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Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of Guyana

Geography

Guyanese Geography - Kaieteur Falls
Kaieteur Falls

Guyana's coast was historically marshland, but the Dutch used their land engineering to turn that coastal land into fertile flatlands. This manipulation turned the coastal region into the primary farm land and today nearly everyone in the country lives along the coast. This region is ideal of living as there are numerous rivers running through the region and the soils, once contained, are very fertile.

Moving inland, further to the south, the elevation rises a bit, peaking on the border with Brazil and Venezuela, where the country reaches its highest point at Mt. Roraima, which stands at over 9,200 feet (2,800 meters). Outside this area the land rarely reaches great heights as the country primarily shifts between forested plateaus, savanna, and river valleys, all of which is still almost completely in a natural state. These areas are sparsely populated and river is the best way to navigate the region.

Weather

It likes to rain in Guyana and this has led to the plant life, animal life, and the dense forests that cover most of the country. Nearly on the equator, the country is hot throughout the year as the greatest changes in the weather arrive with the rainy seasons and, in the few places they exist, at elevation. Due to the elevation rise in the west and the dense forests elsewhere, the people in Guyana almost exclusively live along the Caribbean Sea coast. While trees have not stopped people from moving to new lands in much of the world, they have stopped the spread of settlement in Guyana as most people remain living on the coasts.

There are two (relatively) dry seasons in Guyana, which run from about February to April and again from August to November. These are only relative seasons as rains seem to be regular throughout the year, including during the dry seasons. During these months, and throughout the year, temperatures remain fairly constant. Georgetown averages about 70-75° F (21-24° C) each night with daily highs of about 80-85° F (27-29° C), making the temperatures clearly quite consistent year round. The city gets about 4 inches (100 mm) of rain per month during the dry season on average.

The wet seasons, which run from about May to July, then again from about December to January have consistent temperatures, but much heavier rains. In the months of May to July, generally the wetter of the two seasons, Georgetown averages over 10 inches (250 mm) of rain each month.

Wildlife

Guyanese Wildlife - Puma (Cougar)
Cougar (Puma)

Guyana is a very heavily forested country and due to this the wildlife is very impressive. Most of the animals and plants in the country are woodland in nature as this tropical country is home to dense forests and all the animals that live in these forests.

There are hundreds of mammals in the forests of Guyana, with some of the most common being deer, wolves, opossums, rabbits, squirrels, mice, rats, bats, tapirs, and sloths. There are also a large number of monkeys and cat species, although they tend to be much less common. Ocelots, tamarins, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, marmosets, jaguars, and cougars (puma) can all be found in the dense forests. Numerous other mammals can also be found in smaller numbers, such as the porcupine, armadillo, and anteater.

Guyanese Wildlife - Anteater
Anteater

The sea life in Guyana itself is fairly limited as the country boasts many rivers, but none of major significance and no real large lakes. This limits the freshwater fish life to catfish, pike, and a few others. Off the coast the animal life is much more impressive. While the waters have some mammals like whales, manatees, and dolphins, these waters are also home to thousands of fish and shellfish. Sharks, marlins, barracudas, grouper, snapper, mackerel, eels, rays, jellyfish, shrimp, crab, seahorses, starfish, and sea urchins all call these waters home.

These forests and coastline also attract hundreds of bird species every year. These range from woodland birds and rain forest birds to water fowls and others. Among these birds are sparrows, cardinals, parakeets, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, parrots, toucans, macaws, eagles, egrets, condors, frigate birds, pelicans, and pigeons among many more.

Guyanese Wildlife - Tarantula
Tarantula

The reptilian, amphibian, and insect life in Guyana are also diverse. Many of these animals are spiders, including the tarantula and black widow, and snakes, including the rattlesnake. In or near some of the rivers the amphibian population spikes a bit as a number of frogs and lizards are present. The number of insects is quite substantial, including flies, mosquitos, butterflies, beetles, moths, ants, and more.

When it comes to native plant life, South America is home to many famous edible plants and these plants quickly spread throughout Guyana, South America, and beyond. The pineapple is from the region where Brazil and Uruguay meet while potatoes and tobacco originated in the Andes Mountains. A few others, including cacao trees (used to make chocolate), peanuts, and tomatoes are also from South America, although their actual origin is unknown. Peppers, both sweet and hot peppers are from Central America or northern South America while vanilla, avocado, papaya, and corn (maize) are likely from Central America itself. No matter each food's origin, what is known is that these foods spread throughout the continent and to the country of Guyana with the help of pre-historic people, animals, and winds. These people have had these foods for nearly as long as people have inhabited the region and each makes an important part of the people's diet and culture now and for thousands of years into the past.

More than just the famous plants already mentioned, Guyana hosts numerous other trees and plants. Pine trees, eucalyptus trees, cedar trees, mahogany trees, and cypress trees are all common.

This page was last updated: March, 2013