Guyana

Overview

Guyana lies on the northern coast of South America, between Venezuela, Brazil, and Suriname, though culturally and politically it is more closely tied to the Caribbean as a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). About 80 percent of the country is covered by rainforest, forming part of the Amazon Basin rainforest system, with most of the population living along the narrow coastal strip. Britain administered the territory as a colony under the name British Guiana until 1966, making it the only South American country where English is the official language. The population is ethnically diverse, with significant Indian- and African-descended communities, a legacy of indentured laborers brought from India during the colonial period.

Georgetown, the capital, preserves colonial-era architecture through its Victorian wooden buildings, including St. George's Cathedral, one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world. Kaieteur Falls, on the Potaro River, with a single drop of about 226 meters, is one of the highest single-drop waterfalls in the world, standing nearly five times the height of Niagara Falls. The Iwokrama Forest, in the country's rainforest interior, is a research and conservation area managed in partnership with indigenous communities to protect the region's biodiversity. Shell Beach, along the Atlantic coast, is known as a nesting site for sea turtles and ranks among the region's less-explored natural attractions.

Guyana's rainforests are among the most biodiverse yet least-explored regions in the world, home to jaguars, giant otters, and the arapaima, the world's largest freshwater fish. Guided tours in the Iwokrama Forest, including canopy walkways and night safaris, offer a closer look at the rainforest's more elusive wildlife. Indigenous communities, including the Makushi and Wapishana peoples, continue to practice traditional ways of life in villages along the country's interior rivers, some of which can be visited through ecotourism programs. Local cuisine blends Caribbean, Indian, African, and indigenous influences, with pepperpot, a spiced meat dish made with a bitter cassava-based sauce called cassareep, as a signature dish, traditionally eaten at Christmas.