Guyana
English speaking, Caribbean in culture, and almost entirely rainforest
Population
0.83m people
Currency
Guyanese Dollar
Main Language
English
best time to visit
February – April and August – November
Climate
Tropical, hot and humid, two wet seasons, rainforest interior
Visa
Visa free for up to 3 months for UK, EU, US and most Western visitors
Country overview
Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and considers itself culturally Caribbean rather than Latin American, a legacy of British colonial rule until 1966. Its population is a mix of Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese, Amerindian and mixed heritage, and cricket matters far more than football.
Around eighty percent of the country is rainforest, most of it intact, with one of the lowest deforestation rates in the world. Ninety percent of the population lives on a narrow coastal strip, much of it below sea level and protected by a Dutch-built seawall. The interior is reached by small plane or a very long overland journey.
Kaieteur Falls is the centrepiece: a single drop of 226 metres, about five times the height of Niagara, in the middle of untouched jungle with no infrastructure and often no other visitors. Iwokrama and the Rupununi savannah offer genuine chances of jaguar, giant otter, giant anteater and harpy eagle. Recent offshore oil discoveries are transforming the economy fast.
Annual events and festivals
- Mashramani (23 Feb) — Republic Day. The national festival, with float parades, costume bands and soca.
- Phagwah, Holi (Mar) — a public holiday, with abeer and powder thrown. Reflects the large Indo-Guyanese population.
- Diwali (Oct-Nov) — a public holiday, with elaborate motorcade processions of lit floats.
- Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (varies) — both are public holidays in a country with a significant Muslim minority.
- Emancipation Day (1 Aug) — African dress, drumming and food marking the end of slavery.
- Independence Day (26 May) — marks the 1966 end of British rule.
- Amerindian Heritage Month (Sep) — a month of indigenous cultural events across the interior.
- Rupununi Rodeo (Easter) — vaqueros from the savannah ranches compete over the Easter weekend.
- Bartica Regatta (Easter) — boat racing at the confluence of three rivers.
- Christmas (Dec) — marked with pepperpot, black cake and masquerade bands in the street.