Where is Guyana in the World?

Where is Guyana?

Guyana, formerly known as the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a small country in the northernmost region of South America. With an area of 83,000 square miles, it is the 83rd largest country in the world, and one of the smaller countries in South America. It's largest city is Georgetown, which also serves as the nation's capital. It shares its borders with Brazil, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Geography

The geography of Guyana is varied, but it can be divided into easily identifiable regions. The first region is a mountainous region to the east, where Pakaraima, Kanuku, and Acarai mountains can be found, though these mountains are relatively low mountains.

Within these mountain ranges can also be found many waterfalls, including the Kaieteur Falls. It's one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world, coming in at 822 feet tall. To compare, this is nearly five times as tall as Niagra Falls in the United States.

Other notable regions include tropical rainforests in the west and central portions of the country, a marshy plain along the Atlantic coast to the north, and the Rupununi Savannah that is situated in the southernmost part of the country.

Guyana has a large number of rivers that flow and drain in two primary directions. Rivers flow north and drain into the Atlantic Ocean, or they flow west and drain into Essequibo- which is a 630-mile river that flows through large portions of the country, where it will eventually drain into the Atlantic Ocean as well.

The climate of Guyana is classically tropical, being humid and hot year-round. It experiences two rainy seasons, with the northwest and west regions of the country receiving the majority portion of the rain.

Population

Guyana has a population of about 736,000 people, making it one of the less populous countries in South America. The ethnic diversity is worth noting, with 40% of citizens being Indo-Guyanese, 29% being Afro-Guyanese, 20% being a mix of several ethnicities, and about 11% of the population being Indigenous Amerindian. It's notable that Guyana is the only country to have an official language being English, with other countries on the continent either being majority Portuguese speaking or Spanish speaking.

Religiously, Guyana is diverse, having Hindu the single religion with the most considerable following, and then several different branches and denominations being the overwhelming second choice of Guyana, including Jehovah Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists.