Guyana - Geography

The Co-operative Republic of Guyana lies in the north-east of South America, north of the equator. It is bordered by Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela and, to the north and east, extends to the North Atlantic Ocean.

Area:214,970 sq km

Main towns:Georgetown (capital, pop. 236,900 in 2006), Linden (44,900), New Amsterdam (35,700), Corriverton (12,700), Bartica (11,300), Skeldon, Rosignol. Georgetown is famous for its Dutch-inspired wooden architecture, street layout and drainage canals.

Topography:Guyana has three distinct geographical zones. It has a narrow coastal belt, seldom more than 25km wide and much of it 1–1.5m below sea level, where sugar and rice are grown and 90% of the people live. In the far interior are high savannah uplands; between these, thick, hilly tropical forest covers most of the land area. In the forest zone are found most of the country’s resources of bauxite, diamonds, gold, manganese and other minerals. Guyana’s massive rivers include the Demerara, Berbice, Essequibo and Corantyne; rapids, bars and other obstacles make navigation difficult. The Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro river have a 222m drop – five times the height of Niagara. The Amerindian name ‘Guiana’ (part of the country’s former name) means ‘Land of Many Waters’.

Climate:Guyana has a warm tropical climate with high rainfall and humidity. The rainy seasons are November–January and May–July with an average rainfall of 2,350mm p.a. in the coastal region. Inland rainfall averages 1,520mm p.a. North-east trade winds moderate coastal temperatures.

Environment:The most significant environmental issues are water pollution by sewage, and agricultural and industrial chemicals; and deforestation.

Vegetation:Guyana’s tropical forest, covering more than 80% of the land area, is among the most ecologically valuable and best preserved in the world. The environment is an issue of great political importance in Guyana. There is concern about climate change and sea-level rise, because the low-lying littoral plain relies on a system of dams, walls and drainage canals to prevent flooding from the sea or the huge rivers. Forest resources are also important; the country has taken a lead in advancing forestry conservation and sustainable development.

Under the Iwokrama Rainforest Programme, some 360,000ha, much of it virgin forest, have been set aside for preservation and scientific study of its ecology and for sustainable development of the parts inhabited by Amerindian tribes or migrant mining communities. The programme was launched by the Guyana Government and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Wildlife:The tapir is the largest land mammal; cats include the jaguar and ocelot. Monkeys and deer are the most numerous species, and the caiman is the largest freshwater animal. The giant anaconda or water boa is also found in the rivers. The wealth of plant, animal and micro-organism species includes many so far unrecorded, whose properties are unknown to science.

Transport:Surface travel in the interior of the country is hindered by dense forest, rapids on the rivers, and the generally undeveloped character of the interior. Thus, apart from in the coastal belt and on one inland route, most journeys are by air.

There are all-weather, asphalt roads along the coast and some brick roads inland, and about 10% of the road network is paved. There is no passenger rail service, although mining companies have private goods lines.

There are some 1,600km of navigable river, 1,000km of which are in areas of some economic activity. Passenger and cargo vessels travel up the Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice rivers, and also along the coast between the rivers. Apart from the Demerara, which has a road bridge, the other major rivers have to be crossed by ferries, which can take some hours for the wider rivers.

Georgetown and New Amsterdam are the main ports, and the international airport is Cheddi Jagan International Airport, at Timehri, 40km from Georgetown; larger towns and many mining companies have airports or landing strips.