Guyana is a beautiful country in South-America. Only a few people know about it and thus today we bring you 30 interesting facts that may make your mind about travelling to Guyana.
- Guyana is actually in South America and not in Africa (though with it's name and its very colourful primary African coloured flag will let you believe otherwise.) (Eds. Fun Fact: Our flag, named the "Golden Arrowhead," was actually created by an American vexillologist, Whitney Smith)
People in Guyana speak English - in fact it is their first language and perhaps only language. Sure, they speak English with one of the most sing-song-y accent you've ever heard, but it's fun to listen to, even if you have no idea what we're saying. They also speak a bit of combination Hindi-English, and Native Amerindian languages.
They are the only English speaking country in South America, and they speak the Queen's English, so Colour, and Neighbourhood, will be some of the spellings you'll find.
most of their towns, cities and villages are French, Spanish or Dutch. This is because they were ruled by all of these countries once upon a time, only to be finally conquered by the English. This has influenced their architecture greatly.
Hey, Dutch people! Thanks! Because of you, Guyana, with 80% rainforest interior and a land below sea-level still stays afloat, because of an amazing Dutch drainage system. Now, if the government would just update that system, I believe they wouldn't flood so much.
Just like the British left India with an extensive railroad, they, too, had a railroad system. In fact, called the Demerara-Berbice railroad (I told you about those Dutch names!) it was the first railroad system of the South American continent. But this was soon dismantled, by the American-government elected, President Burnham. He had major post-colonial issues, or mommy issues with England, as I like to call it, at the time.
Because of their pickled history, their main and natural export is actually our people, we have the highest brain drain of 95% of higher educated people leaving the country. It is the highest in the world. But we also export rice, sugar, bauxite, rum.
Don't drink the koolaid! Seriously, don't drink it. Many Americans say that reference because it's a part of our American culture, however, Jonestown actually happened in the remote jungles of Guyana. Since, it was so remote, Guyanese people were not aware of it either.
They are actually more culturally Caribbean, i.e. West Indian than South American (due to the fact that they share similar colonization stories with countries like Trinidad and Jamaica - but we're working on feeling more South American-y, by having roads connect to Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil (our neighbours) I think, this will eventually change their culture again!
Their people are very diverse, because of colonization we have people with origins from Africa, India, China, Portuguese from Madeira Islands, Europeans, and Native South-American tribes, mostly Arawak and Caribs (the Caribbean was named after them!) Though, most of the population is divided between African Guyanese and Indian Guyanese. We only know the difference when there is an election, as people seem to vote along racial lines, which I'm pretty sure they know, is not cool.
With so many ethnic groups, their cuisine is very interesting - Roti and curries (Indian), pepperpot (Amerindian), Metemgie, a soup with ground provisions and dumplings (African), bread-pudding, cheese rolls, pinetarts (European), Cookup Rice (peas and rice), Lowmein and chowmein (Chinese). Culturally, we are food sharing people, so if you're ever over at one of our houses, we'll probably have to fight the urge to feed you, and to insist that you take left-overs for your family as well.
- They are a secular country and we celebrate all holidays from our major religion - Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. The Color Run is inspired by us, they call the Hindu festival (Holi) - Phagwah based on the month it normally falls.
- They celebrate Easter not with the Easter Bunny but by flying kites. It's the resurrection of Christ, and the kite depicts his soul flying towards heaven.
- They fish a lot, eh? Our country is 70% rivers. Hassa Fish a local delicacy. (It's curried here, with okra vegetables.)
- They have a lot of fruits and vegetables that you've never heard of, and locals will either wait til they are ripe to eat them/ cook with them, or my favourite, eat them when they are so green that they are pale yellow.Pictured here is a fruit called, Sapodilla it tastes like a persimmon but sweeter, a bit grainer as if someone sprinkled brown sugar over a persimmon.
- Foods tend to be spicy.
- Politics is a past-time sport. Everyone bashes the government. But to be honest, they are justified.
- Their favourite sport is probably cricket, they play for the West Indian team and they wear our pride on our sleeves - Shivnarine Chandrapaul, Carl Hooper, Lance Gibbs, Colin Croft, and golden cricket legends such as Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Alvin Kallicharran are all Guyanese cricketers.
- But we also excel at playing squash, and we are getting better at soccer as well.
- Guyana as a whole has neglected arts, and sports, parenting stresses more emphasis on being some variant of the following - doctor, lawyer, engineer, so every time I am made aware of a Guyanese sportsman and artist, I support!
- Rihanna and Leonna Lewis are of Guyanese heritage.
- You must know of their sugar - Demerara sugar was the standard that was created when sugar was a major commodity.
- The most famous and one of the most expensive stamps in the world, is the British Guiana 1c Magenta. In the Guiana, they ran their of stamps and then used magenta paper, which was available as postage.
- They are also known for their rum - El Dorado Rum. It's an award winning rum. they like rum.
- Why is their rum and almost everything named El Dorado? Because, geographically, Guyana is estimated to be El Dorado. Our country is high in gold (and gold mine) and has one of the richest golds in the world, mostly because it was left in the earth for so long. There are many TVs that seem to be fascinated by this - Discovery Channel's Gold Rush and Bamazon Boys.
- Do you like to rock climb? Because, I want a buddy to rock climb this baby! The Disney movie, Up featured the mountain, Mount Roraima, it is the highest peak of a chain of tepui plateau in South America. Made of Precambrian rocks, it literally looks like a tabletop in the sky. It's the point where Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana meet and many waterfalls are associated with the mountain (Angel Falls on the Venezuelan side), and ours Kaieteur Falls, is the longest, single one drop water fall in the world.
- Every Guyanese is going to make me tell you about Kaieteur Falls. It's supposedly the highest single drop waterfall in the world.
- They have Carnival, not as big as the Brazilians, or the Trinidadians, and they call it "Mashramani" or Mash for short. It's always in February, and most of the music will tell you to get something and wave, and really that's what you should do.
- If you go to Guyana expect this
So what are you thinking, go to Guyana.
