Guyana - Guyana

Disambiguation - For toponyms of identical name, see Guyana (disambiguation).

Guyana (Co-operative Republic of Guyana) is a state ofSouth America which adjoins the Venezuela, the Suriname, the Brazil and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.

To know

The name Guyana derives from the indigenous term Arawak Wayana which means "land rich in water".

It is the third smallest sovereign state of theSouth America after Suriname and theUruguay.

Geographical notes

Guyana consists mainly of rounded plateaus, with a low coastal plain and savannah to the south. The highest point is Mount Roraima at 2,835m.

More than 80% of Guyana is still covered by forests consisting of more than a thousand species of trees. Thanks also to this, Guyana has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. The main rivers are the Essequibo and the Cuyuni.

When to go

The climate is tropical with hot summers and wet winters. There are two distinct rainy seasons: from May to mid-August and from mid-November to mid-January). Flash floods are a constant threat during these rainy seasons.

Background

Originally inhabited by tribes of aruachi and caribs, the current Guyana, whose coasts were sighted as early as 1498 by Columbus, was explored by the Europeans starting from the early sixteenth century. However, only during the seventeenth century did the Dutch they founded stable settlements there, giving life to three different colonies.

Towards the end of the eighteenth century the British took control of the area. In 1814 the Dutch formally surrendered to the Great Britain the three colonies, under a Convention of London. They, starting from 1831, constituted a single colony known as "British Guyana".

Over time, communities of slaves were formed, known as "maroons", who fled to their masters by taking refuge in the forests and mingling with the Indians. With the abolition of slavery (1834) the Maroons themselves began to settle in urban areas. In the meantime, to make up for the lack of manpower in the plantations caused by the end of slavery, workers from Europe were called to Guyana (Madeira, Germany, Ireland, Scotland is Malta), from China and, above all, fromIndia.

In 1889 the Venezuela he made claims on the Guayana Esequiba, the set of lands between the border and the Essequibo River. Ten years later, an international court assigned these lands to British Guiana. Even today, however, Venezuela claims more than half of the territory of present day Guyana.

Independence was proclaimed on May 26, 1966. On February 23, 1970, Guyana became a republic, while remaining within the Commonwealth.

Spoken languages

In addition to official language Creole-English is also very popular, with a grammar not yet standardized, which has African and Indian influences. Two other creole idioms are extinct (skepi and berbice), based onDutch. Small indigenous communities continue to use their own languages.

Culture and traditions

Until independence, Guyana was more culturally united with the islands of the gods Caribbean English, al Suriname and to French Guiana, more than with the rest of theSouth America. In fact, Guyana was inhabited by settlers from Indian subcontinent (which made possible the diffusion of Urdu, Hindi is Tamil), by black Africans and some Europeans, especially from Great Britain. These various ethnic groups have remained quite distinct and today, each group follows its own lifestyle and culture, but lately these tend to merge.

The slow-growing regional policy (UNASUR), the construction of roads with Venezuela is Brazil, migration and the influence of Venezuela and Brazil mean that Guyana is increasingly inserted into South American culture, dominated by languages ​​such as Castilian is Portuguese, to the detriment of the Anglo-Saxon heritage.

Guyana's population is divided into four main groups:

• Indian (about 50%) and generally lives in rural areas.
• African (about 40%) and generally lives in urban centers.
• American (about 5%) and resides in inland areas.
• European and Chinese (the remainder).

Regardless of the strain of origin, almost the entire population lives in the coastal area.

Territories and tourist destinations

Urban centers

Other destinations

How to get

Entry requirements

Passport, entry visa for stays longer than 90 days, yellow fever vaccination certificate if you arrive from a country considered at risk.

On the train

There are no international railway lines leading into Guyana, due to the absence of the national passenger service.

How to get around

By plane

In the national territory there are over 50 airports, but only 5 are paved.

On boat

The Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo rivers are navigable for 150, 100 and 80 km respectively.

The main ports and ports of call in the country are: Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam is Parika.

On the train

The existing railway networks are used only for freight transport.

By bus

In Guyana there are no subways, tramways and trolleybuses. On the other hand in the capital of Guyana, Georgetown, and in other inhabited areas there are public and private companies that manage urban, suburban and interurban transport by bus.

What see

• Mashramani. It starts around 10:00.. An Amerindian word meaning "party after hard work". February 23 is the anniversary of the republic. An event similar to the carnival, with parades and costumed bands that wind their way through the city. As you watch, take a sip of local rum with coconut water or alternatively some beer, all while swaying to the rhythm of soca and calypso. 
• Kaieteur National Park. Protected area established in 1929 whose main attraction are the homonymous waterfalls. 
• Kaieteur Falls. 200-300 USD. It is 5 times higher than Niagara Falls, about 250m high. It can be accessed with a short flight from the capital offered by the various tourist companies as a day tour. Most companies organize the tour on a Sunday, so it is advisable to book in advance. 
• Orinduik Falls. A smaller waterfall than Kaieteur that can also be observed while visiting Kaieteur by plane. 
• Iwokrama Forest Reserve. Protected area established in 1997. 

What to do

Ecotourism in Guyana is a booming sector.

Currency and purchases

The national currency is the Guyanese dollar (GYD). The banknotes are issued in denominations of 20, 100, 500 and 1,000 and there are coins of 1, 5 and 10. The banknotes of 500 and 1,000 have a holographic stripe with a colored parrot.

Below are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

(EN) With Google Finance:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
With Yahoo! Finance:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
(EN) With XE.com:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD
(EN) With OANDA.com:	AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD

There are numerous markets and, recently, shopping centers in Guyana. Stabroek Market is a quaint market located in Georgetown. Sightseeing trips to the market are best done in a group or with a local, to feel more at ease. The muggings are possible but are not frequent.

The local craftsmanship is very rich and ranges from beautiful paintings, to sculpture, to leather bags, satchels, wallets, hand-painted fabrics (batik), flowers, sun hats, semi-precious stones and handmade costume jewelery with indigenous materials. All of these can be purchased at an area outside the central post office near the national museum in downtown Georgetown.

Guyana is also known for its exceptional gold jewelry.

At the table

Tourist infrastructure

Events and parties

National holidays

• February 23 - Republic Day (1970).
• May 26 - Independence from the British Empire (1966).
• 6 October - Feast of the constitution (1980).

Safety

If necessary, the following numbers can be used:

• Police: 592 226 2487 - For emergencies: 911
• Fire Brigade: 592 226 2411 - For emergencies: 912
• Emergency ambulance service: 913

Health situation

Guyana has a public health system.

Respect the customs

Local people don't wear shoes in their homes and expect visitors to do the same.

How to keep in touch

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Guyana
• Commons contains images or other files on Guyana
• Wikinews contains current news on Guyana
  

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