Guyana is a beautiful country located on the north Atlantic coast of South America. It contains lush rain forests and coastal planes and savannah. Following are some interesting facts about this country.

Geography: Guyana is the only South American country to be considered to be a “Caribbean” country. It is one of the founding members of the Caribbean Community of Nations.

Communications: Less than one in seven people have a landline phone. However, almost everyone has a cell phone and most people communicate by wireless.

Transportation: Guyana has 96 active airports. This is more than Egypt, which has 100 times as many people. However, only 10 of Guyana’s airports have paved runways.

Sports: The people here love their sports. Their most popular sport is cricket which was introduced to Guyana by the British. The other main sport is soccer (called football). Additionally, the people enjoy basketball, tennis, rounders (a cross between cricket and baseball) and netball (similar to basketball, but played with 7 people and a higher net).

Cuisine: The cuisine is very similar to the rest of the Caribbean. Pork, beef, chicken, fish, vegetables and rice are staples in their diet. A dish unique to Guyana is Pepperpot. Pepperpot is made from stewed meats (beef, pork and chicken), seasoned with cinnamon, hot peppers and cassareep (made from the juice of the cassava root). It is commonly served at Christmastime.

Language: Guyana is the only country in South America that has English as its official language. This is because it is the only country in the region to have been a British colony. However, the language is extremely quirky. For example, pronouns are interchangeable (I, We, Us, and He all mean the same thing).

Religion: While Guyana is primarily Christian, it is the only South American nation with a significant Hindu minority. It is estimated that almost one third of Guyanans practice Hindu.

History and culture: Guyana was originally inhabited by Native Americans. Eventually, it became a Dutch colony, then a British possession. There was a large influx of freed African slaves as well as Chinese and Indian immigrants. The culture contains elements from all these groups. At one time, Guyana was known for its beautiful plantations, many of which are now is a state of disrepair.

Guyana is a beautiful land with a mixture of Caribbean beaches, lush rainforests and rich savannahs. Because of the undeveloped nature of the land, it is a popular ecotourism site, both from America and from Europe.

Sources: Wikipedia, CIA Factbook, Destination360.com, gocentralamerica.com