Guyana

Key Facts

  • Despite the fact that Guyana has plenty of forest cover, its ancient soil is infertile and a majority of its population lives in coastal areas.

  • For those living on the coast, farming and fishing is the main source of income.

  • Guyana also co-hosted the Cricket World Cup 2007 with the West Indies. It was during this World Cup matches played at the Providence Stadium that the Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga became the first bowler in international cricket history to take four wickets in four consecutive balls. The stadium hosted six World Cup matches between March 28, 2007, and April 9, 2007.

  • According to the WHO, Guyana is ranked second in suicides per capita worldwide after Sri Lanka.

  • The largest mass suicide in modern history happened in Guyana when more than 900 people died in 1978. The people who died were the supporters of Jim Jones, the religious cult leader.

  • Since 1985, there has been an increase in diseases related to water and food consumption in Guyana. Despite the fact that at least 90% of the people living in rural and urban areas have access to clean drinking water.

  • Georgetown is the capital and chief port of Guyana.

  • New Amsterdam and Georgetown are the two main commercial centers of the country.

  • Wooden buildings are a part of the country’s legacy but they are fading now into the past with the arrival of concrete buildings that are more common.

  • Majority of the food is produced locally including vegetables, fruits, cooking oils, sugar, fish, meat, rum, and rice.

  • Export of sugar and rum is the main commercial activity in the country. Agriculture is a primary activity in the country and is a major contributor to its economy.

  • Arranged marriages are common among the Hindu and Muslim population of the country. Women are responsible for the upbringing of the children as the children are generally abandoned by their fathers.

  • In the recent years, more women than men in Guyana are attending university. Women are now playing a vital role in doing various jobs such as vendors, nurses, teachers, civil servants, market vendors, farmers, and clerks as well.

Did You Know That Guyana

  • Has the world's largest single drop waterfall – the Kaieteur Falls, with a total length of 251 meters and average water flow rate of 663 cubic meters per second.

  • Has four major rivers: the Essequibo (1,010 km), the Courantyne (724 km), the Berbice (595 km), and the Demerara (346 km).

  • Has about three-quarters of its land forested, with 60% being primary forest, and some parts almost inaccessible.

  • Features Mount Roraima (2,810 m) as its highest point, with rain almost every day on its flat-topped summit.

  • Is home to the giant Victoria Regia Lily (Victoria amazonica), Guyana's national flower, which can grow leaves up to 3 meters in diameter and support the weight of a small child.

  • Has the world's only current example of a floating bridge across the mouth of a major river - the Demerara Harbour Bridge, spanning 1.8 kilometers.

  • Contains the Rupununi Savannah, often called the "Serengeti of the Caribbean," home to giant anteaters, jaguars, and over 600 species of birds.

  • Is the only English-speaking country in South America yet competes in the Caribbean's cricket tournaments, not South America's football competitions.

  • Produces the world-famous "Demerara Sugar" and "El Dorado Rum," with the latter being aged in wooden stills that are over 300 years old.

  • Has the St. George's Cathedral, one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world at 43.5 meters (143 feet).

  • Is home to Shell Beach, where four of the world's eight sea turtle species nest: leatherback, green, hawksbill, and olive ridley.

  • Contains the Iwokrama Rainforest, a million-acre pristine rainforest dedicated to research and sustainable forest management.

  • Features prehistoric petroglyphs at several locations, including Kurupukari, that date back thousands of years.

  • Has recently discovered massive offshore oil reserves that are expected to make it one of the world's highest per-capita oil producers.

  • Houses the largest unspoiled rainforest you can find in a single country with the lowest population density in South America.

  • Is the only country in South America that has British left-hand driving and uses 110V electricity like North America, rather than 220V like the rest of South America.