GUYANA
The Cooperative Republic of Guyana (Guyana) is located on the northern coast of South America and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Venezuela to the west, Brazil to the south and Suriname to the east. The coastline is 432 km long and the longest distance from north to south is 720 kilometers.On the ocean lies a narrow low-lying coastal plain where the majority of the population lives. Inland lies a strip of sandy and clay soil and behind that highland rainforest. In the southwest there are dry savannahs. Guyana has a tropical climate with a long rainy season from May to August and a short rainy season from November to January.
The highest mountain is tepui (table mountain) Roraima (2,810 m.), at the border triangle between Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil in the Pakaraima mountain range. Conan Doyle’s book ‘The Lost World’ was inspired by this.
In 1519 and 1617, the British soldier Walter Raleigh travelled through Guyana in search of the gold land El Dorado, which he never found. Raleigh (1553-1618) led an adventurous life and eventually fell from grace, was convicted and beheaded.
The longest rivers are the Essequibo (1,010 km.) Courentyne (Corantijn, the border river with Suriname) (724 km.), Berbice (595 km.) and Demerara (346 km). Shell Beach on the ocean coast near the border with Venezuela is 140 km. long and an important nesting site for 9 species of sea turtles.
Before the arrival of Europeans, the natives were engaged in agriculture, hunting and fishing. There was contact over land and sea, during which blowpipes, curare, cassava and tools such as graters were traded.
Columbus mentions Guyana in 1498 on his third voyage to the Americas. In 1581 the Dutch settled in Pomeroon, in 1616 along the Essequibo, in 1627 in Berbice and in 1732 in Demerara. Canals were dug, polders constructed and sugar cane plantations established. Slaves were brought from Africa. The area west of the Corantijn was ceded to the British in 1814 and according to a European peace treaty (1831) Demerara and Berbice were united to form British Guyana. Venezuela claims the western half of Guyana (Essequibo). The International Court of Justice is handling the case, but Venezuela does not recognize the Court… Brazil and the US support Guyana.
The border conflict with Suriname over an area on the southeastern border, between the Corantijn and the New River, has been put on hold for the time being and diplomatic discussions are taking place every now and then.
After the abolition of slavery in 1838, indentured laborers were recruited in India until 1917 to work on the sugar plantations. India was a colony of England until 1948.
In the Kanuku Mountains and Rupununi savannah, natural rubber has been collected since the 19th century (balata bleeding). Balata was used for cricket balls and the Makushi natives made decorative figures from it.
In the 20th century, the Guyanese economy was based on agriculture (rice and Demerara sugar), bauxite, gold, forestry and fishing. Guyana has been independent from Britain since 1966 and a member of the Commonwealth since 1976. Foreign companies were nationalized, but due to poor management, Guyana built up a large international debt.
Until the 1960s, many children worked in agriculture and the capacity and distribution of education was inadequate. Today, there are primary schools throughout the country, and Georgetown has secondary and higher education. In 2017, 40% of the population lived in poverty.
After the oil discoveries around the turn of the century and the start of oil and gas production in 2015, the economy has grown rapidly: by 43% in 2020 and by 20% in 2021. In 2024, the country will have the highest income per capita on the continent, after the US, Canada and the Bahamas. Sugar cane plantations are making way for hotels, shopping centres and houses. The coastal plain is vulnerable to flooding because it is below sea level. The concrete seawall is intended to keep the seawater out.
The majority of the population is Christian (54%), 31% is Hindu and 7.5% Muslim.
Guyana made international news when the Jonestown Massacre took place on 15 November 1978. Hundreds of members of the Peoples Temple, a North American religious sect led by Jim Jones, committed suicide or were murdered in a farming commune near the Venezuelan border.
Guyana has 809,000 inhabitants and is larger than Suriname and French Guyana. The capital Georgetown has 120,000 inhabitants. The second city is Linden, a mining town, with 30,000 inhabitants. Ninety percent of the population lives in the coastal plain. The two largest groups are East Indians (descendants of contract workers from India, 45%) and Afro-Guyanese (descendants of African slaves, 30%). The mixed group is 16% and indigenous 9% (9 different peoples and languages). There are small groups of Portuguese immigrants from Madeira and other Europeans. Political parties are composed on an ethnic basis. Behind the scenes, there is a struggle for power, sometimes with outbreaks of violence.
The official language is English and the street language is Guyanese Creole. In Guyana, British culture is reflected in school uniforms, the love of cricket, horse riding and bat and ball, working hours from 9am to 5pm or 6pm. Guyana is culturally similar to English-speaking Caribbean islands such as Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica.
In Guyana, driving is on the left. Most roads run from east to west in the coastal plain. There are 2 international airports near Georgetown and 90 airstrips spread across the interior. From Georgetown there is an important north-south route to Brazil. There is a bridge over the border river and on the Brazilian side the road to Boa Vista and Manaus is paved. In Guyana, part of the road is paved. In the dry season it is dusty, in the rainy season you really need an off-road vehicle.
Traditionally, cattle were kept on the savannah in the south of Guyana and once a year the cattle were driven to the coast by cowboys. In rivers and creeks you can see fords where the cows cross. The rivers are navigable up to the rapids.
Guyana is 80% covered by various types of forest, savannah and mangrove and has a rich biodiversity with many native species of birds, mammals and reptiles. Protected animals include the arapaima, the largest fish in the world, the giant anteater, giant otter, cock of the rock (cock of the rock). The rainforest is also home to jaguars, tapirs, many rodents and 9 species of monkeys.
The Harpy Eagle (gonini) is the largest bird of prey in South America and is found from Mexico to Argentina. The females (8 kg) are larger than the males (4-6 kg). The length is 86 – 107 cm and the wingspan 176-224 cm. The yellow claws are as big as a large man’s hand. The back feathers are gray and the chest is white. The gonini can grab sloths and monkeys from treetops and bring them to the nest. Smaller prey include vultures, iguanas, chickens, goats, and small pigs. Natives use the feathers for headdresses for tribal leaders.
In addition to highland rainforest, there are also flooded forests along the rivers. The famous Smithsonian Institute from the US conducts scientific research into the nature of Guyana. The rainforest is rich in greenheart and other valuable hardwoods, and there are also numerous native shrubs, herbs, and orchids.
The main protected areas are:
- Kaieteur National Park. 1929. 630 km2.
- Iwokrama International Centre. 1996. 3,716 km2.
- Kanashen Amerindian Protected Area. 2007. 6,486 km2.
- Kanuku Mountains Protected Area. 2011. 6,110 km2.
- Shell Beach Protected Area. 2011. 32 km2.
Places of Interest
Georgetown is located at the mouth of the Demerara and Essequibo rivers and has a river port. Behind the Stabroek Market is a ferry port for the region. The Market Hall is an iron and steel construction from 1880-1991 with an open clock tower. In and around the hall there is a fish and vegetable market; Western and Indian clothing can be found there, as well as medicinal herbs and tea. There are bars and restaurants with local dishes, sandwiches, roti, dhal, fried fish and soups. The market square is lined with minibuses and taxis. It is a colourful Caribbean scene, where you have to keep an eye on your belongings. Donkey carts carry building materials and cargo or deliver agricultural products to the market. In town is the smaller Bourda Market, where vegetables, fruit, clothing, traditional medicines, plastic goods, rum and meals are available. The Backyard Café is popular with locals.Along the seacoast, the Seawall (a concrete dike) was built because the city and its surroundings are low-lying. On the Seawall you can go for a breath of fresh air or do some sports. At low tide you can see the muddy seabed, where crabs are caught and fishing boats wait to set sail.
Nineteenth-century wooden monuments in Georgetown require constant maintenance. The St. George’s Anglican Cathedral is 43 meters high and built of greenheart wood in 1899. It is a national monument with Gothic stained glass windows. The Georgetown City Hall (1889) is considered by some to be the finest wooden building in Gothic style in the entire Caribbean. In Castellani House (1877) you will find the National Art Gallery and changing exhibitions. The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology has exhibits on Guyanese indigenous people.
Georgetown Botanical Gardens & Zoo are worth a visit, although the zoo can sometimes look a bit neglected. But they have jaguars, the gonini (harpy eagle), sloths, toucans, various small forest animals, a tapir and bush pigs. In the pond swim manatees (manatees), large mammals that live in fresh water and constantly put their noses above water to breathe. In the botanical garden you can see the Victoria Regia water lily with its enormous leaves and of course tropical plants, bromeliads and orchids from the rainforest.
Kaieteur Falls in the Potaro river, is with 226 – 251 m. the highest waterfall in the world. The indigenous people knew the waterfall for centuries and in 1870 it was ‘discovered’ by the British geologist Barrington Brown. ‘Canoe and camp life in British Guyana’ (1876), is an exciting account of his travels.
From Georgetown you fly to the Kaieteur Falls. From Kaieteur National Airport it is a 15-minute walk to the top of the falls. There are forest trails and viewpoints and you can encounter poison frogs, cocks of the rock and monkeys in the rainforest. The moist mist is ideal for bromeliads and orchids that grow on the tree trunks and branches.
In the Essequibo River lies Baganara Lodge on an island south of Bartica. The rooms are romantically English furnished. There are forest walks and a boat trip to Parrot Island on the program. It is really a place to swim and relax and is often booked for a honeymoon or family celebrations.
Iwokrama Canopy Walkway is located in a nature reserve managed by indigenous people of Surama Village. These are hanging bridges and platforms 30 meters high in the treetops of the rainforest. Most flowers, fruits and animals can be found in the treetops. In the Atta Rainforest Lodge which is nearby, you can spot deer, agoutis, powisis and monkeys from your hammock. Every now and then a tapir comes along! In the Iwokrama Nature Reserve you can take forest walks, picnic and in the evening spot caimans and river animals. Iwokrama is located 300 km south of Georgetown and 130 km north of Lethem, on the Brazilian border.
Rock View Lodge is located near the indigenous village and airstrip Annai, south of Iwokrama and north of Lethem. The lodge is quite luxurious, with hot water, electricity for a few hours a day, a swimming pool and extensive meals. At sunrise you go birdwatching (bird spotting). After breakfast you can climb a hill along the Panorama Mountain Trail, fish in a fishpond, go horseback riding, participate in a culinary workshop or relax in your hammock and enjoy the beautiful shady garden. Rock View is located in the savannah, which is a very different environment than the rainforest. It is hot during the day and cool in the evening. In the dry season it can be dusty.
Karanamba Lodge is located in the savannah. The late Diana Mc. Turk had a centre for the protection of the giant otter here. Her work is continued by her family and the lodge contributes to the financing.
Guyana offers both luxury hotels in the coastal plain and comfortable lodges in the rainforest and savannah. With your own transport or an organized trip you can make a road trip to the Amazon region in Brazil and Venezuela, and if you have enough time, travel further to the southernmost point of Argentina!
$113,-
| Capital | Georgetown |
|---|---|
| Population | 809,000 |
| Language | >English and Guyanese Creole |
| Currency | Guyanese Dollar (GYD) |
| Visa required | www.visum.nl |
| Vaccination(s) | yes |
| Voltage | 240 V |
| Traffic | Left-hand traffic |
