers centuries ago.
Inland, the country is almost empty. Rainforest, savannah and flat-topped mountains stretch south for hundreds of kilometres with only scattered Indigenous villages and mining camps.
National symbols
- National bird Hoatzin, a strange bird whose chicks have claws on their wings
- National flower Victoria amazonica, a giant water lily
- National anthem Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains
- National day Independence Day, 26 May
Map of Guyana
Geography
Guyana covers 214,969 km2 and borders Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname, with an Atlantic coastline to the north.
The coastal plain is narrow, flat and largely below the high tide line. Behind it rise forested hills, then the Pakaraima Mountains in the west, including Mount Roraima, a tepui shared with Venezuela and Brazil. The Essequibo is the longest river, running the length of the country.
Climate
Guyana is tropical, hot and humid all year, generally 24C to 31C, cooled a little on the coast by sea breezes.
There are two wet seasons, roughly May to July and November to January. Rainfall is heavy, over 2,000 mm a year on the coast, and flooding is a serious risk in a country where so much land sits below sea level.
Famous landmarks
There are several interesting landmarks, monuments and buildings in Guyana including the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, Square of the Revolution, Zoo, Botanical Gardens, numerous monuments, historical and religious sites including cathedrals, churches and mosques.
Guyana is famous for for being the only English speaking country on the continent of South America and for its natural beauty, lush, rich forests that dominate its land and for its Caribbean flavors, culture and traditions. Its important to point out that although Guyana is not located in the West Indies, the country is in fact, situated in the Caribbean Region and therefore takes on a strong Caribbean influence enhanced by its historical links and proximity to the islands.
Culture
English is official and Guyanese Creole is what most people actually speak day to day. Guyana is culturally closer to the Caribbean than to the rest of South America and belongs to Caricom, the Caribbean community.
The population is unusually mixed: around 40 per cent Indo-Guyanese, descended from indentured workers from India, and around 30 per cent Afro-Guyanese. Hindu, Muslim and Christian festivals are all public holidays, and cricket rather than football is the national sport.
Economy
Offshore oil has transformed the economy since 2019 and now dwarfs everything else. Guyana has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
The older exports continue: gold, bauxite, sugar, rice, timber and shrimp. Because so much forest is intact, Guyana has also been paid by other countries to keep it standing rather than cut it down.
The flag
Nicknamed the Golden Arrowhead. A green field stands for the forests and farmland, with a yellow arrowhead pointing to the right for the country's mineral wealth and its forward progress.
A white border along the arrow represents Guyana's many rivers. At the left edge a red triangle, outlined in black, stands for the energy and determination of the people, with black for endurance.
