Georgetown Guyana
Guyana News and information, Hotels in Georgetown, Business, Photos and Videos
Diwali in Guyana
Light is an important aspect of all our lives and often we only recognize the obvious forms derived from electricity and sunlight. Deepavali is an ancient Hindu Festival of Lights which celebrates the deeper meaning of light. Celebrated on the… Continue reading
Guyana Holidays and Festivals
Over the centuries with the discovery of Guyana, the colonial powers imported labour originally from Africa then India, China and Madeira (Portugal) for the cultivation of sugar as the local indigenous people were not suited for this type of work.… Continue reading
Georgetown – the garden city
Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, is almost fairy tale in appearance, thanks to the tree-lined streets and avenues and the quaint Dutch colonial and Victorian architecture stemming from its days as Dutch and English colonies. Georgetown lies below the… Continue reading
Places in Georgetown: The Umana Yana
Umana Yana
Umana Yana is Wai Wai “for meeting place of the people”. It is 55 feet tall and was built by Wai Wai Indians in 1972. This type of Amerindian thatched hut is called benab.
A gathering… Continue reading
Official Name
The Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Georgetown is the capital city.
National Symbols
Population
Approximately 751,223 (Census 2002) of which 90% live along the coastal strip and banks of the three major rivers. The ethnic composition of the population is as follows:
- East Indian 43.5%
- Black (African) 30.2%
- Mixed 16.7%
- Amerindian 9.1%
- Other 0.5%
Location
North East of South America between 1o & 9o North Latitude and 57o & 61o West Longitude, bordering Venezuela to the West, Brazil to the South, Suriname to the East.
Language
The official language is English. Often spoken with a Caribbean Creole flavour. Guyana is also the only English speaking country in South America.
Government
Guyana became independent from Britain in 1966 and a “Cooperative Republic in 1970, when a non executive President replaced the Governor-General. A new constitution in 1980 gave the President wide executive powers. The Cabinet is headed by the President, and there is a 65-member National Assembly elected by proportional representation.
President: Bharat Jagdeo
Prime Minister: Samuel Hinds
Other information
Currency: Guyana Dollar
Time Zone: GMT – 04:00
Area: 214,970 km2 or 83,000 sq mi
Country Code: 592
We drive on the left side of the road.