Wildlife in Guyana
Destinations
Geography of Guyana
Guyana is home to one of only four remaining areas of pristine rainforest in the world! This blanket of ancient tropical forest covers 80% of the country, part of which makes up the area known as the
Guiana Shield. The unique biodiversity within the rainforest make it an excellent home to numerous endemic
animal and plant species, many of which have yet to be discovered. Away from the coasts, the central section of the country is aptly named 'the interior' and the landscape here ranges from dense jungle to sprawling savannah, through a network of watercourses, all tributaries of the Amazon basin.
To the west of Guyana lies Venezuela, whose border crosses the plateaus of several Tepuis, making them accessible from both countries. These 'islands of the sky' were formed over a billion years ago when the sandstone continents of Africa and South America were divided by tectonic activity and drifted apart. Many years of weathering then carved out the towering cliffs that barricade the Tepui plateaus today, leaving the premonition of suspended islands that float above the rainforest that surrounds them.
There are four main
mountain ranges in Guyana: the Pakaraima, Kanuku, Acarai and Imataka mountains force upwards out of the rainforest to higher land. Engulfed by lush canopy and boasting some of
the world's largest waterfalls, these ranges are interwoven by the many rivers fed from the high levels of rainfall during the wet season, the most dominant of which is the roaring Essequibo. This monster carves it's way from South to North, with the smaller tributaries of the Rupununi and Mazaruni feeding into it.
