Guyana
One coast, one rainforest, and a welcome that runs from Georgetown to the falls of Kaieteur.
Guyana's national hero is Cuffy, an enslaved African who in February 1763 led one of the largest and most organized uprisings against colonial rule in the history of the Americas, in what was then the Dutch colony of Berbice. His stand for freedom is honored every year on February 23, Guyana's Republic Day, and his likeness stands today at the 1763 Monument in Georgetown. It is a reminder that the drive for dignity and self determination runs as deep in Guyana's story as in any nation's.
The national motto, "One People, One Nation, One Destiny," speaks to a country built by Indigenous, African, Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, and European hands, all woven into one people. It is the same truth this whole hemisphere shares, that many roots can still grow toward a single destiny.
Get to Know Guyana
Capital: Georgetown. Official language: English, the only English speaking nation in South America. Currency: Guyanese dollar. Guyana gained independence from Britain in 1966 and became a republic in 1970.
Fun Facts
- The country's name comes from an Indigenous word meaning "Land of Many Waters," a nod to its many rivers and creeks.
- Kaieteur Falls, on the Potaro River, plunges about 741 feet in a single drop, nearly five times the height of Niagara Falls.
- Roughly 85 percent of Guyana is covered in rainforest, among the highest forest cover of any country on Earth.
Why Visit
Kaieteur Falls, on the Potaro River, is one of the most powerful single drop waterfalls on Earth, nearly five times the height of Niagara Falls and hidden deep inside Guyana's rainforest. Georgetown, known as the Garden City of the Caribbean, blends wooden colonial architecture like St. George's Cathedral, once the tallest wooden church in the world, with the ironwork of the historic Stabroek Market. Each February the streets fill with color and music for Mashramani, the countrywide celebration of Republic Day. For travelers drawn to wildlife, the Iwokrama Forest and the Rupununi savannah offer some of South America's best chances to spot jaguars, giant otters, and harpy eagles.
Made in Guyana
Guyana is known for Demerara sugar, rice, gold, bauxite, and hardwood timber, alongside a growing fishing and shrimp trade. This space is reserved for a future Local Marketplace Spotlight, featuring Trust Standard certified Guyanese businesses once that pillar of the Americas Ecosystem exists. Soon.