Geography

Guyana

The Republic of Guyana covers 214 970 km2. It is bounded by Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname. Four main regions can be distinguished:

  • The northern coastal belt, consisting of low-lying alluvium with a varying width up to a maximum of 65 km inland (in the east). This is the main agricultural region of the country;
  • The lowland region of undulating forest land covering most of the northern and central parts of the country, generally with an elevation below 150 m and consisting of broad belts of white sand;
  • The Pakaraima mountain region in the west, an elevated table land of sandstone escarpments between 300 and 1 200 m in elevation corresponding to similar formations in the south-east of the Venezuelan Guyana and the Brazilian territory of Roraima;
  • The southern uplands, a vast area mostly over 150 m in elevation covered with undulating forestland.

    • The country has many rivers, generally running from south to north towards the Atlantic Ocean. The main streams (Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice) are navigable in their lower reaches for distances of between 60 and 160 km.

    The climate of Guyana is tropical, with little seasonal temperature change. The temperature on the coastal plain averages 27 °C with about 1 500 to 2 300 mm of rainfall a year, mainly from April to August and November to January. The Rupunumi region south of the Pakaraima mountains receives about 1 500 mm, mainly from May to August.

    The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

    last updated:  Friday, February 19, 2010