Brief information
Translated from the Indian language, the word “Guyana” means “Land of many waters.” This name suits Guyana perfectly, because there are not only numerous rivers with beautiful waterfalls, but also access to the Atlantic Ocean, on the coast of which long sandy beaches stretch. In the equatorial forests, savannah and mountainous areas, you can find very rare representatives of flora and fauna.
Geography of Guyana
Guyana is located on the northern coast of South America. Guyana borders Suriname to the east, Brazil to the south and southwest, and Venezuela to the west. In the north, the country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Total area – 214,970 sq. km., and the total length of the state border is 2,462 km.
Most of the population lives on the territory of a narrow fertile swampy plain along the Atlantic coast. In the southern part of the country there are dense forests, in the west – mountainous terrain, and in the south – desert savannah. The highest local peak is Mount Roraima, whose height reaches 2,810 meters.
Four large rivers flow through the territory of Guyana – Essequibo (1,010 km), Korantein (724 km) and Demerara (346 km). On the Potaro River in the west of the country is the Kaieteur waterfall, whose height is 226 meters.
Capital
According to simplyyellowpages.com, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana. More than 400 thousand people now live in this city. Georgetown was founded by the Dutch in 1781.
Official language of Guyana
The only official language is English.
Religion
About 57% of the population are Christians (Protestants and Catholics), about 28% are Hindus, 7% are Muslims.
Government of Guyana
According to diseaseslearning.com, Guyana is a presidential republic, headed by the President, who is elected for 5 years. Executive power belongs to the President and the government.
The unicameral local parliament is called the National Assembly, it consists of 65 deputies (they are also elected for 5 years).
The main political parties are the People’s Progressive Party, the Union for National Unity and the Alliance for Change.
Administratively, the country is divided into 10 regions.
Climate and weather
The climate is tropical, hot and humid. The average annual air temperature in Georgetown is +27C. There are two rainy seasons – from May to mid-August and from mid-November to mid-January.
Ocean off the coast of Guyana
In the north, the country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The length of the sea coast is 459 km. The average sea temperature near the coast is +26C.
Rivers and lakes
Numerous rivers flow through Guyana. The largest of them are Essequibo (1,010 km), Corantein (724 km) and Demerara (346 km) (all flow into the Atlantic Ocean). There are about 300 waterfalls in this country. The most grandiose of them is the Kaieteur waterfall on the Potaro River, whose height is 226 meters.
Guyana culture
Every February, for a whole week, Guyana is immersed in a grandiose holiday – Mashramani (translated from the Indian language means the celebration of a job well done). During these seven days, costumed processions pass through the streets of big cities, and theatrical performances are shown in the squares with performances by dance, music groups and circus troupes.
There are many Chinese people living in Guyana and it is natural that they celebrate their own Chinese holidays. The biggest one is the Chinese New Year.
Guyana also celebrates Christian, Hindu and Muslim religious holidays. As you can see, the cultural traditions of South American Indians, Europeans, Africans and Asians are closely intertwined in this country.
Kitchen
The cuisine of Guyana was formed under the influence of the culinary traditions of the local Indians, Africans, Indians, Portuguese and Chinese. Traditional foods are potatoes, rice, cassava, vegetables, fruits (especially bananas), meat and fish.
Tourists are advised to try Pepper Pot (stew with vegetables and spices, served with rice), roti, curry, chow mein (fried noodles with meat and vegetables), vegetable stew with meat or fish, “brewed” rice with peas, meat and coconut milk.
Traditional soft drinks are mauby (made from tree bark), fruit juices, coconut milk, sugarcane juice.
Traditional alcoholic drinks are rum and beer.
Sights of Guyana
The most important tourist attraction in Guyana is Kaieteur Falls, which is 226 meters high. Usually excursions to this waterfall take one day (their price is 200-300 dollars).
But in this country there are many other equally beautiful waterfalls. Among them are, for example, the cascade of Amalia waterfalls on the Kurybrong River, the Barrington Brown Falls on the Curantine River, as well as the Pot Falls Falls on the Essequibo River and Orinduik on the Ireng River.
In Georgetown, we recommend visiting the National Museum, the Anthropological Museum, the Guyana Heritage Museum, and the African Heritage Museum.
Of great interest to tourists are local national parks, reserves and botanical gardens – Kaieteur National Park (its area is 75 thousand square kilometers), the Ivorkama Reserve (about 370 thousand hectares of forest), the Botanical Gardens in Georgetown, and the Kanaku mountain range, where a huge number of exotic animals and birds live.
Cities and resorts
The largest cities are Linden, New Amsterdam, Anna Regina, Bartika, and the capital is Georgetown.
There are several excellent beaches in Guyana, among which it is necessary to highlight, first of all, Bartica Beach near the city of Bartika, Hamburg Beach on Tigris Island, Saxacalli Beach 30 kilometers from Parique, 63 Beach Berbice and Shell Beach in the northeast of the country.
The length of the beach 63 Beach Berbice is more than 15 kilometers. It covers 12 villages. More than 3,000 tourists visit this beach every week. This beach is ideal for swimming, water sports, and beach activities.
The most remote Guyanese beach is Shell Beach in the northeast of the country. In recent years, this beach has been developed, but it is still very quiet there. Tourists there can see a large number of different birds, including flamingos, egrets and parrots.
Souvenirs/Shopping
Common souvenirs from Guyana are handicrafts, hammocks, fabrics, jewelry, rum.
Office Hours
Banks:
Mon-Thu: 08:00-14:00
Fri: 08:00-14:30
Shops:
Mon-Fri: 08:30-16:00 (Saturday – until lunch)
Visa
Ukrainians need a visa to visit Guyana.
Currency of Guyana
The Guyanese dollar is the official currency in Guyana. Its international designation is GYD. One Guyanese dollar = 100 cents. Credit cards are not very common. But big hotels, restaurants and car rental companies still accept credit cards.
Customs restrictions
There are no restrictions on the import and export of local or foreign currency. However, more than $10,000 must be declared.
It is forbidden to import drugs, pornographic materials, counterfeit money and goods. To import cats and dogs, you need to obtain a special permit from the relevant Guyanese government agencies. It is also necessary to obtain a license for the import of firearms and edged weapons, fresh fruits, organic and inorganic fertilizers, and cosmetics.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
The interests of Guyana in Ukraine are represented by the Embassy of Jamaica in Russia:
Address: 117049, Moscow, Koroviy Val, 7/70
Т: (095) 237-2320
The interests of Ukraine in Guyana are represented by the Embassy of Ukraine in Brazil:
SHIS, QІ-06, Conjunto-04
Casa-02, LAGO SUL, CEP 71615-040 Brasilia-DF
BRASIL
T: (8 10 5561) 3365
1457 mail: [email protected]
Emergency numbers
911 – Police
12 – Fire brigade
13 – Ambulance
Time
Behind Kyiv for 7 hours. Those. if, for example, in Kyiv 13:00, then in Georgetown – 06:00.
Tips
Tipping is not required, but welcome (10% of the bill).
The medicine
It is recommended to make preventive vaccinations against yellow fever, typhoid, malaria, rabies and hepatitis A before traveling to Guyana.
Security
The crime rate in Guyana is quite high, especially in Georgetown. Therefore, we recommend that tourists observe reasonable security measures there.
