Overview of Guyana 

Guyana, which means "land of many waters", is the only English-speaking country in South America. It is on the north-eastern shoulder of the continent, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south, Venezuela to the west, and Suriname to the east. The country is almost exactly the same size as Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) with a population of about 780,000 inhabitants.

Its chequered colonial history has left a legacy of a truly multi-cultural people. Guyana is often called the "Land of Six Peoples" with its indigenous Amerindian population, descendants of African slaves, Indian, Chinese and Portuguese indentured labourers and European (British, Dutch and French) colonialists.

The capital of Guyana is Georgetown, located on the eastern bank of the Demerara River delta at the Atlantic Ocean. Georgetown is protected from the Atlantic Ocean by a seawall originally built by the Dutch. The seawall is of vital importance since the coastal zone is approximately 6 ft. below sea level.

Guyana is the Caribbean in South America. Its history and culture mirror the islands of the British Caribbean, though the landscape truly reflects its South American location - about 80% of Guyana is lush tropical (rain) forest.