GUYANA
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Geography
Geography
Guyana is a country in Northern South America and part of Caribbean South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela. With a land area of approximately 197,000 square kilometres, Guyana is about the size of Idaho. The country is situated between 1 and 9 north latitude and between 56 and 62 west longitude. With a 430-kilometre Atlantic coastline on the northeast, Guyana is bounded by Venezuela on the west, Brazil on the west and south, and Suriname on the east. The land comprises three main geographical zones: the coastal plain, the white sand belt, and the interior highlands
Terrain
The coastal plain, which occupies about 5% of the country's area, is home to more than 90% of its inhabitants. The plain ranges from five to six kilometers wide and extends from the Courantyne River in the east to the Venezuelan border in the northwest.
The coastal plain is made up largely of alluvial mud swept out to sea by the Amazon River, carried north by ocean currents, and deposited on the Guyanese shores. A rich clay of great fertility, this mud overlays the white sands and clays formed from the erosion of the interior bedrock and carried seaward by the rivers of Guyana. Because much of the coastal plain floods at high tide, efforts to dam and drain this area have gone on since the 1700s.
Guyana has no well-defined shoreline or sandy beaches. Approaching the ocean, the land gradually loses elevation until it includes many areas of marsh and swamp. Seaward from the vegetation line is a region of mud flats, shallow brown water, and sandbars. Off New Amsterdam, these mud flats extend almost twenty-five kilometers. The sandbars and shallow water are a major impediment to shipping, and incoming vessels must partially unload their cargoes offshore in order to reach the docks at Georgetown and New Amsterdam.
A line of swamps forms a barrier between the white sandy hills of the interior and the coastal plain. These swamps, formed when water was prevented from flowing onto coastal croplands by a series of dams, serve as reservoirs during periods of drought.
The white sand belt lies south of the coastal zone. This area is 150 to 250 kilometers wide and consists of low sandy hills interspersed with rocky outcroppings. The white sands support a dense hardwood forest. These sands cannot support crops, and if the trees are removed erosion is rapid and severe. Most of Guyana's reserves of bauxite, gold, and diamonds are found in this region.
The largest of Guyana's three geographical regions is the interior highlands, a series of plateaus, flat-topped mountains, and savannahs that extend from the white sand belt to the country's southern borders. The Pakaraima Mountains dominate the western part of the interior highlands. In this region are found some of the oldest sedimentary rocks in the Western Hemisphere. Mount Roraima, on the Venezuelan border, is part of the Pakaraima range and, at 2,762 meters, is Guyana's tallest peak. Farther south lies the Kaieteur Plateau, a broad, rocky area about 600 meters in elevation; the 1,000-meter high Kanuku Mountains; and the low Acarai Mountains situated on the southern border with Brazil.
Much of the interior highlands consist of grassland. The largest expanse of grassland, the Rupununi Savannah, covers about 15,000 square kilometers in southern Guyana. This savannah also extends far into Venezuela and Brazil. The part in Guyana is split into northern and southern regions by the Kanuku Mountains. The sparse grasses of the savannah in general support only grazing, although Amerindian groups cultivate a few areas along the Rupununi River and in the foothills of the Kanuku Mountains.
Hydrology
Guyana is a water-rich country. Numerous rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean, generally in a northward direction. A number of rivers in the western part of the country, however, flow eastward into the Essequibo River, draining the Kaieteur Plateau. The Essequibo, the country's major river, runs from the Brazilian border in the south to a wide delta west of Georgetown. The rivers of eastern Guyana cut across the coastal zone, making east-west travel difficult, but they also provide limited water access to the interior. Waterfalls generally limit water transport to the lower reaches of each river. Some of the waterfalls are spectacular; for example, Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River drops 226 metres, more than four times the height of Niagara Falls.
Drainage throughout most of Guyana is poor and river flow sluggish because the average gradient of the main rivers is only one meter every five kilometers. Swamps and areas of periodic flooding are found in all but the mountainous regions, and all new land projects require extensive drainage networks before they are suitable for agricultural use. The average square kilometer on a sugar plantation, for example, has six kilometers of irrigation canals, eighteen kilometers of large drains, and eighteen kilometers of small drains. These canals occupy nearly one-eighth of the surface area of the average sugarcane field. Some of the larger estates have more than 550 kilometers of canals; Guyana itself has a total of more than 8,000 kilometers. Even Georgetown is below sea level and must depend on dikes for protection from the Demerara River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Climate
Lying near the equator, Guyana has a tropical climate, and temperatures do not vary much throughout the year. The year has two wet seasons, from December to early February and from late April to mid-August.
Although the temperature never gets dangerously high, the combination of heat and humidity can at times seem oppressive. The entire area is under the influence of the northeast trade winds, and during the midday and afternoon sea breezes bring relief to the coast. Guyana lies south of the path of Caribbean hurricanes and none is known to have hit the country.
Temperatures in Georgetown are quite constant, with an average high of 32°C and an average low of 24°C in the hottest month (July), and an average range of 29°C to 23°C in February, the coolest month. The highest temperature ever recorded in the capital was 37.2°C and the lowest 16.6°C. Humidity averages 70 percent year-round. Locations in the interior, away from the moderating influence of the ocean, experience slightly wider variations in daily temperature, and nighttime readings as low as 12°C have been recorded. Humidity in the interior is also slightly lower, averaging around 60 percent.
Rainfall is heaviest in the northwest and lightest in the southeast and interior. Annual averages on the coast near the Venezuelan border are near 250 centimetres, farther east at New Amsterdam 200 centimetres, and 150 centimetres in southern Guyana's Rupununi Savannah. Areas on the northeast sides of mountains that catch the trade winds average as much as 350 centimeters of precipitation annually. Although rain falls throughout the year, about 50 percent of the annual total arrives in the summer rainy season that extends from May to the end of July along the coast and from April through September farther inland. Coastal areas have a second rainy season from November through January. Rain generally falls in heavy afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Overcast days are rare; most days include four to eight hours of sunshine from morning through early afternoon.
Facts
Area:
total: 214,970 km²
land: 196,850 km²
water: 18,120 km²
Area - comparative: roughly the same size as Britain, slightly smaller than the US state of Idaho
Land boundaries:
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline: 459 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nautical miles (370 km) or to the outer edge of the continental margin
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Vegetation map of Guyana
Vegetation map of Guyana
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,300 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Environment - current issues: water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
Guyana is a country in Northern South America and part of Caribbean South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela. With a land area of approximately 197,000 square kilometres, Guyana is about the size of Idaho. The country is situated between 1 and 9 north latitude and between 56 and 62 west longitude. With a 430-kilometre Atlantic coastline on the northeast, Guyana is bounded by Venezuela on the west, Brazil on the west and south, and Suriname on the east. The land comprises three main geographical zones: the coastal plain, the white sand belt, and the interior highlands
Terrain
The coastal plain, which occupies about 5% of the country's area, is home to more than 90% of its inhabitants. The plain ranges from five to six kilometers wide and extends from the Courantyne River in the east to the Venezuelan border in the northwest.
The coastal plain is made up largely of alluvial mud swept out to sea by the Amazon River, carried north by ocean currents, and deposited on the Guyanese shores. A rich clay of great fertility, this mud overlays the white sands and clays formed from the erosion of the interior bedrock and carried seaward by the rivers of Guyana. Because much of the coastal plain floods at high tide, efforts to dam and drain this area have gone on since the 1700s.
Guyana has no well-defined shoreline or sandy beaches. Approaching the ocean, the land gradually loses elevation until it includes many areas of marsh and swamp. Seaward from the vegetation line is a region of mud flats, shallow brown water, and sandbars. Off New Amsterdam, these mud flats extend almost twenty-five kilometers. The sandbars and shallow water are a major impediment to shipping, and incoming vessels must partially unload their cargoes offshore in order to reach the docks at Georgetown and New Amsterdam.
A line of swamps forms a barrier between the white sandy hills of the interior and the coastal plain. These swamps, formed when water was prevented from flowing onto coastal croplands by a series of dams, serve as reservoirs during periods of drought.
The white sand belt lies south of the coastal zone. This area is 150 to 250 kilometers wide and consists of low sandy hills interspersed with rocky outcroppings. The white sands support a dense hardwood forest. These sands cannot support crops, and if the trees are removed erosion is rapid and severe. Most of Guyana's reserves of bauxite, gold, and diamonds are found in this region.
The largest of Guyana's three geographical regions is the interior highlands, a series of plateaus, flat-topped mountains, and savannahs that extend from the white sand belt to the country's southern borders. The Pakaraima Mountains dominate the western part of the interior highlands. In this region are found some of the oldest sedimentary rocks in the Western Hemisphere. Mount Roraima, on the Venezuelan border, is part of the Pakaraima range and, at 2,762 meters, is Guyana's tallest peak. Farther south lies the Kaieteur Plateau, a broad, rocky area about 600 meters in elevation; the 1,000-meter high Kanuku Mountains; and the low Acarai Mountains situated on the southern border with Brazil.
Much of the interior highlands consist of grassland. The largest expanse of grassland, the Rupununi Savannah, covers about 15,000 square kilometers in southern Guyana. This savannah also extends far into Venezuela and Brazil. The part in Guyana is split into northern and southern regions by the Kanuku Mountains. The sparse grasses of the savannah in general support only grazing, although Amerindian groups cultivate a few areas along the Rupununi River and in the foothills of the Kanuku Mountains.
Hydrology
Guyana is a water-rich country. Numerous rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean, generally in a northward direction. A number of rivers in the western part of the country, however, flow eastward into the Essequibo River, draining the Kaieteur Plateau. The Essequibo, the country's major river, runs from the Brazilian border in the south to a wide delta west of Georgetown. The rivers of eastern Guyana cut across the coastal zone, making east-west travel difficult, but they also provide limited water access to the interior. Waterfalls generally limit water transport to the lower reaches of each river. Some of the waterfalls are spectacular; for example, Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River drops 226 metres, more than four times the height of Niagara Falls.
Drainage throughout most of Guyana is poor and river flow sluggish because the average gradient of the main rivers is only one meter every five kilometers. Swamps and areas of periodic flooding are found in all but the mountainous regions, and all new land projects require extensive drainage networks before they are suitable for agricultural use. The average square kilometer on a sugar plantation, for example, has six kilometers of irrigation canals, eighteen kilometers of large drains, and eighteen kilometers of small drains. These canals occupy nearly one-eighth of the surface area of the average sugarcane field. Some of the larger estates have more than 550 kilometers of canals; Guyana itself has a total of more than 8,000 kilometers. Even Georgetown is below sea level and must depend on dikes for protection from the Demerara River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Climate
Lying near the equator, Guyana has a tropical climate, and temperatures do not vary much throughout the year. The year has two wet seasons, from December to early February and from late April to mid-August.
Although the temperature never gets dangerously high, the combination of heat and humidity can at times seem oppressive. The entire area is under the influence of the northeast trade winds, and during the midday and afternoon sea breezes bring relief to the coast. Guyana lies south of the path of Caribbean hurricanes and none is known to have hit the country.
Temperatures in Georgetown are quite constant, with an average high of 32°C and an average low of 24°C in the hottest month (July), and an average range of 29°C to 23°C in February, the coolest month. The highest temperature ever recorded in the capital was 37.2°C and the lowest 16.6°C. Humidity averages 70 percent year-round. Locations in the interior, away from the moderating influence of the ocean, experience slightly wider variations in daily temperature, and nighttime readings as low as 12°C have been recorded. Humidity in the interior is also slightly lower, averaging around 60 percent.
Rainfall is heaviest in the northwest and lightest in the southeast and interior. Annual averages on the coast near the Venezuelan border are near 250 centimetres, farther east at New Amsterdam 200 centimetres, and 150 centimetres in southern Guyana's Rupununi Savannah. Areas on the northeast sides of mountains that catch the trade winds average as much as 350 centimeters of precipitation annually. Although rain falls throughout the year, about 50 percent of the annual total arrives in the summer rainy season that extends from May to the end of July along the coast and from April through September farther inland. Coastal areas have a second rainy season from November through January. Rain generally falls in heavy afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Overcast days are rare; most days include four to eight hours of sunshine from morning through early afternoon.
Facts
Area:
total: 214,970 km²
land: 196,850 km²
water: 18,120 km²
Area - comparative: roughly the same size as Britain, slightly smaller than the US state of Idaho
Land boundaries:
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline: 459 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nautical miles (370 km) or to the outer edge of the continental margin
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Vegetation map of Guyana
Vegetation map of Guyana
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,300 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Environment - current issues: water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
Environment - international agreements: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Education
Education
Guyana's educational system was at one time was considered to be among the best in the Caribbean, but it significantly deteriorated in the 1980s because of the emigration of highly educated citizens and the lack of appropriate funding. Although the education system has recovered somewhat in the 1990s, it still does not produce the quality of educated students necessary for Guyana to modernize its workforce. The country lacks a critical mass of expertise in many of the disciplines and activities on which it depends.
The educational system does not sufficiently focus on the training of Guyanese in science and technology, technical and vocational subjects, business management, nor computer sciences. The Guyanese education system is modeled after the former British education system. Students are expected to write SSEE (secondary school entrance exam) by grade 6 for entrance into High School in grade 7. The write CXC at the end of high school. Recently they have introduced the CAPE exams which all other Caribbean countries have now introduced. The A-level system left over from the British era has all but disappeared and is now offered only in a few schools (current as at January 2007). The reason for the insufficient focus or various disciplines can be directly attributed to the common choices made by students to specialize in areas that are similar (math/chemistry/physics or geography/history/economics). With the removal of the old A-level system that encouraged this specialization, it is thought that it will be more attractive[citation needed] for students to broaden their studies.
There are wide disparities among the geographical regions of the country in the availability of quality education, and the physical facilities which are provided are in poor condition.[citation needed]
Further adding to the problems of the educational system, many of the better-educated professional teachers have emigrated to other countries over the past two decades, mainly because of low pay, lack of opportunities and crime. As a result, there is a lack of trained teachers at every level of Guyana's educational system.
Guyana's educational system was at one time was considered to be among the best in the Caribbean, but it significantly deteriorated in the 1980s because of the emigration of highly educated citizens and the lack of appropriate funding. Although the education system has recovered somewhat in the 1990s, it still does not produce the quality of educated students necessary for Guyana to modernize its workforce. The country lacks a critical mass of expertise in many of the disciplines and activities on which it depends.
The educational system does not sufficiently focus on the training of Guyanese in science and technology, technical and vocational subjects, business management, nor computer sciences. The Guyanese education system is modeled after the former British education system. Students are expected to write SSEE (secondary school entrance exam) by grade 6 for entrance into High School in grade 7. The write CXC at the end of high school. Recently they have introduced the CAPE exams which all other Caribbean countries have now introduced. The A-level system left over from the British era has all but disappeared and is now offered only in a few schools (current as at January 2007). The reason for the insufficient focus or various disciplines can be directly attributed to the common choices made by students to specialize in areas that are similar (math/chemistry/physics or geography/history/economics). With the removal of the old A-level system that encouraged this specialization, it is thought that it will be more attractive[citation needed] for students to broaden their studies.
There are wide disparities among the geographical regions of the country in the availability of quality education, and the physical facilities which are provided are in poor condition.[citation needed]
Further adding to the problems of the educational system, many of the better-educated professional teachers have emigrated to other countries over the past two decades, mainly because of low pay, lack of opportunities and crime. As a result, there is a lack of trained teachers at every level of Guyana's educational system.
There are however several very good Private schools that have sprung up over the last fifteen years. Those schools offer a varied and balanced curriculum
Dear land of Guyana, of rivers and plains;
Dear land of Guyana, of rivers and plains;
Made rich by the sunshine, and lush by the rains,
Set gem-like and fair, between mountains and sea,
Your children salute you, dear land of the free
Green land of Guyana, our heroes of yore,
Both bondsmen and free, laid their bones on your shore.
This soil so they hallowed, and from them are we,
All sons of one Mother, Guyana the free.
Great land of Guyana, diverse though our strains,
We're born of their sacrifice, heirs of their pains,
And ours is the glory their eyes did not see,
One land of six peoples, united and free.
Dear land of Guyana, to you will we give,
Our homage, our service, each day that we live;
God guard you, great Mother, and make us to be
Made rich by the sunshine, and lush by the rains,
Set gem-like and fair, between mountains and sea,
Your children salute you, dear land of the free
Green land of Guyana, our heroes of yore,
Both bondsmen and free, laid their bones on your shore.
This soil so they hallowed, and from them are we,
All sons of one Mother, Guyana the free.
Great land of Guyana, diverse though our strains,
We're born of their sacrifice, heirs of their pains,
And ours is the glory their eyes did not see,
One land of six peoples, united and free.
Dear land of Guyana, to you will we give,
Our homage, our service, each day that we live;
God guard you, great Mother, and make us to be
More worthy our heritage, land of the free.
Languages
Languages
English is the official language of Guyana. In addition, Amerindian languages (see Carib languages) are spoken by a small minority, while Guyanese Creole (an English-based creole with African and Indian syntax) is widely spoken. Grammar is not standardized. [2]
English is the official language of Guyana. In addition, Amerindian languages (see Carib languages) are spoken by a small minority, while Guyanese Creole (an English-based creole with African and Indian syntax) is widely spoken. Grammar is not standardized. [2]
In addition to English, other languages of Guyana include Creole, Akawaio, Wai-Wai, Arawak and Macushi.
Land and People
Land and People On the east Guyana is separated from Suriname by the Courantyne (Corantijn or Corentyne) River. The Akarai Mts. form the southern border with Brazil. Several rivers make up much of the western border with Brazil and Venezuela, and the Essequibo River flows through the center of the country. There is a cultivated coastal plain and a forested, hilly interior (for a more detailed description of the physical characteristics of the area, see Guiana). The climate is hot and humid, and the rainfall is heavy. Most of the population lives along the coast. About half of the people trace their ancestry to India, and the rest are of African, mixed, or indigenous descent. English, Hindi, Urdu, and various indigenous dialects are spoken. Christianity and Hinduism are the main religions, and there is a substantial Muslim minority. The Univ. of Guyana in Georgetown was founded in 1963. |
On the east Guyana is separated from Suriname by the Courantyne (Corantijn or Corentyne) River. The Akarai Mts. form the southern border with Brazil. Several rivers make up much of the western border with Brazil and Venezuela, and the Essequibo River flows through the center of the country. There is a cultivated coastal plain and a forested, hilly interior (for a more detailed description of the physical characteristics of the area, see Guiana). The climate is hot and humid, and the rainfall is heavy.
Most of the population lives along the coast. About half of the people trace their ancestry to India, and the rest are of African, mixed, or indigenous descent. English, Hindi, Urdu, and various indigenous dialects are spoken. Christianity and Hinduism are the main religions, and there is a substantial Muslim minority. The Univ. of Guyana in Georgetown was founded in 1963.
Chronology
Chronology
1499 Discovered by Alonzo de Ojeda and Amerigo
Vespucci.
1595 Explored by English under Sir Walter Raleigh.
1598 First known Dutch expedition to coast of Guyana
by Capt. A. Cabeliau.
1620 - 1620 English settlement at Oyapock.
1616 Dutch settlement of Essequibo.
1657 Dutch settlement at Pomeroon.
1666 Dutch settlement at Berbice.
1750 Dutch settlement of Demerara (subordinate
to Essequibo).
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and
Berbice (subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation.
1784 Restored to Netherlands.
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 British occupation
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Batavian Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 - 13 Aug 1814 British occupation.
13 Aug 1814 British colonies of Berbice and
Demerara-Essequibo.
20 Nov 1815 Officially ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 Demerara-Essequibo, and Berbice united as
British Guiana.
26 Aug 1961 Self-rule achieved.
26 May 1966 Independence from Britain (Guyana).
23 Feb 1970 Co-operative Republic of Guyana (effective
1499 Discovered by Alonzo de Ojeda and Amerigo
Vespucci.
1595 Explored by English under Sir Walter Raleigh.
1598 First known Dutch expedition to coast of Guyana
by Capt. A. Cabeliau.
1620 - 1620 English settlement at Oyapock.
1616 Dutch settlement of Essequibo.
1657 Dutch settlement at Pomeroon.
1666 Dutch settlement at Berbice.
1750 Dutch settlement of Demerara (subordinate
to Essequibo).
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and
Berbice (subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation.
1784 Restored to Netherlands.
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 British occupation
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Batavian Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 - 13 Aug 1814 British occupation.
13 Aug 1814 British colonies of Berbice and
Demerara-Essequibo.
20 Nov 1815 Officially ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 Demerara-Essequibo, and Berbice united as
British Guiana.
26 Aug 1961 Self-rule achieved.
26 May 1966 Independence from Britain (Guyana).
23 Feb 1970 Co-operative Republic of Guyana (effective
17 Mar 1970).
Oyapock
1620 - 1620 English settlement at Oyapock (on Wiapica River in Guyana).
Governor
1620 Roger North
Berbice
1666 Dutch settlement of Berbice.
Nov 1712 Briefly occupied by French under Baron de Mouans.
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice
(subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo.
1784 Restored to Netherlands.
22 Apr 1796 British occupation.
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Battalion Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 British occupation.
13 Aug 1814 Berbice a British colony.
20 Nov 1815 Formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 United with Demerara-Essequibo as British Guiana.
Commanders
1666 - 1671 Matthijs Bergenaar
1671 - 1683 Cornelis Marinus
1683 - 1684 Gideon Bourse
1684 - 1687 Lucas Coudrie
1687 - 1712 Matthijs de Feer
1712 - 1714 Steven de Waterman
1714 - 1733 Anthony Tierens
Governors
1733 - 1740 Bernhardt Waterman
1740 - 1749 Jan Andries Lossner
1749 - 1755 Jan Frederik Colier
1755 - 1759 Hendrik Jan van Rijswijck
1760 - 1764 Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim
1764 - 1767 Johan Heijlinger
1768 - 1773 Stephen Hendrik de la Sabloniere (b. 1714 - d. 1773)
1773 - 1774 Johan Christoffel de Winter
1774 - 1 Dec 1777 Isaac Kaecks (d. 1777)
1778 - 27 Feb 1781 Peter Hendrik Koppiers (1st time)
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Kingston
1782 Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan (b. 1726 - d. 1782)
1782 Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren, (b. 1742 - d. 1793)
comte de Kersaint
1783 - 1784 Georges Manganon de la Perrière (d. 1789)
1784 - 1789 Peter Hendrik Koppiers (2nd time)
1789 - 27 Mar 1802 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (b. 1753 - d. 1806)
Batenburg (1st time)
(acting to 1794)
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 J.C.W. Herlin
+ G. Kobus
(acting)
Sep 1803 - Jun 1804 Robert Nicholson
Jun 1804 - 1806 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (s.a.)
Batenburg (2nd time)
Lieutenant governors
1806 - 1807 Robert Nicholson
1807 - 1809 James Montgomery
1809 - 1810 William Woodly
1810 Samuel Dalrymple
1810 - 1812 Robert Gordon (1st time)
1812 - 1813 John Murry
1813 Robert Gordon (2nd time)
1813 - 1814 Grant (acting)
1814 - 1820 Henry William Bentinck (b. 1765 - d. 1820)
1820 - 1821 Thistlewayte (acting)
1821 J. Cameron (acting)
1821 - 21 Jul 1831 Henry Beard
Demerara-Essequibo
1616 Dutch settlement of Essequibo.
1665 - 1666 Brief English occupation.
1752 Dutch settlement of Demerara (subordinate to Essequibo).
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice
(subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation (subordinate Berbice).
1784 Restored to Netherlands (Essequibo subordinated to Demerara).
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 British occupation of Demerara.
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Batavian Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 British occupy Demerara.
13 Aug 1814 Demerara-Essequibo a British colony.
20 Nov 1815 Formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 United with Berbice as British Guiana.
Governors of Essequibo
1616 - 1624 Adriaen Groenewegen
1624 - 1627 Jacob Conijn
1627 - 1638 Jan van der Goes
1638 - 1641 Cornelis Pieterszoon Hose
1641 - 1644 Adriaen van der Woestijne
1644 - 16.. Andriaen Janszoon
1657 - 19 Aug 1664 Aert "Amos" Adriaenssen (b. 1581 - d. 1664)
Groenewegen
1665 - 1666 John Scott
1666 Crynssen
1666 Adriaen Groenewegen
1667 - 1670 Baerland
1670 - 1676 Hendrik Bol
1676 - 1678 Jacob Hars
1678 - 1690 Abraham Beekman
2 Nov 1690 - 10 Dec 1707 Samuel Beekman (d. 1707)
10 Dec 1707 - 24 Jul 1719 Peter van der Heyden Resen
24 Jul 1719 - 12 Oct 1729 Laurens de Heere
12 Oct 1729 - Apr 1742 Hermanus Gelskerke (d. 1742)
Apr 1742 - 1752 Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande (d. 1775)
(acting to 1743)
Directors-general
1752 - 2 Nov 1772 Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande (s.a.)
2 Nov 1772 - 1781 George Hendrik Trotz
Commanders of Demerara
1752 - 1761 Jonathan Samuel Storm van 's (d. 1761)
Gravesende
1761 - 1765 Laurens Lodewijk van Bercheijk (d. 1765)
1765 - 1770 Jan Cornelis van den Heuvel
1772 - 1781 Paulus van Schuylenburgh
Governor of Essequibo
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Nicholson
Governor of Demerara
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Kingston
Governors
1782 - 9 Jul 1482 Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan (b. 1726 - d. 1782)
1782 Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren, (b. 1742 - d. 1793)
comte de Kersaint
1783 - 1784 Georges Manganon de la Perrière (d. 1789)
Directors-general
6 Mar 1784 - Feb 1785 Joseph Bourda (acting) (d. 1798)
Feb 1785 - 18 Aug 1789 Jan L'Éspinasse
18 Aug 1789 - 31 Mar 1793 Albertus Backer (d. 1816)
31 Mar 1793 - May 1795 Willem August van Sirtema,
baron van Grovestins
1795 - 22 Apr 1796 Antony Beaujon (b. c.1763 - d. 1805)
Commanders of Essequibo
1784 Albert Siraut des Touches
1784 - 1787 Johannes Cornelis Bert
1787 - 1789 Albertus Backer (1st time) (s.a.)
1789 - 1791 Gustaaf Eduard Meijerhelm
1791 - 1793 Matthijs Thierens
1793 - 22 Apr 1796 Albertus Backer (2nd time) (s.a.)
Governor of Essequibo
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (b. 1753 - d. 1806)
Batenburg
Commander of Demerara
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 Antony Beaujon (s.a.)
Director-general
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 Antony Meertens (b. 1753 - d. 1815)
Commander of Essequibo
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 George Hendrik Trotz (d. 1804)
Lieutenant governors
Sep 1803 - 18 Aug 1804 Robert Nicholson
18 Aug 1804 - 19 Oct 1805 Antony Beaujon (s.a.)
19 Oct 1805 - 8 May 1806 James Montgomery (acting)
8 May 1806 - Feb 1812 Henry William Bentinck (b. 1765 - d. 1820)
Feb 1812 - 11 May 1813 Hugh Lyle Carmichael (b. 1764 - d. 1813)
11 May 1813 - 23 May 1813 E. Codd (acting)
23 May 1813 - 26 Apr 1824 John Murray
26 Apr 1824 - 21 Jul 1831 Sir Benjamin D'Urban (b. 1777 - d. 1849)
Pomeroon
Aug 1658 Pomeroon settlement; subordinated to Essequibo.
1666 - 1667 English occupation
1689 Incorporated into Essequibo.
Commanders
1658 - 1661 Cornelis Goliat
1661 - 1666 François de Fijne
1666 - 1667 ....
1667 - 1670 Sael
1670 - 1676 Hendrik Rol
1676 - 1678 Jacob Hars
1678 - 1686 Abraham Beekman
1686 - 1689 Jacob Pieterszoon de Jonge
Guyana
21 Jul 1831 Colonies of Demerara-Essequibo and Berbice
united as British Guiana.
26 Aug 1961 Self-rule.
26 May 1966 Independence from Britain (Guyana).
23 Feb 1970 Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
Governors
21 Jul 1831 - 26 Jun 1833 Sir Benjamin D'Urban (b. 1777 - d. 1849)
26 Jun 1833 - 27 Jun 1838 Sir James Carmichael Smyth (b. 1779 - d. 1838)
27 Jun 1838 - 19 May 1848 Henry Light
19 May 1848 - 12 Feb 1849 William Walker (1st time) (acting)
12 Feb 1849 - 11 May 1853 Henry Barkly (b. 1815 - d. 1898)
11 May 1853 - 23 May 1854 William Walker (2nd time) (acting)
23 May 1854 - 7 Jan 1862 Philip Edmond Wodehouse (b. 1811 - d. 1887)
7 Jan 1862 - 25 Jan 1869 Francis Hincks (b. 1807 - d. 1885)
25 Jan 1869 - 26 Dec 1873 Sir John Scott (b. 1814 - d. 1898)
27 Dec 1873 - 10 Mar 1874 E.E. Rushworth (acting)
10 Mar 1874 - 8 Mar 1877 James Robert Longden (b. 1827 - d. 1891)
(from 18 Mar 1876, Sir James Robert Longden)
8 Mar 1877 - 3 Aug 1877 William A.G. Young (1st time)
(acting)
3 Aug 1877 - 13 Dec 1881 Cornelius Hendricksen Kortright (b. 1817 - d. 1899)
13 Dec 1881 - 4 May 1882 William A.G. Young (2nd time)
(acting)
4 May 1882 - 1887 Sir Henry Turner Irving (b. 1833 - d. 1923)
26 Apr 1884 - 1884 W.F. Haynes-Smith (acting for Irving)
1887 - 1888 Charles Bruce (1st time) (acting) (b. 1836 - d. 1920)
1888 - 23 Mar 1893 Jenico William Joseph Preston,
Viscount Gormanston (b. 1837 - d. 1907)
Apr 1891 - 15 Oct 1891 Sir Charles Bruce (2nd time) (s.a.)
(acting for Gormanston)
23 Mar 1893 - 5 Jul 1893 Sir Charles Bruce (3rd time) (s.a.)
(acting)
5 Jul 1893 - Sep 1895 Sir Charles Cameron Lees (b. 1831 - d. 1898)
15 Dec 1894 - 29 Jan 1895 Cavendish Boyle (1st time) (b. 1849 - d. 1916)
(acting for Lees)
Sep 1895 - Mar 1896 Cavendish Boyle (acting)(2nd time) (s.a.)
Mar 1896 - 27 Mar 1898 Sir Augustus William Lawson Hemming (b. 1842 - d. 1907)
1 Oct 1896 - 18 Nov 1896 Cavendish Boyle (3rd time) (s.a.)
(acting for Hemming)
27 May 1897 - 28 Jul 1897 Cavendish Boyle (4th time) (s.a.)
(acting for Hemming)
27 Mar 1898 - 25 Dec 1901 Sir Walter Joseph Sendall (b. 1832 - d. 1904)
25 Dec 1901 - 26 Sep 1904 Sir James Alexander Swettenham (b. 1846 - d. 1933)
26 Sep 1904 - 5 Jul 1912 Sir Frederick Mitchell Hodgson (b. 1851 - d. 1925)
5 Jul 1912 - 15 Apr 1917 Sir Walter Egerton (b. 1858 - d. 1947)
15 Apr 1917 - 4 Apr 1923 Sir Wilfred Collet (b. 1856 - d. 1929)
4 Apr 1923 - 31 Aug 1925 Sir Graeme Thomson (b. 1875 - d. 1933)
31 Aug 1925 - 7 Nov 1928 Sir Cecil Hunter-Rodwell (b. 1874 - d. 1953)
7 Nov 1928 - 9 Jun 1930 Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg (b. 1869 - d. 1930)
9 Jun 1930 - 26 Mar 1935 Sir Edward Brandis Denham (b. 1876 - d. 1938)
26 Mar 1935 - 1936 Sir Geoffrey Alexander Stafford (b. 1881 - d. 1948)
Northcote
1936 - 19 Nov 1937 .... (acting)
19 Nov 1937 - 7 Nov 1941 Sir Wilfrid Edward Francis Jackson (b. 1883 - d. 1971)
7 Nov 1941 - 1946 Sir Gordon James Lethem (b. 1886 - d. 1962)
1946 - 12 Apr 1947 William Leslie Heape (acting) (b. 1896 - d. 1972)
12 Apr 1947 - 14 Apr 1953 Sir Charles Campbell Woolley (b. 1893 - d. 1981)
14 Apr 1953 - 25 Oct 1955 Sir Alfred William Lungley Savage (b. 1903 - d. 1980)
25 Oct 1955 - 22 Dec 1958 Sir Patrick Muir Renison (b. 1911 - d. 1965)
22 Dec 1958 - 7 Mar 1964 Sir Ralph Francis Alnwick Grey (b. 1910 - d. 1999)
7 Mar 1964 - 26 May 1966 Sir Richard Edmonds Luyt (b. 1915 - d. 1994)
Queen¹
26 May 1966 - 23 Feb 1970 the Queen of the United Kingdom
Governors-general (representing the British monarch as head of state)
26 May 1966 - 16 Dec 1966 Sir Richard Edmonds Luyt (s.a.)
16 Dec 1966 - 10 Nov 1969 Sir David James Gardiner Rose (b. 1923 - d. 1969)
10 Nov 1969 - 22 Feb 1970 Edward Victor Luckhoo (acting) (b. 1912 - d. 1998)
(from 1 Jan 1970, Sir Edward Victor Luckhoo)
Presidents
23 Feb 1970 - 17 Mar 1970 Sir Edward Victor Luckhoo (acting) (s.a.) Non-party
17 Mar 1970 - 6 Oct 1980 Raymond Arthur Chung (b. 1918 - d. 2008) Non-party
6 Oct 1980 - 6 Aug 1985 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (b. 1923 - d. 1985) PNC/R
6 Aug 1985 - 9 Oct 1992 Hugh Desmond Hoyte (b. 1929 - d. 2002) PNC/R
9 Oct 1992 - 6 Mar 1997 Cheddi Berret Jagan (b. 1918 - d. 1997) PPP/C
6 Mar 1997 - 19 Dec 1997 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (b. 1943) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds
19 Dec 1997 - 11 Aug 1999 Janet Rosenberg Jagan (f) (b. 1920 - d. 2009) PPP/C
11 Aug 1999 - Bharrat Jagdeo (b. 1964) PPP/C
Chief minister
30 May 1953 - 9 Oct 1953 Cheddi Berret Jagan (s.a.) PPP/C
9 Oct 1953 - 5 Sep 1961 Vacant
Premiers
5 Sep 1961 - 12 Dec 1964 Cheddi Berret Jagan (s.a.) PPP/C
12 Dec 1964 - 26 May 1966 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (s.a.) PNC/R
Prime ministers
26 May 1966 - 6 Oct 1980 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (s.a.) PNC/R
6 Oct 1980 - 16 Aug 1984 Ptolemy Alexander Reid (b. 1918 - d. 2003) PNC/R
16 Aug 1984 - 6 Aug 1985 Hugh Desmond Hoyte (s.a.) PNC/R
6 Aug 1985 - 9 Oct 1992 Hamilton Green (b. 1934) PNC/R
9 Oct 1992 - 17 Mar 1997 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (1st time)
17 Mar 1997 - 22 Dec 1997 Janet Rosenberg Jagan (f) (s.a.) PPP/C
22 Dec 1997 - 9 Aug 1999 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (2nd time)
9 Aug 1999 - 11 Aug 1999 Bharrat Jagdeo (s.a.) PPP/C
11 Aug 1999 - Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (3rd time)
¹Full style 1966 - 23 Feb 1970: "By the Grace of God, Queen of Guyana and of Her other Realms
and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth."
Territorial Disputes: Aall of the area west of the Essequibo River is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters.
Party abbreviations: PNC/R = People's National Congress/Reform (socialist, populist, African-Guynanese); PPP/C = People's Progressive Party/Civic (socialist, Indian-Guyanese)
1620 - 1620 English settlement at Oyapock (on Wiapica River in Guyana).
Governor
1620 Roger North
Berbice
1666 Dutch settlement of Berbice.
Nov 1712 Briefly occupied by French under Baron de Mouans.
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice
(subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo.
1784 Restored to Netherlands.
22 Apr 1796 British occupation.
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Battalion Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 British occupation.
13 Aug 1814 Berbice a British colony.
20 Nov 1815 Formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 United with Demerara-Essequibo as British Guiana.
Commanders
1666 - 1671 Matthijs Bergenaar
1671 - 1683 Cornelis Marinus
1683 - 1684 Gideon Bourse
1684 - 1687 Lucas Coudrie
1687 - 1712 Matthijs de Feer
1712 - 1714 Steven de Waterman
1714 - 1733 Anthony Tierens
Governors
1733 - 1740 Bernhardt Waterman
1740 - 1749 Jan Andries Lossner
1749 - 1755 Jan Frederik Colier
1755 - 1759 Hendrik Jan van Rijswijck
1760 - 1764 Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim
1764 - 1767 Johan Heijlinger
1768 - 1773 Stephen Hendrik de la Sabloniere (b. 1714 - d. 1773)
1773 - 1774 Johan Christoffel de Winter
1774 - 1 Dec 1777 Isaac Kaecks (d. 1777)
1778 - 27 Feb 1781 Peter Hendrik Koppiers (1st time)
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Kingston
1782 Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan (b. 1726 - d. 1782)
1782 Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren, (b. 1742 - d. 1793)
comte de Kersaint
1783 - 1784 Georges Manganon de la Perrière (d. 1789)
1784 - 1789 Peter Hendrik Koppiers (2nd time)
1789 - 27 Mar 1802 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (b. 1753 - d. 1806)
Batenburg (1st time)
(acting to 1794)
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 J.C.W. Herlin
+ G. Kobus
(acting)
Sep 1803 - Jun 1804 Robert Nicholson
Jun 1804 - 1806 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (s.a.)
Batenburg (2nd time)
Lieutenant governors
1806 - 1807 Robert Nicholson
1807 - 1809 James Montgomery
1809 - 1810 William Woodly
1810 Samuel Dalrymple
1810 - 1812 Robert Gordon (1st time)
1812 - 1813 John Murry
1813 Robert Gordon (2nd time)
1813 - 1814 Grant (acting)
1814 - 1820 Henry William Bentinck (b. 1765 - d. 1820)
1820 - 1821 Thistlewayte (acting)
1821 J. Cameron (acting)
1821 - 21 Jul 1831 Henry Beard
Demerara-Essequibo
1616 Dutch settlement of Essequibo.
1665 - 1666 Brief English occupation.
1752 Dutch settlement of Demerara (subordinate to Essequibo).
27 Feb 1781 - Feb 1782 British occupation of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice
(subordinated to Barbados).
Feb 1782 - 1784 French occupation (subordinate Berbice).
1784 Restored to Netherlands (Essequibo subordinated to Demerara).
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 British occupation of Demerara.
27 Mar 1802 Restored to Batavian Republic (Netherlands).
20 Sep 1803 British occupy Demerara.
13 Aug 1814 Demerara-Essequibo a British colony.
20 Nov 1815 Formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands.
21 Jul 1831 United with Berbice as British Guiana.
Governors of Essequibo
1616 - 1624 Adriaen Groenewegen
1624 - 1627 Jacob Conijn
1627 - 1638 Jan van der Goes
1638 - 1641 Cornelis Pieterszoon Hose
1641 - 1644 Adriaen van der Woestijne
1644 - 16.. Andriaen Janszoon
1657 - 19 Aug 1664 Aert "Amos" Adriaenssen (b. 1581 - d. 1664)
Groenewegen
1665 - 1666 John Scott
1666 Crynssen
1666 Adriaen Groenewegen
1667 - 1670 Baerland
1670 - 1676 Hendrik Bol
1676 - 1678 Jacob Hars
1678 - 1690 Abraham Beekman
2 Nov 1690 - 10 Dec 1707 Samuel Beekman (d. 1707)
10 Dec 1707 - 24 Jul 1719 Peter van der Heyden Resen
24 Jul 1719 - 12 Oct 1729 Laurens de Heere
12 Oct 1729 - Apr 1742 Hermanus Gelskerke (d. 1742)
Apr 1742 - 1752 Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande (d. 1775)
(acting to 1743)
Directors-general
1752 - 2 Nov 1772 Laurens Storm van 's Gravesande (s.a.)
2 Nov 1772 - 1781 George Hendrik Trotz
Commanders of Demerara
1752 - 1761 Jonathan Samuel Storm van 's (d. 1761)
Gravesende
1761 - 1765 Laurens Lodewijk van Bercheijk (d. 1765)
1765 - 1770 Jan Cornelis van den Heuvel
1772 - 1781 Paulus van Schuylenburgh
Governor of Essequibo
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Nicholson
Governor of Demerara
27 Feb 1781 - 1782 Robert Kingston
Governors
1782 - 9 Jul 1482 Louis Antoine Dazemard de Lusignan (b. 1726 - d. 1782)
1782 Armand Guy Simon de Coëtnempren, (b. 1742 - d. 1793)
comte de Kersaint
1783 - 1784 Georges Manganon de la Perrière (d. 1789)
Directors-general
6 Mar 1784 - Feb 1785 Joseph Bourda (acting) (d. 1798)
Feb 1785 - 18 Aug 1789 Jan L'Éspinasse
18 Aug 1789 - 31 Mar 1793 Albertus Backer (d. 1816)
31 Mar 1793 - May 1795 Willem August van Sirtema,
baron van Grovestins
1795 - 22 Apr 1796 Antony Beaujon (b. c.1763 - d. 1805)
Commanders of Essequibo
1784 Albert Siraut des Touches
1784 - 1787 Johannes Cornelis Bert
1787 - 1789 Albertus Backer (1st time) (s.a.)
1789 - 1791 Gustaaf Eduard Meijerhelm
1791 - 1793 Matthijs Thierens
1793 - 22 Apr 1796 Albertus Backer (2nd time) (s.a.)
Governor of Essequibo
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 Abraham Jacob van Imbijze van (b. 1753 - d. 1806)
Batenburg
Commander of Demerara
22 Apr 1796 - 27 Mar 1802 Antony Beaujon (s.a.)
Director-general
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 Antony Meertens (b. 1753 - d. 1815)
Commander of Essequibo
27 Mar 1802 - 20 Sep 1803 George Hendrik Trotz (d. 1804)
Lieutenant governors
Sep 1803 - 18 Aug 1804 Robert Nicholson
18 Aug 1804 - 19 Oct 1805 Antony Beaujon (s.a.)
19 Oct 1805 - 8 May 1806 James Montgomery (acting)
8 May 1806 - Feb 1812 Henry William Bentinck (b. 1765 - d. 1820)
Feb 1812 - 11 May 1813 Hugh Lyle Carmichael (b. 1764 - d. 1813)
11 May 1813 - 23 May 1813 E. Codd (acting)
23 May 1813 - 26 Apr 1824 John Murray
26 Apr 1824 - 21 Jul 1831 Sir Benjamin D'Urban (b. 1777 - d. 1849)
Pomeroon
Aug 1658 Pomeroon settlement; subordinated to Essequibo.
1666 - 1667 English occupation
1689 Incorporated into Essequibo.
Commanders
1658 - 1661 Cornelis Goliat
1661 - 1666 François de Fijne
1666 - 1667 ....
1667 - 1670 Sael
1670 - 1676 Hendrik Rol
1676 - 1678 Jacob Hars
1678 - 1686 Abraham Beekman
1686 - 1689 Jacob Pieterszoon de Jonge
Guyana
21 Jul 1831 Colonies of Demerara-Essequibo and Berbice
united as British Guiana.
26 Aug 1961 Self-rule.
26 May 1966 Independence from Britain (Guyana).
23 Feb 1970 Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
Governors
21 Jul 1831 - 26 Jun 1833 Sir Benjamin D'Urban (b. 1777 - d. 1849)
26 Jun 1833 - 27 Jun 1838 Sir James Carmichael Smyth (b. 1779 - d. 1838)
27 Jun 1838 - 19 May 1848 Henry Light
19 May 1848 - 12 Feb 1849 William Walker (1st time) (acting)
12 Feb 1849 - 11 May 1853 Henry Barkly (b. 1815 - d. 1898)
11 May 1853 - 23 May 1854 William Walker (2nd time) (acting)
23 May 1854 - 7 Jan 1862 Philip Edmond Wodehouse (b. 1811 - d. 1887)
7 Jan 1862 - 25 Jan 1869 Francis Hincks (b. 1807 - d. 1885)
25 Jan 1869 - 26 Dec 1873 Sir John Scott (b. 1814 - d. 1898)
27 Dec 1873 - 10 Mar 1874 E.E. Rushworth (acting)
10 Mar 1874 - 8 Mar 1877 James Robert Longden (b. 1827 - d. 1891)
(from 18 Mar 1876, Sir James Robert Longden)
8 Mar 1877 - 3 Aug 1877 William A.G. Young (1st time)
(acting)
3 Aug 1877 - 13 Dec 1881 Cornelius Hendricksen Kortright (b. 1817 - d. 1899)
13 Dec 1881 - 4 May 1882 William A.G. Young (2nd time)
(acting)
4 May 1882 - 1887 Sir Henry Turner Irving (b. 1833 - d. 1923)
26 Apr 1884 - 1884 W.F. Haynes-Smith (acting for Irving)
1887 - 1888 Charles Bruce (1st time) (acting) (b. 1836 - d. 1920)
1888 - 23 Mar 1893 Jenico William Joseph Preston,
Viscount Gormanston (b. 1837 - d. 1907)
Apr 1891 - 15 Oct 1891 Sir Charles Bruce (2nd time) (s.a.)
(acting for Gormanston)
23 Mar 1893 - 5 Jul 1893 Sir Charles Bruce (3rd time) (s.a.)
(acting)
5 Jul 1893 - Sep 1895 Sir Charles Cameron Lees (b. 1831 - d. 1898)
15 Dec 1894 - 29 Jan 1895 Cavendish Boyle (1st time) (b. 1849 - d. 1916)
(acting for Lees)
Sep 1895 - Mar 1896 Cavendish Boyle (acting)(2nd time) (s.a.)
Mar 1896 - 27 Mar 1898 Sir Augustus William Lawson Hemming (b. 1842 - d. 1907)
1 Oct 1896 - 18 Nov 1896 Cavendish Boyle (3rd time) (s.a.)
(acting for Hemming)
27 May 1897 - 28 Jul 1897 Cavendish Boyle (4th time) (s.a.)
(acting for Hemming)
27 Mar 1898 - 25 Dec 1901 Sir Walter Joseph Sendall (b. 1832 - d. 1904)
25 Dec 1901 - 26 Sep 1904 Sir James Alexander Swettenham (b. 1846 - d. 1933)
26 Sep 1904 - 5 Jul 1912 Sir Frederick Mitchell Hodgson (b. 1851 - d. 1925)
5 Jul 1912 - 15 Apr 1917 Sir Walter Egerton (b. 1858 - d. 1947)
15 Apr 1917 - 4 Apr 1923 Sir Wilfred Collet (b. 1856 - d. 1929)
4 Apr 1923 - 31 Aug 1925 Sir Graeme Thomson (b. 1875 - d. 1933)
31 Aug 1925 - 7 Nov 1928 Sir Cecil Hunter-Rodwell (b. 1874 - d. 1953)
7 Nov 1928 - 9 Jun 1930 Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg (b. 1869 - d. 1930)
9 Jun 1930 - 26 Mar 1935 Sir Edward Brandis Denham (b. 1876 - d. 1938)
26 Mar 1935 - 1936 Sir Geoffrey Alexander Stafford (b. 1881 - d. 1948)
Northcote
1936 - 19 Nov 1937 .... (acting)
19 Nov 1937 - 7 Nov 1941 Sir Wilfrid Edward Francis Jackson (b. 1883 - d. 1971)
7 Nov 1941 - 1946 Sir Gordon James Lethem (b. 1886 - d. 1962)
1946 - 12 Apr 1947 William Leslie Heape (acting) (b. 1896 - d. 1972)
12 Apr 1947 - 14 Apr 1953 Sir Charles Campbell Woolley (b. 1893 - d. 1981)
14 Apr 1953 - 25 Oct 1955 Sir Alfred William Lungley Savage (b. 1903 - d. 1980)
25 Oct 1955 - 22 Dec 1958 Sir Patrick Muir Renison (b. 1911 - d. 1965)
22 Dec 1958 - 7 Mar 1964 Sir Ralph Francis Alnwick Grey (b. 1910 - d. 1999)
7 Mar 1964 - 26 May 1966 Sir Richard Edmonds Luyt (b. 1915 - d. 1994)
Queen¹
26 May 1966 - 23 Feb 1970 the Queen of the United Kingdom
Governors-general (representing the British monarch as head of state)
26 May 1966 - 16 Dec 1966 Sir Richard Edmonds Luyt (s.a.)
16 Dec 1966 - 10 Nov 1969 Sir David James Gardiner Rose (b. 1923 - d. 1969)
10 Nov 1969 - 22 Feb 1970 Edward Victor Luckhoo (acting) (b. 1912 - d. 1998)
(from 1 Jan 1970, Sir Edward Victor Luckhoo)
Presidents
23 Feb 1970 - 17 Mar 1970 Sir Edward Victor Luckhoo (acting) (s.a.) Non-party
17 Mar 1970 - 6 Oct 1980 Raymond Arthur Chung (b. 1918 - d. 2008) Non-party
6 Oct 1980 - 6 Aug 1985 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (b. 1923 - d. 1985) PNC/R
6 Aug 1985 - 9 Oct 1992 Hugh Desmond Hoyte (b. 1929 - d. 2002) PNC/R
9 Oct 1992 - 6 Mar 1997 Cheddi Berret Jagan (b. 1918 - d. 1997) PPP/C
6 Mar 1997 - 19 Dec 1997 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (b. 1943) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds
19 Dec 1997 - 11 Aug 1999 Janet Rosenberg Jagan (f) (b. 1920 - d. 2009) PPP/C
11 Aug 1999 - Bharrat Jagdeo (b. 1964) PPP/C
Chief minister
30 May 1953 - 9 Oct 1953 Cheddi Berret Jagan (s.a.) PPP/C
9 Oct 1953 - 5 Sep 1961 Vacant
Premiers
5 Sep 1961 - 12 Dec 1964 Cheddi Berret Jagan (s.a.) PPP/C
12 Dec 1964 - 26 May 1966 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (s.a.) PNC/R
Prime ministers
26 May 1966 - 6 Oct 1980 Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (s.a.) PNC/R
6 Oct 1980 - 16 Aug 1984 Ptolemy Alexander Reid (b. 1918 - d. 2003) PNC/R
16 Aug 1984 - 6 Aug 1985 Hugh Desmond Hoyte (s.a.) PNC/R
6 Aug 1985 - 9 Oct 1992 Hamilton Green (b. 1934) PNC/R
9 Oct 1992 - 17 Mar 1997 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (1st time)
17 Mar 1997 - 22 Dec 1997 Janet Rosenberg Jagan (f) (s.a.) PPP/C
22 Dec 1997 - 9 Aug 1999 Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (2nd time)
9 Aug 1999 - 11 Aug 1999 Bharrat Jagdeo (s.a.) PPP/C
11 Aug 1999 - Samuel "Sam" Archibald (s.a.) PPP/C
Anthony Hinds (3rd time)
¹Full style 1966 - 23 Feb 1970: "By the Grace of God, Queen of Guyana and of Her other Realms
and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth."
Territorial Disputes: Aall of the area west of the Essequibo River is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters.
Party abbreviations: PNC/R = People's National Congress/Reform (socialist, populist, African-Guynanese); PPP/C = People's Progressive Party/Civic (socialist, Indian-Guyanese)
Economy
Economy
Agriculture and mining are the principal economic activities. Sugarcane and rice are the leading crops, and wheat, corn, coconuts, and citrus fruit are also grown. Cattle and other livestock are raised. Bauxite, gold, diamonds, and manganese are mined. There are large forest resources (notably greenheart and balatá) that have been exploited.
The chief exports are sugar, gold, bauxite, alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, and timber. Imports include manufactures, machinery, petroleum, and foodstuffs. Reforms were instituted in the late 1980s to liberalize the country's economy and to attract foreign aid and investment, and the economy grew in the 1990s and early 2000s. The United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, and Great Britain are the most important trading partners.
Museums
Museums
Georgetown hosts the majority of museums in Guyana. Each of which showcases a different aspect of Guyana’s historical remnants.
The Guyana National Museum
The Guyana National Museum is located on North Road in a building complex which opened in 1951. The Museum's collections were housed previously in the Carneige Building. The Guyana National Museum in Georgetown has a collection of flora and fauna, precious stones found in our land formation, archaeological findings, and examples of Amerindian arts and crafts. This museum is the largest and house most of our general artifacts.
Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology
The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, the first museum of anthropology in the English-speaking Caribbean was founded in the year 1974 with the collections of Guyanese Archaeologist, Dr. Denis Williams.
An ethnographic collection of the Wai Wai, one of the nine indigenous tribes found in Guyana, was presented to this Museum in 1991 by Guyanese Cultural Anthropologist, Dr. George P. Mentore. The Museum’s collections also include excavated artifacts from all of the ten Administrative Regions of Guyana.
Castellani House: the home of the National Gallery of Art
This large wooden building was designed by Cesar Castellani. It was once the residence of the Director of Agriculture in 1888. In 1965 the building was converted as the official residence by Mr. Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, then Prime Minister of British Guiana. In 1993 the inaugural collection of the Art Gallery was held.
The Museum of African Heritage
The museum was initially called The Museum of African Art and Ethnology and was founded in 1985. In 2001, the museum was renamed the Museum of African Heritage, in order to open their doors to a wider audience and begin to fully address the African experience in Guyana. The existing collection includes items on African Art, mostly West African, from the wooden mask to the carved door of secret societies, helping to educate people about the meaning and reasons behind African art traditions. Also in the collection are more practical pieces like the brass weights used for measuring gold dust, drums, musical instruments, games and clothing. More recent donations include a wooden replica of the 1763 Monument.
John Campbell Police Museum
Uniforms, musical instruments, photographs and other police artifacts dating back to colonial times are on display.
National Military Museum
Historical artifacts such as Military weapons, uniforms, and many other equipment and items used from previous troop engagements and records are on display.
The following Museums located out of the city:
The Rupununi Weavers Society Museum at Lethem The Rupununi Weavers Society is also associated with the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology in Georgetown. This association is designed to promote and enhance awareness of Guyanese indigenous cultures. To this end the society maintains a museum within its compound on the outskirts of Lethem. The museum houses Amerindian artifacts and antiquities, as well as archival materials and other intellectual resources
The Guyana Heritage Museum
Irons, enamel lunch carriers, ice-shavers, three-legged iron pots, 18th and 19th century maps, coins and stamps, other artifacts and an impressive collection of books by Guyanese authors awaken a sense of nostalgia. It was obvious that the collection of these artifacts at the Guyana Heritage Museum, situated at Kastev, West Coast Demerara was as a result of love for one's country, dedication and hard work over a number of years.
Georgetown hosts the majority of museums in Guyana. Each of which showcases a different aspect of Guyana’s historical remnants.
The Guyana National Museum
The Guyana National Museum is located on North Road in a building complex which opened in 1951. The Museum's collections were housed previously in the Carneige Building. The Guyana National Museum in Georgetown has a collection of flora and fauna, precious stones found in our land formation, archaeological findings, and examples of Amerindian arts and crafts. This museum is the largest and house most of our general artifacts.
Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology
The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, the first museum of anthropology in the English-speaking Caribbean was founded in the year 1974 with the collections of Guyanese Archaeologist, Dr. Denis Williams.
An ethnographic collection of the Wai Wai, one of the nine indigenous tribes found in Guyana, was presented to this Museum in 1991 by Guyanese Cultural Anthropologist, Dr. George P. Mentore. The Museum’s collections also include excavated artifacts from all of the ten Administrative Regions of Guyana.
Castellani House: the home of the National Gallery of Art
This large wooden building was designed by Cesar Castellani. It was once the residence of the Director of Agriculture in 1888. In 1965 the building was converted as the official residence by Mr. Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, then Prime Minister of British Guiana. In 1993 the inaugural collection of the Art Gallery was held.
The Museum of African Heritage
The museum was initially called The Museum of African Art and Ethnology and was founded in 1985. In 2001, the museum was renamed the Museum of African Heritage, in order to open their doors to a wider audience and begin to fully address the African experience in Guyana. The existing collection includes items on African Art, mostly West African, from the wooden mask to the carved door of secret societies, helping to educate people about the meaning and reasons behind African art traditions. Also in the collection are more practical pieces like the brass weights used for measuring gold dust, drums, musical instruments, games and clothing. More recent donations include a wooden replica of the 1763 Monument.
John Campbell Police Museum
Uniforms, musical instruments, photographs and other police artifacts dating back to colonial times are on display.
National Military Museum
Historical artifacts such as Military weapons, uniforms, and many other equipment and items used from previous troop engagements and records are on display.
The following Museums located out of the city:
The Rupununi Weavers Society Museum at Lethem The Rupununi Weavers Society is also associated with the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology in Georgetown. This association is designed to promote and enhance awareness of Guyanese indigenous cultures. To this end the society maintains a museum within its compound on the outskirts of Lethem. The museum houses Amerindian artifacts and antiquities, as well as archival materials and other intellectual resources
The Guyana Heritage Museum
Irons, enamel lunch carriers, ice-shavers, three-legged iron pots, 18th and 19th century maps, coins and stamps, other artifacts and an impressive collection of books by Guyanese authors awaken a sense of nostalgia. It was obvious that the collection of these artifacts at the Guyana Heritage Museum, situated at Kastev, West Coast Demerara was as a result of love for one's country, dedication and hard work over a number of years.
The Philatelic Museum, A branch of the Guyana Post Office was established in 1860 and was closed in 1962 when the Post Office Training School was opened. The building is located on Lamaha and Carmicheal Street, Cummingsburg, currently houses an Internet Cafe and Post Office operated by the Guyana Post Office Corporation.
Demographics
Demographics
Guyana's population is made up of five main ethnic groups -- East Indian, African, Amerindian, Chinese, and Portuguese. Ninety percent of the inhabitants live on the narrow coastal plain, where population density is more than 115 persons per square kilometer (380/mile²). The population density for Guyana as a whole is low -- less than four persons per square kilometer.
Although the government has provided free education from nursery school to the university level since 1975, it has not allocated sufficient funds to maintain the standards of what had been considered the best educational system in the region. Many school buildings are in poor condition, there is a shortage of text and exercise books, the number of teachers has declined, and fees are being charged at the university level for some courses of study for the first time.
Population: 697,286
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (male 102,463; female 98,492)
15-64 years: 66% (male 232,857; female 229,598)
65 years and over: 5% (male 15,170; female 18,706) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.234% (2007 est.)
Birth rate: 18.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate: 8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate: -7.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 31.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.04 years
male: 61.08 years
female: 67.15 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.11 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese
Ethnic groups: East Indian 50%, Black African 33%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 10%
Religions: Christian 48%, Hindu 34%, Muslim 10%, Bahá'í and Other 8%
Languages: English (official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian (Cariban) languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.1%
male: 98.6%
female: 97.5% (1995 est.)
Government
Government
Guyana is governed under the constitution of 1980. The president, who is the head of state, is popularly elected for a five-year term. The president appoints the prime minister, who is the head of government, and the cabinet. The legislature is the unicameral National Assembly, whose 65 members are elected for five-year terms. Administratively, the country is divided into ten regions. Guyana is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Cuisine
Cuisine
Guyanese cuisine has many similarities to that of the rest of the Caribbean. The food is diverse and includes dishes such as chicken curry, roti and cookup rice (a style of rice with different kinds of vegetables accompanied by chicken, beef or fish). The food reflects the ethnic make up of the country and its colonial history, and includes dishes from the Africans and creoles, East Indians, Amerindians, Chinese, and Europeans (mostly British and Portuguese).
Staple dishes include chicken curry, roti, plain rice, cookup rice, breads, beef/chicken stews, and Caribbean-style chow mein. Caribbean and Latin American ground provisions are also part of the staple diet and include cassava, sweet potato, edoes and others. Unique dishes include Pepperpot, made with cassreep (an extract of the casava) and is of Amerindian origin. There is also Metemgie, a thick rich soup with a coconut base filled with ground provisions, and big fluffy dumplings and is traditionally eaten with fried fish, or, more recently, chicken. Most Guyanese love the Caribbean-style Chinese food sold in restaurants in the bigger towns. A favorite is Chicken in the ruff, which is fried rice with Chinese-style fried chicken on top.
There is an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood on the coast. Most people use fresh fruit to make their own beverages, which are called "local drink." Fresh fish and seafood are an integral part of the food of the rural areas and small villages along the coast. The crab soups and soups with okra from the Berbice coastal region resemble that of the Louisiana creole soups like gumbo.
Homemade bread-making is an art in many villages, and is a reflection of the British influence that includes pastries such as cheese roll, pine (pineapple) tart, and patties (sister to the Jamaican beef patty).
Guyanese cuisine has many similarities to that of the rest of the Caribbean. The food is diverse and includes dishes such as chicken curry, roti and cookup rice (a style of rice with different kinds of vegetables accompanied by chicken, beef or fish). The food reflects the ethnic make up of the country and its colonial history, and includes dishes from the Africans and creoles, East Indians, Amerindians, Chinese, and Europeans (mostly British and Portuguese).
Staple dishes include chicken curry, roti, plain rice, cookup rice, breads, beef/chicken stews, and Caribbean-style chow mein. Caribbean and Latin American ground provisions are also part of the staple diet and include cassava, sweet potato, edoes and others. Unique dishes include Pepperpot, made with cassreep (an extract of the casava) and is of Amerindian origin. There is also Metemgie, a thick rich soup with a coconut base filled with ground provisions, and big fluffy dumplings and is traditionally eaten with fried fish, or, more recently, chicken. Most Guyanese love the Caribbean-style Chinese food sold in restaurants in the bigger towns. A favorite is Chicken in the ruff, which is fried rice with Chinese-style fried chicken on top.
There is an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood on the coast. Most people use fresh fruit to make their own beverages, which are called "local drink." Fresh fish and seafood are an integral part of the food of the rural areas and small villages along the coast. The crab soups and soups with okra from the Berbice coastal region resemble that of the Louisiana creole soups like gumbo.
Homemade bread-making is an art in many villages, and is a reflection of the British influence that includes pastries such as cheese roll, pine (pineapple) tart, and patties (sister to the Jamaican beef patty).
For more information on Guyanese food and the hundreds of dishes, do an internet search or try Guyana Outpost - Recipes from Guyana & the Caribbean.Some of the dishes on this website are not traditional, are American influenced, or are from other parts of the Caribbean.
Religion
Religion
About 84% of the East Indian immigrants were Hindus, and their dominant sect was the Vaishnavite Hinduism of Bihar and North India. Some 30 percent of the East Indians were from agricultural castes and 31 percent were labourers. Brahmins, the highest caste, constituted 14 percent of the East Indian immigrants. Vaishnavite Hinduism remains the predominant religion of the Indo-Guyanese, though it was considerably modified.
During the indenture period, the East Indian caste system broke down. Hinduism was redefined, and caste-distinguishing practices were eliminated. Christian missionaries attempted to convert East Indians during the indenture period, beginning in 1852, but met with little success. The missionaries blamed the brahmins for their failure: the brahmins began administering spiritual rites to all Hindus regardless of caste once the Christian missionaries started proselytizing in the villages, hastening the breakdown of the caste system. After the 1930s, Hindu conversions to Christianity slowed because the status of Hinduism improved and the discrimination against Hindus diminished.
In every village where Indo Guyanese reside — there is a Mandir (Hindu temple). All main Hindu occasions are observed — Basant Panchami in January to Geeta Jayanti in December.
Since the late 1940s, reform movements caught the attention of many Guyanese Hindus. The most important, the Arya Samaj movement, arrived in Guyana in 1910. Arya Samaj doctrine rejects the idea of caste and the exclusive role of brahmins as religious leaders. The movement preaches monotheism and opposition to the use of images in worship as well as many traditional Hindu rituals. Caste distinctions are all but forgotten among Guyanese Hindus. Currently the number of Guyanese Hindus is steeply declining because of emigration and conversion to other religions. Only 216,000 identified themselves as Hindus in the 2000 census.
About 10 percent of Guyana's population is Muslim,[1] representing 76,528 individuals. The Sunnatival Jamaat is the orthodox Sunni Islamic movement. The largest Islamic organization in the country is the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman.
Until the 1970s, Muslim holidays were not officially recognized. A number of non-Christian religious days are now public holidays. Muslim holidays include Id al Fitr, the end of Ramadan, the sacred month of fasting; Id al Adha, the feast of sacrifice; and Mawlid, the birthday of Muhammad. The dates for these holidays vary according to the Islamic calendar.
Travel Tips
Travel Tips
The more you know about traveling in Guyana, the more prepared you'll be when you arrive.
Language
The official language is English often spoken with a creole flavor.
Time - We are 4 hours behind GMT and 1 hour ahead of EST.
Climate
Guyana's climate is equitorial; hot but pleasant for most of the year. The heat is tempered by the sea breezes on the coast. An Umbrella is useful during the two wet seasons, extending roughly through May and June and from December to the end of January. Rainfall approximates at 2,300mm per year in Georgetown. The temperature on the coast-land ranges from 20 degrees centigrade with a mean temperature of 26.8 degree centigrade. In the interior it is between 18.3 degree centigrade and 39.4 degree centigrade with a mean of 28.3 degree centigrade.
Currency
The Guyana Dollar with a fluctuating exchange rate of
GYD $200.00 to USD $1.00
GYD $365.00 to Pounds $1.00
GYD $265.00 to Euro $1.00
GYD $200.00 to CDN $1.00
Cambios are licensed currency exchange houses. Most cambios are open from 8:00hrs to 17:00hrs and on Sundays 8:00hrs to 16:00hrs. It is important that you keep your cambios receipt, you will need to produce them to change Guyanese dollars on departure.
Credit Card
Major credit cards and travellers cheques are accepted by most hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, car rental agencies and tour operators. Credit cards with CIRRUS and/or PLUS mark can be used at any Scotia Bank ATM machines in Guyana.
Departure Tax
An exit tax of GYD$4000 (USD$20) is chargeable on departure at CJIA. This tax is purchased at the airport near the check-in counter. You should confirm your ticket at least 48 hours before departure.
Driving
Driving or riding in Guyana are done on the left lane. Before you start enjoying the fun of driving in Guyana, you must obtain a drivers permit which is issued by the Inland Revenue Department- License Revenue Division located on Smyth & Princess Streets in Georgetown. The permit is valid for 30-days but ensure that you take a valid driver's license or an international driver's license when applying.
Allways wear a helmet when riding and your seat belt when driving this is a requirement by law.
Emergency Numbers
Police - 911
Fire - 912
Ambulance - 913
Telephone directory assistance - 092
Electricity
The voltage is 110/240 volts, 50-60 cycles. Transformers can be used to step-up/step-down the voltage. Electrical appliances are widely available in Guyana.
Communication Medium
Radio Stations - Voice of Guyana (VOG) and 98.1 Hot FM
Television Stations - NCN 11, CNS 6, HJTV 21, MTV 14, HGPTV 9
Newspapers - Guyana Chronicle, Kaieteur News, Guyana Times, Stabroek News
Shopping hours
8:30hrs - 16:00hrs on weekdays (17:00hrs on Fridays)
8:30hrs - 12:00hrs on Saturdays
Most supermarket are opened from 8:30hrs -18:00hrs on weekdays, 8:30hrs - 19:00hrs on
Saturdays and 10:00hrs-14:00hrs on Sundays.
Markets are usually opened on Saturdays.Stabroek and Bourda markets are usually busy all day 24hrs per day.
Shops around the country normally open from 7:00hrs - 18:00 hrs
Bars usually from 18:00hrs-24:00hrs(midnight)
Night Clubs usually from 20:00hrs-02:00hrs
Security
Exercise the same safety precautions as you would in any city or unfamiliar environment. Most areas are safe on foot by day or taxis at night. Please check with your Hotel front desk for current advice.
Health & Safety
Water: It is safer to drink purified bottled water. There are several brands that are inexpensive and widely available. You can purchase water at supermarkets, shops, roadside shops and vendors throughout Guyana.
The more you know about traveling in Guyana, the more prepared you'll be when you arrive.
Language
The official language is English often spoken with a creole flavor.
Time - We are 4 hours behind GMT and 1 hour ahead of EST.
Climate
Guyana's climate is equitorial; hot but pleasant for most of the year. The heat is tempered by the sea breezes on the coast. An Umbrella is useful during the two wet seasons, extending roughly through May and June and from December to the end of January. Rainfall approximates at 2,300mm per year in Georgetown. The temperature on the coast-land ranges from 20 degrees centigrade with a mean temperature of 26.8 degree centigrade. In the interior it is between 18.3 degree centigrade and 39.4 degree centigrade with a mean of 28.3 degree centigrade.
Currency
The Guyana Dollar with a fluctuating exchange rate of
GYD $200.00 to USD $1.00
GYD $365.00 to Pounds $1.00
GYD $265.00 to Euro $1.00
GYD $200.00 to CDN $1.00
Cambios are licensed currency exchange houses. Most cambios are open from 8:00hrs to 17:00hrs and on Sundays 8:00hrs to 16:00hrs. It is important that you keep your cambios receipt, you will need to produce them to change Guyanese dollars on departure.
Credit Card
Major credit cards and travellers cheques are accepted by most hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, car rental agencies and tour operators. Credit cards with CIRRUS and/or PLUS mark can be used at any Scotia Bank ATM machines in Guyana.
Departure Tax
An exit tax of GYD$4000 (USD$20) is chargeable on departure at CJIA. This tax is purchased at the airport near the check-in counter. You should confirm your ticket at least 48 hours before departure.
Driving
Driving or riding in Guyana are done on the left lane. Before you start enjoying the fun of driving in Guyana, you must obtain a drivers permit which is issued by the Inland Revenue Department- License Revenue Division located on Smyth & Princess Streets in Georgetown. The permit is valid for 30-days but ensure that you take a valid driver's license or an international driver's license when applying.
Allways wear a helmet when riding and your seat belt when driving this is a requirement by law.
Emergency Numbers
Police - 911
Fire - 912
Ambulance - 913
Telephone directory assistance - 092
Electricity
The voltage is 110/240 volts, 50-60 cycles. Transformers can be used to step-up/step-down the voltage. Electrical appliances are widely available in Guyana.
Communication Medium
Radio Stations - Voice of Guyana (VOG) and 98.1 Hot FM
Television Stations - NCN 11, CNS 6, HJTV 21, MTV 14, HGPTV 9
Newspapers - Guyana Chronicle, Kaieteur News, Guyana Times, Stabroek News
Shopping hours
8:30hrs - 16:00hrs on weekdays (17:00hrs on Fridays)
8:30hrs - 12:00hrs on Saturdays
Most supermarket are opened from 8:30hrs -18:00hrs on weekdays, 8:30hrs - 19:00hrs on
Saturdays and 10:00hrs-14:00hrs on Sundays.
Markets are usually opened on Saturdays.Stabroek and Bourda markets are usually busy all day 24hrs per day.
Shops around the country normally open from 7:00hrs - 18:00 hrs
Bars usually from 18:00hrs-24:00hrs(midnight)
Night Clubs usually from 20:00hrs-02:00hrs
Security
Exercise the same safety precautions as you would in any city or unfamiliar environment. Most areas are safe on foot by day or taxis at night. Please check with your Hotel front desk for current advice.
Health & Safety
Water: It is safer to drink purified bottled water. There are several brands that are inexpensive and widely available. You can purchase water at supermarkets, shops, roadside shops and vendors throughout Guyana.
Immunization - There is a risk of malaria in certain parts of the interior. Consult a doctor for the required precautions if you intend to travel. Georgetown and the coastal areas are malaria-free. Georgetown has the Public Hospital and there are several other hospitals around where advice can be seek. Further information can be obtained from the Vaccination Division of the Ministry of Health by calling (592)226 7338 or (592) 226 1366.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)