Quick Facts about Guyana

The Name "Guyana" originated from the Country's indigenous Amerindian people and is translated as "the land of many waters."Capital : Georgetown
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Suriname and Venezuela. Latitude between 10 degrees and 90 degrees and Longitude between 57 degrees and 61 degrees.
Area: 215,000 sq km (Land: 196,850 sq km, Water: 18,150 sq km)
Geography: the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay. The country has four distinct geographical areas: the low flat coastal plain; the hilly sand and clay belt; the high land region and the interior savannah.
Climate: Tropical, pleasant and warm for most of the year, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to June, November to January). Average temperatures 24 degrees Celcius – 31 degrees Celcius.
Political Status: Independent Nation since 26 May 1966 (from UK)
Population: Guyana’s population is approximately 770,794
Ethnic groups: East Indian, Africans, Amerindian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Mixed
Language: English, Creole, Amerindian dialects, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu
Religion: Christian, Hindu, Muslim,Others
Counties: Essequibo,Demerara and Berbice.
Administrative Divisions:
Region 1 - Barima-Waini.
Region 2 - Pomeroon-Supenaam.
Region 3 - Essequibo Islands-West Demerara.
Region 4 - Demerara-Mahaica.
Region 5 - Mahaica-Berbice.
Region 6 - East Berbice-Corentyne.
Region 7 - Cuyuni-Mazaruni.
Region 8 - Potaro-Siparuni.
Region 9 - Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo.
Region 10 - Upper Demerara-Berbice.
Natural Resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Agriculture Products: sugarcane, rice, shrimp, fish, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products.
Exports: sugar, gold, bauxite, alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
Communications:
Telephone: domestic and long-distance service, international country code - 592.
Cellular Services: GT&T and Digicel are the two cell service providers in Guyana supporting a wide range of services including international roaming, web browsing, blackberry etc.
Internet Services: DSL Broadband, Dial-up. Services available at numerous internet cafes and Hotels. GT&T Hot Spots are free services.
Time Zone: 4 hours behind GMT, 1 hour ahead of EST.
Clothing: Lightweight, causal clothing can be worn throughout the year.
Voltage: 110v in Georgetown; 220v in other places, 50/60 cycles.
Shopping Hours: 8:00 to 17:00 hours (Monday-Friday, noon Saturday)
Security: Exercise the same precautions as you would in any other city.
Emergency Numbers: 911-Police, 912- Fire, 913- Ambulance.
International Agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
International Partners : ACP, C, Caricom, CDB,CIDA, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO.
Taxes: Value Added Taxes (VAT) is charged at 16% to goods and services, however, many items are either zero rated or exempt. The prices displayed on shelves usually include this tax, unless stated otherwise. Business charging VAT should display their Certificate of Registration.
Banking: All Banks are opened from Monday to Friday at 8:00 hrs to 14:00 hrs. ATM machines are accessible on a 24 hrs basis. The commercial banks are Scotiabank, Rebublic Bank, GBTI, NBS, Demerara Bank, Citizens Bank, Baroda Bank.
Currency: Guyana Dollars ($GYD), US, CDN, Sterling or other foreign currency are widely accepted and can be exchanged at banks and cambios.
Driving: Driving and riding are done in the left lane. Before you start enjoying the fun of driving in Guyana, you must stop by the Inland Revenue Department - License Revenue Division, Smyth & Princess Streets, Georgetown (Telephone number (592) 223 5501 (592) 223 5501) for a 30-Day Permit to drive. Be sure to walk with your valid driver's license or an international driver's license. In Guyana it is an offence to drive without your seat belt. Transportation:
By River - by speed boats (seat capacity +12), ferry service (Berbice, Essequibo and North West)
By Air - by aircrafts to all major airstrips in Guyana.
By Land - by taxis, minibus, vans and trucks to most places in Guyana.