In a couple of days I will be ending the year with an adventure travel bang by jumping a plane to the South American country of Guyana. While attending Carnival this year in Trinidad & Tobago, I met some young ladies from Guyana. When they introduced themselves, one said everyone only knows our country by the maniac Jim Jones.
The Stabroek Market in Georgetown, Guyana – Wikimedia Commons
I had to admit, that is all I knew of Guyana except that it was in South America. I was intrigued, and I decided I needed to find out more. I learned right away that 80% of the country is covered in rainforest. Right there I knew it was a Traveling Ted friendly country. I am off to learn more.
While you sit around your computers and smart phones in eager anticipation of what I will find, here are some interesting facts about Guyana to tide you over until I return.
- Home to the number 2 waterfall in the world according to the Worldwide Waterfall Database: Kaieteur Falls. This waterfall has a single drop of 741 feet. In comparison, Niagara Falls is 167 feet. Wikipedia calls it the largest single drop waterfall by volume in the world.
- Guyana has a population of 767,000 people. The size of the country is 214,970 square kilometers. This is roughly the size of Minnesota, which has a population of 5,344,861, which is almost 7 times the population. Guyana is also the same size as Idaho, which has a population of 1,584,985, which is almost exactly twice as many.
- The capital of Guyana is Georgetown located at the mouth of the Demerara River. The population of the city including the metro area is 354,000, almost half of all Guyana. In fact, 90% of the Guyanese population lives along the coast. Can you say uninhabited interior?
- The ethnic division in Guyana is 45% East Indian, 30% Black African, 16% mixed, and 9% Amerindian.
- The official language in Guyana is English
- Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning “Land of many waters.”
- The longest river in Guyana is the Essequibo River, which is 627 miles long. This is ¼th the size of the Mississippi
I can’t wait to take my own picture of this amazing scenic waterfall- Wikiimedia Commons Sorenriise
My itinerary:
I will land in the capital on Saturday. I will stay two nights in Georgetown and then off to the interior for three days in the Rupunini. I will return for two more nights in Georgetown. One of the days in Georgetown will be spent visiting Kaieteur Falls.
Stay tuned,
TT
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Sounds like quite the adventure Ted. I’ll be very interested to see how it goes. Surprising to read about the population – much smaller than expected. Have fun.
Leigh recently posted..Hiking the Fairyland Loop in Bryce Canyon National Park
Not much of a population at all, and it is all on the coast. I can’t wait to fly over the rainforest and see the miles and miles of trees.
Have fun, don’t drink any kool aid and take some extra pics of that waterfall for me.
Robb714 recently posted..Snakes
I am a crystal lite guy myself, so I should be safe. I will take many pictures of Kaieteur and hopefully a few others as well.
A fresh look at a place that surely deserves a better image. Don’t feel compelled to go over a waterfall in a kayak on our behalf.
Jay Gordon recently posted..Cowboy poetry in Willits, Mendocino County
I was going to do it in a barrell Jay. That would make an epic Go Pro Video footage. I look forward to discovery what this country is about.
Hope you have fun in Guyana. Thanks for the info about it because I didn’t know anything but the capital. That waterfall is awesome!
Jeremy Branham recently posted..A Civil War showdown dressed in orange and black
The waterfall is in the middle of the jungle. The only way to get there is by plane. That should be awesome.
Nice! My dad spent his high school years in Guyana and I’ve always wondered how the place looks like now (he passed away 8 yrs ago but I still remember some of his stories). Looking forward to your adventure! 😀
Micamyx|Senyorita recently posted..Ilocandia Trip: Things to Do in Ilocos Norte
Sorry to hear you father passed away. I will have tons of photos to share.
Hope you have a great time in Guyana. I stayed in a small town across the river from Georgetown for 7 months in 2000-2001 (not tourist purpose). Unfortunately due to the circumstances then, I didn’t get any chance to explore the places at all. I have mixed feelings about the country 🙂
Looking forward to your write-up & more pictures. I’m sure you will enjoy the rich nature beauty there.
Very interesting Mandy! I hear Georgetown is a little rough, and I can imagine you might not have great feelings about the country living there. I am looking forward to getting a contrast between the capital and the interior. I hear it is night and day.
Have a great time! If you do go over the falls in a barrel, make sure to wear your ascent jacket to stay dry 🙂