10 Incredible Facts About Guyana

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The Republic of Guyana is a beautiful tropical country found on the Northern coast of South America. With a population of about 758,619. The Amerindian meaning of the name Guyana is translated as Land Of Many Waters, and is known for its tropical beauty and gorgeous, glassy seas. This country is fondly known as the country of Six-People Africans, Amerindians, Chinese, East Indians, Europeans, as well as Portuguese; The ethnic division being 45% East Indian, 30% Black African, 16% mixed, and 9% Amerindian. A melting pot of rich history and lush culture. It is also the only country in South America where English reigns as the official language.

The island’s symbol features an Amerindian head dress, representing the country’s heritage of indigenous people, two diamonds at the side of the head dress represent the mining industry,  a helmet for monarchial insignia, two jaguars holding a pick axe, sugar cane and a stalk of rice to represent the country’s sugar and rice industries, a shield at the center, which features the country’s natural flower, the Victoria Regia Lily. Three blue wavy lines to symbolize Guyana’s waters, and lastly, at the bottom of the shield we find the country’s national bird, the Canje Pheasant.

For more stimulating information on this gem, here are 10 incredible facts about the country:

Fact 1: A favorite treat from the island’s cuisine is called Farine Coconut Rock Buns, which is more bun than rock, so don’t worry. Made by mixing together and baking farine flour, baking powder, grated nutmeg, salt, margarine, sugar, dried fruit, grated coconut, an egg and some milk, you’ll be munching on these for days!

Fact 2: The longest river that’s found in Guyana is called the Essequibo River, measuring 627 miles long. This river is ¼th the size of the Mississippi River. While Mount Ayanganna, Monte Caburaí and Mount Roraima take the cake for the highest mountain ranges in Guyana.

Fact 3: The country’s official name is the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Fondly called the Land of Many Waters as well.

Fact 4: Native tongue and official language is English, but other languages include Hindi, Urdu, Amerindian dialects, as well as Guyanese Creole. Their currency is the Guyanese dollar.

Fact 5: The country’ motto goes: “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”. Guyana’s flag is known as “The Golden Arrow Head”.

Fact 6: The average life expectancy of a Guyanese is about 63 years of age.

Fact 7: On a bitter note, the country gained fame in the world in the most wrong and tragic way, when Jim Jones, famous for being a religious cult leader, and his 900 supporters, committed suicide in Guyana in 1978.

Fact 8: Guyana is blessed with such a diverse selection of habitats such as marine, coastal, littoral, swamp, estuarine, palustrine, riverine, mangrove, lacustrine, savanna, brown sand forest, montane, cloud forest, white sand forest, moist lowland and dry evergreen scrub forests. How cool is that?! To top it all off, the great giant otter, as well as the harpy eagle, which are the two rarest species in the world, are found right in Guyana! BBC even telecasted a program called ‘Lost Land of the Jaguar’, which emphasized the biodiversity of Guyana.

Fact 9: For good measure, Guyana is about the size of New York City, but is smaller than Idaho.

Fact 10: Guyana is home to the second best waterfall fall in the world, Kaieture Falls. Boasting a single drop of 741 feet, compared to Niagara Fall’s 167 feet, it is considered to be the largest single drop waterfall in the world.

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