Best Countries

Important facts

Capital: Georgetown (See more on SIMPLYYELLOWPAGES.COM)

Official language: English

Currency: dollar

Continent: South-South America

Discover Guyana

Until recently, Guyana was governed by socialism. The country is very poor, but this should not hide the natural beauties of the country.

Location

According to Countryaah, the country borders Suriname, Brazil, Venezuela and the Atlantic Ocean.

Useful information

Guyana has a large amount of natural resources such as oil, diamonds, copper and precious woods. Nevertheless, the gap between rich and poor in the country is very large, which is a consequence of the colonial system. Avoid walking in poor areas, as poverty often leads to crime and white Europeans often remind us of the former oppressors.

Nevertheless, the country is well developed for tourism and you can stay in so-called “jungle lodges” in addition to many hotels on the beach. Georgetown is generally regarded as the cultural and economic center of the country.

Worth seeing

A highlight not to be missed is the Kaieteur Falls. This impressive waterfall is embedded in a national park. It has a combination of height and width that is rare in the world. Its height is 226 meters and the continuous width is 113 meters! The waterfall, which is fed by the Potaro River, is ranked 26th among the most beautiful waterfalls by world-waterfalls.com.

Currency

Currency (sub-unit)

Dollars (100 cents)

ISO 4217 code

GYD / 328

Geography

Continent: South America

Region: south

Geo coordinates: N 4 ° 51 ‘37.5 “W -58 ° -55’ -48.6”

Highest mountain: Mount Roraiama (2,835 m)

Total area: 214,970 km²

Mainland: 196,850 km²

National border: 2,462 km

Coastline: 459 km

Politics

Dependency: Great Britain until 1966

UN member since: 1966

Other political affiliation: Commonwealth

Form of government: Presidential Republic

Houses of Parliament: unicameral

Party system: Multi-party system

State building: decentralized

Political culture: Subject culture; partly parochial culture

Particularities: 50% of the population are of Indian descent; Columnarization of the political system along the ethnic boundaries; Participation of the regional administrative units in the legislative process by sending 12 members to parliament

Economy

Export goods: Bauxite, sugar, rice, rum

BSP: $ 1,051,000,000

GDP: $ 1,118,600,000

GDP purchasing power parity: $ 3,920,000,000

GDP share of agriculture: 36.6%

GDP share of industry: 21.3%

GDP share of services: 42.1%

Inflation rate: 6.1%

State budget revenue: $ 354,000,000

State budget expenditure: $ 381,200,000

Export: $ 614,000,000

Import: $ 704,000,000

Gold and currency reserves: $ 274,000,000

Electricity consumption: 803 million KWh

Oil consumption: 12,800 million m³

Cultivation area: 2.35%

Bovine: 92,000 pieces

Sheep: 127,000 pieces

Fishing: 58,600 t

Demographic data

Residents: 767,300

Residents in cities: 301,000

Minorities: Indigenous people (7%); Whites, Chinese and others (7%)

Average age: 27.4 years

0-14 years: 26.2%

15-64 years: 68.6%

> 65 years: 5.2%

Population growth: 0.25%

Birth rate: 18.28 / 1,000 residents

Death rate: 8.28 / 1,000 residents

Migration: -7.49 / 1,000 residents

Ratio men / women: 1.01

Fertility: 2.04 children / woman

Infant mortality: 32.19 ‰

Life expectancy men: 63.21 years

Life expectancy women: 68.65 years

Country codes and abbreviations

ISO 3166 Alpha 2: GY

ISO 3166 Alpha 3: GUY

ISO 3166 numeric: 328

Top Level Domain: gy

IOC country code: GUY

UN / LOCODE: GY

Source: Abbreviationfinder

Communication

Telephone connections: 87,000

Cell Phones: 216,000

Radios: 520,000

TV: 100,000

Computer: 56,000

Internet users: 237,000

Transportation

Railway lines: 187 km

Paved roads: 936 km

Cars: 40,000

Merchant fleet (ships over 1,000 GRT): 7

Health

Number of doctors: 260

Daily food intake: 2,730 kcal / resident

HIV- infected people: 12,600

Education

Illiteracy: 1 %

History

Foundation: 1966

Last sovereign since: 1966

Religion

Main religious group: Christians

Distribution of religions: Christians (50%); Hindus (35%); Muslims (10%); other (5%)

Crime

Prison inmates: 1,300

Military

Armed forces (troop strength): 2,000

Defense Spending: $ 6.5 million

GETTING THERE

Arriving by plane

Air France (AF) flies daily from Paris to Cayenne (French Guiana), from where there are connecting flights to Guyana. Caribbean Airlines (BW) (Internet: www.caribbean-airlines.com/) flies from London via Tobago to Guyana.

Departure fee

4500 G $, children under 7 years and transit passengers (within 48 hours) are exempt.

Arrival by car

For international traffic, there is currently only one road from Georgetown via Kurupukari and Lethem to Brazil, four-wheel drive vehicle required (travel time at least 12 hours). By improving the condition of the roads, roads can now also be used during the rainy season (be careful of potholes).

Buses run between Boa Vista in Brazil and Lethem. There are political disagreements about the border with Suriname and Venezuela, which are not acute at the moment. Travelers should still be aware of these issues.

Arriving by train

There are no passenger trains.

Arrival by ship

Numerous schooners operate between the Caribbean islands and Guyana, but one shouldn’t rely on the timetables. Details on site. Demerara Shipping Company ships call at Georgetown weekly from European ports. Celebrity Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, among others, call at Guyana as part of cruises. Since relations with Suriname have improved, there has been a ferry connection across the Courantyne River between the two countries (you should only use the ferry – water taxis are illegal for tourists).

ON THE GO

Traveling by plane

The plane is the only reliable means of domestic transport. Various airlines and charter airlines offer flights. Further information on site.

On the way by car / bus

All-weather roads are mainly found on the east coast, but there are also roads inland to Linden and the Brazilian border. A bridge between the two countries is under construction. A relatively good coastal road connects Georgetown with Springlands. As Guyana has many rivers, you have to rely on ferries just a few miles outside of Georgetown; caution is advised because of poor road conditions and stray animals. Left-hand traffic.

Bus:Georgetown’s Stabroek Market is the bus station for minibuses. The buses run irregularly between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m., but in Georgetown they run continuously at night and are often overcrowded. From Vreed en Hoop to Parika you take the ferry across the Río Demerara to Georgetown, from New Amsterdam to Crabwood Creek you cross the Río Berbice. There are plenty of

taxis available and particularly recommended at night. A uniform tariff applies within the cities. A surcharge is levied for long distances and night trips, the fare should be agreed in advance. A 10% tip is customary for taxis. You should only use taxis from established companies. Hailing taxis on the street is not recommended.

Rental car are available in limited quantities in Georgetown. There are also chauffeur-driven rental cars.

Documents: international or own driver’s license.

On the go by train

There is no passenger train service.

On the way by ship

There are over 1000 km of navigable waterways, the main ones being the Río Essequibo, Río Potaro, Río Demerara and Río Berbice. State ships operate on the Río Essequibo and Río Berbice; however, the connections are irregular, as floods and rapids often hinder shipping. From Georgetown, coastal ferries call at several ports in the north. Smaller boats run between other towns.