Wikijunior:South America/Guyana



Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is the only country of the Commonwealth of Nations on the mainland of South America. It is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil and to the west by Venezuela. It is the fourth-smallest country on the mainland of South America (after Suriname, French Guiana, and Uruguay).

Geography
Guyana can be divided into four natural regions: a narrow and fertile marshy plain along the Atlantic (low coastal plain) coast where most of the population lives, then a white sand belt more inland (hilly sand and clay region), containing most of Guyana's mineral deposits, the dense rainforests (Forested Highland Region) across the middle of the country, the grassy flat savannah in the south and finally the larger interior highlands (interior savannah) made up of mountains that gradually rise to the Brazilian border.

There are many rivers in the country, the three main ones being the Essequibo, the Demerara, and the Berbice.The local climate is tropical and generally hot and humid, though moderated by northeast trade winds along the coast. There are two rainy seasons, the first from May to mid-August, the second from mid-November to mid-January.

Guyana has one of the largest unspoiled rain forests in South America. It covers much of the land area and is the habitat of many animals.

The People
English is the official language of Guyana and used, for example, in its schools. There are other languages spoken as well such as Portuguese and Spanish.

The most popular religions in Guyana include Christianity, Hinduism, and Muslim faiths.