Guyana is the fourth-smallest country in South America after French Guiana, Suriname and Uruguay; it has four distinct geographical areas: the Low Coastal Plain; the Hilly Sand and Clay Belt; the Highland Region and the Interior Savannahs. The area is 214,970 sq.km. Approximately 75% of the land area is still intact forest, and 2.5% is cultivated. The coastline is 1 meter to 1.5 meters below sea level at high tide necessitating an elaborate system of drainage canals. The most valuable mineral deposits are bauxite, gold, and diamonds. The main rivers are the Demerara, Berbice, Corentyne, and Essequibo.
Guyana is a tropical destination that is pleasant and warm for most of the year, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, November to January). Mean temperature of 27 ° C and the average temperature range from 24 ° C to 31 ° C. Rainfall is approximately 2,300mm a year in Georgetown.
Guyana’s population is approximately 747,884 (Census 2012) of whom 90% live along the coastal strip and banks of major rivers. There is a risk of malaria in certain parts of the interior.
