Top 10 Facts about Guyana

Tap to Read ➤ A little lesser known than most South American nations, Guyana actually packs quite the punch. From its virgin rainforests and primeval waterfalls to its colorful festivals and unique culture, this country will never let you down! Sucheta Pradhan

The name Guyana literally translates to “the land of many waters”, and is home to some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world.

The world’s widest and longest single-drop waterfall, the Kaieteur Falls , lies in Guyana. It is almost four times higher than Niagara Falls, but is much less visited by tourists due to its location in a dense rainforest.

Guyana is the only English-speaking nation in the predominantly Spanish-speaking South America.

Extremely rich in natural resources, Guyana has one of the largest gold mines in the world. The Omai Gold Mine is estimated to have around 3.7 million ounces of gold.

Almost three quarters of Guyana is dense rainforests which are practically uninhabitable. Only 30% area of the country is actually inhabited, with majority living in Georgetown, the capital city.

Abolition of slavery from Guyana in 1834 led to high rate of immigration of East Indians. Today, nearly half of Guyana’s population is of East Indian descent.

Cricket is the favorite sport in Guyana. In fact, Guyanese cricketers form part of the West Indies cricket team. Till date, there have been many remarkable international cricketers from Guyana including Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Alvin Kallicharran and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Most of Guyana is actually situated below the sea level. In 1855, Dutch master builders constructed a 280-mile-long seawall as a defense against flooding.

In modern history, the largest mass suicide happened in Jonestown, Guyana. In 1978, over 990 people, including men, women, and children, gave up their lives on the order of the infamous leader, Jim Jones.

Guyana is the only South American country and also the only country in the Americas outside the Caribbean where homosexuality is still illegal and may lead to life imprisonment.