Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is situated in the north-eastern corner of South America. It is bordered by Surinam to the east, Brazil to the southwest and south, Venezuela to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. Despite being the third smallest country in South America with the total area of 214,970 square kilometres, Guyana is undoubtedly a destination of extraordinary variety and magnificence. Spreading from the Atlantic Ocean to the Amazon Basin, Guyana's land changes from the fertile, coastal plain to vast rainforests and large interior highlands occupying about four-fifths of the country. Thanks to over 300 waterfalls and its numerous rivers - Essequibo, Demerara, Courantyne and Berbice being the most important, the country was given the name Guyana, meaning “the land of many waters”. With two rainy seasons a year, Guyana has a hot and humid tropical climate, accompanied by heavy rainfalls especially in the northwest.

Landscape

With its splendid nature, Guyana is one of the world’s most exciting destination for adventure and wildlife exploration. Untouched rainforests offer more than a thousand species of trees and about eight thousand species of plants, half of which can be found nowhere else in the world. What is more, north-eastern Guyana is well-known for its sea turtles and other wildlife. Every year, four of the world's endangered species of marine turtles lay their eggs on Shell Beach. Fascinating waterfalls, especially one of the World's longest single drop falls, the stunning Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River with over 200 meters, even more intensifies the beautiful landscape of the "land of many waters".

People in Guyana

The population of Guyana is 769,095 inhabitants most of which are the descendants of immigrants who came to Guyana as slaves or labourers. These include East Indians forming 43.5 percent of the population in 2002, followed by people of African heritage (30.2 percent) and the third largest group is that of mixed origin while native Amerindian population forms only 9.2 percent. Other groups are the Whites, Portuguese and the Chinese. Despite this diversity and multiculturalism, the official language is English even though Guyanese Creole is widely spoken. Small minorities speak their Amerindian languages. The prevailing religion in Guyana is Christianity (57%) followed by Hinduism and Islam.

History

Before the European settlement in 1616, Guyana had been occupied by indigenous Amerindian tribes. Some two hundred years later, Guyana became a British colony, known as British Guiana. A significant point in Guyana's history was when in 1966 the country achieved the independence from the United Kingdom and became a Republic on the 23 February 1970, while remaining a member of the Commonwealth.

Culture

Thanks to its multicultural population, Guyana's culture is a unique mixture of various races, each bringing its peculiarities into the national culture. Together with Surinam, French Guyana and Brazil, Guyana is the only non-Hispanic nation in South America. Its culture shares some of the features with the English speaking Caribbean. Interestingly enough, Guyana is even accepted as a Caribbean nation. Influenced by the Caribbean, the Guyanese have a great passion for cricket. Depending on their ancestry and religion, the Guyanese celebrate various cultural events which undoubtedly reflect richness through local music, exotic food, vibrant dance and changing colours of Guyanese clothing.

What to do in Guyana

What is so extraordinary about Guyana is its richness in unexplored natural beauties together with a unique mixture of different cultures and warm and friendly people. Once you come to Guyana, your choice can vary from hiking and white-water rafting, bird-watching, visiting tropical botanical gardens and parks to sightseeing and trips to traditional Amerindian villages. Impressed by Guyana's exceptional natural heritage, you will certainly remember the country for a long time.