Georgetown, Guyana
Encyclopedia
Georgetown, estimated population 239,227 (2002 Guyana census), is the capital and largest city of Guyana
, located in the Demerara-Mahaica
region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River
and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at 6°48′N 58°10′W. The city serves primarily as a retail and administrative centre. It also serves as a financial services centre.
colony was located on Borselen Island in the Demerara River
under the administration of the Dutch
. When the colony was captured by the British
in 1781, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Kingston chose the mouth of the Demerara River for the establishment of a town which was situated between Plantations Werk-en-rust and Vlissengen.
It was the French
who developed this town and made it their capital city when they captured the colony in 1782. The French called the capital La Nouvelle Ville. When the town was restored to the Dutch in 1784, it was renamed Stabroek
after Nicolaas Geelvinck
, Lord of Stabroek, and President of the Dutch West India Company
. Eventually the town expanded and covered the estates of Vlissengen, La Bourgade and Eve Leary to the North, and Werk-en-rust and La Repentir to the South. Brickdam, the first paved road, was built by the French.
It was renamed Georgetown on 29 April 1812 in honour of King George III
. On 5 May 1812 an ordinance was passed to the effect that the town formerly called Stabroek, with districts extending from La Penitence to the bridges in Kingston and entering upon the road to the military camps, shall be called Georgetown.
The ordinance provided that the various districts of Georgetown shall be known by their own names. The supervision of Georgetown was to be done by a committee chosen by the Governor and Court of Policy. Estimates of expenditure were to be prepared.
By 1806 the owner of Vlissingen asked to be exempted from the responsibility of maintaining the road which is now called Camp Street, but the Court refused the request. In 1810 the maintenance of the roads in the area called Georgetown cost 11,000 guilders per annum.
The governing body of Georgetown was once a Board of Police. The Board of Police was chosen by the governor and the Court of Policy. It came into existence as the result of disputes among various organisations which controlled the districts.
The Board met monthly but what was discussed is not on the records between 1825 and 1837. Newspapers in the colony were prohibited by law from reporting public matters.
The post of Commisary of Police was not regarded as important. People elected to the Board invariably declined to attend meetings and never gave reasons for their refusal.
It was, therefore, decided that individuals elected to the Board were bound to serve for two years, or suffer a penalty of 1,000 guilders.
The Board of Police was abolished when an ordinance was passed to establish a Mayor and Town Council.
Georgetown gained official city status on 24 August 1842 during the reign of Queen Victoria.
The names of Georgetown's wards and streets reflect the influence of the Dutch, French and English who administered the town at different periods of history.
Cummingsburg was originally named Pln. La Bourgade by its first owner, Jacques Salignac. It was laid out in streets and building lots by its second proprietor, Thomas Cuming, a Scotsman, after whom it is named. He made a presentation of the Militia Parade Ground and Promenade Gardens to the town as a gift. It is noteworthy that Carmichael Street was named after General Hugh Lyle Carmichael who served as Governor from 1812 to 1813. He died in March 1813 and was buried in the Officers' Cemetery, Eve Leary.
Water Street was so called because it ran along the riverside and formed the original river dam. High Street formed the leading road from the East Bank to the East Coast of Demerara. The part of High Street that ran through Cummingsburg was called Main Street. Camp Street received its name because it was the road which led to the camp or garrison at the northern end of the city. Kingston got its name from King George of England. It was part of Pln. Eve Leary which was named after the wife or daughter of its owner, Cornelis Leary. Some of the streets of Kingston have military names because the garrison used to be located there, e.g. Parade Street, Barrack Street and Fort Street.
Lacytown was another leasehold portion of Pln. Vlissengen. L.M. Hill claims that it was named after General Sir De Lacy Evans, a Crimean war hero. However, James Rodway claims that it was named after George Lacy who bought part of the plantation from R.B. Daly, representative of Vlissengen. The owner of Vlissengen was Joseph Bourda, Member of the Court of Policy. After his son and heir disappeared at sea, the government claimed the property under the authority of the Vlissengen Ordinance of 1876. A new district of Bourda was laid out and Lacytown was improved by the Board of Vlissengen Commissioners.
Bourda Street and the ward of Bourda were named after Joseph Bourda, Member of the Court of Policy and former owner of Pln. Vlissengen. It was laid out by the Commissioner of Vlissengen in 1879. The Bourda Cemetery holds the remains of many old citizens of Georgetown. Only those persons who owned family vaults or burial rights in the enclosed ground used it.
In 1945 a large fire (The Great Fire) broke out in the city causing widespread damage.
, more specifically a tropical rainforest climate
, with warm to hot temperatures. Relative humidity fluctuates throughout the year with the highest occurring in May, June, August and December–January; these months are usually the rainiest part of the year. Between the months of September to November relative humidity is lower ushering in the drier season. Georgetown does not truly have a dry season
- monthly precipitation in all 12 months is above 60 mm. Because of its location Georgetown’s temperatures is moderated by the North-East Trade winds blowing in from the North Atlantic and rarely sees temperatures above 31 degrees Celsius.
The Official residence of the Head of State as well as the Head of Government are both located in the city. Georgetown is the capital city as well as the main economic base of Guyana.
, an hour south of Georgetown is a destination for Caribbean Airlines
(the airline formerly known as BWIA or ""bwee""), Delta Air Lines
, LIAT, META
, and Travel Span GT.
Closer to the city is the newly-expanded Ogle Airport
, with a new terminal facility geared to handle regional international and inter-Caricom flights, connecting CARICOM states with the CARICOM Secretariat. The city has many highway projects under construction although the four-lane East Coast Highway was completed in 2005. This city accounts for a large portion of Guyana's GDP and it also is the centre of major commercial business.
and many newly constructed highways.
The government is working to rehabilate all roads in the country to help transport people better than ever before. Guyana is preparing for the ICC Cricket World Cup, West Indies 2007. This is a major opportunity for this nation to develop a strong tourism industry as has several of its sister CARICOM states.
The Cheddi Jagan International Airport
acts as the air transportation hub of the city, which is located on the right bank of the Demerara River, 41 kilometres south of Georgetown.
s (1 US Dollar = 205 Guyanese Dollars approx) and the income tax is deducted at source by employer.
Most of the main buildings are centred around the western region of the town. Around the western-central area is Independence Square and Promenade Gardens, the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology
, the National Library
(built by Andrew Carnegie
), the Bank of Guyana, the National Museum of Guyana
and State House (built 1852) where the President resides, and St. George's Anglican Cathedral
. There are many churches, mosques and mandirs in Georgetown.
The Georgetown Cenotaph
, at Main and Church Streets, was built in 1923. It is the site of Remembrance Day (Remembrance Sunday) services in November each year.
To the south of this region is where the neo-Gothic
City Hall
(1889) is to be found, as well as the Victoria Law Courts (1887), the Parliament Building
(1829–1834), the large Stabroek Market
(1792) containing the prominent cast-iron clock tower that dominates the city sky line, the Roman Catholic Brickdam Cathedral
, City Engineer House, the Magistrate's Court, St. Andrew's Kirk
(1818) and Independence Arch.
The northern area of the city near the Atlantic coast contains Splashmins Fun Park
, Fort William Frederick, a park and the Umana Yana
, a conical thatched building built by Wai-Wai Amerindians using traditional techniques. It was built for the 1972 Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference
. The Georgetown Lighhouse is a famous landmark.
The City is protected from the Atlantic Ocean by the Georgetown Seawall
.
Georgetown is the seat of the University of Guyana
and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat which are both located at Turkeyen, on the city's outskirts.
Georgetown - referring to Central Georgetown includes the Business district as well as the seat of the national Government.
Greater Georgetown - contains some of the most expensive and luxurious metropolitan neighbourhoods.Bel Air Park, Bel Air Gardens, Lamaha Gardens and Bel Air Springs are well known ultimately as places for the rich and powerful. Most residents here are high ranking executives or government officials. These close gated neighbourhoods of the city are mostly concentrated in the northeastern part towards Greater Georgetown and the Atlantic.
Greater Georgetown contains some notable places such as:
South Georgetown - incorporated communities of neighbourhoods along the eastern bank of the Demerara River such as Sophia, Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Albouystown, Guyhoc Park and Agricola.
This is a well known and highly regarded poor area of the city. Some places like Houston Estates, Ruimvelt and Thirst Park have retained high levels of affluence.
North of Georgetown lies Main Street, where the Head of State's official residence can be found along with several other important Government buildings including the Ministry of Finance. East of Georgetown stretches towards the Avenue of the Republic where Georgetown's City Hall building is located as well as the majestic world famous St. Georges building. Also on the East side is Brickdam which is the single most concentrated area of Executive departments and agencies. The Ministries of Health, Education, Home Affairs, Housing and Water are all located on Brickdam.
West of Stabroek Market is the Port of Georgetown, the largest and busiest shipping point in Guyana.
Stabroek Market itself contains the Ministry of Labour as well as the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. It is also the host facility for the equally famous Stabroek markets.
; 1,441 (1.1%) as Amerindian; 675 (0.5%) as Portuguese
; 475 (0.35%) as Chinese
; 2,265 (1.7%) as "don't know/not stated"; 196 (0.15%) as white
; 35 as "other".
, 41 km south of the city. International flights/connections from New York, Miami, Toronto, Bridgetown
, Port of Spain
and Paramaribo
are routine. There is also a regular coach service between Georgetown and Boa Vista in Brazil
, and once-daily connections to Paramaribo
, Suriname
via a ferry crossing on the Courantyne River
.
There are many hotels in the city, including: Blue Wave Apartments, Brandsville's Apartments, Campala Hotel, Cara Lodge, Cara Suites, Grand Coastal Hotels(two locations), Hotel Arizante, Hotel Tower, Le Grand Penthouse Hotel, Le Méridien Pegasus Hotel, Main Street Plaza, Raddison Suites Hotel, Roraima Residence Inn
Marriott International also announced that it will open its first Marriott-branded hotel in Guyana in 2013. The Hotel will be located at the corner of the Atlantic Ocean and Demerara River with a casino, night club, restaurant, and boardwalk.
,and Stabroek Market
, the Demerara Harbour Bridge
, and the Pegasus hotel. Georgetown receives over 450,000 tourist a year, that is almost 86% of Guyana's total tourism.
: - St. Louis, Missouri
(United States) - Port of Spain
, Trinidad and Tobago
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, located in the Demerara-Mahaica
Demerara-Mahaica
Demerara-Mahaica is a region of Guyana, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the region of Mahaica-Berbice to the east, the region of Upper Demerara-Berbice to the south and the region of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara to the west....
region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River
Demerara River
The Demerara River is a river in eastern Guyana that rises in the central rainforests of the country and flows to the north for 346 kilometres until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. Georgetown, Guyana's largest seaport and capital, is situated on the east bank of the river's mouth. The Demerara's...
and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at 6°48′N 58°10′W. The city serves primarily as a retail and administrative centre. It also serves as a financial services centre.
History
The city of Georgetown began as a small town in the 18th century. Originally, the capital of the Demerara-EssequiboDemerara-Essequibo
The colony of Demerara-Essequibo was created on 13 August 1814 when the British combined the colonies of Demerara and Esequibo. On 20 November 1815 the colony was formally ceded to Britain by the Netherlands....
colony was located on Borselen Island in the Demerara River
Demerara River
The Demerara River is a river in eastern Guyana that rises in the central rainforests of the country and flows to the north for 346 kilometres until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. Georgetown, Guyana's largest seaport and capital, is situated on the east bank of the river's mouth. The Demerara's...
under the administration of the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. When the colony was captured by the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in 1781, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Kingston chose the mouth of the Demerara River for the establishment of a town which was situated between Plantations Werk-en-rust and Vlissengen.
It was the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
who developed this town and made it their capital city when they captured the colony in 1782. The French called the capital La Nouvelle Ville. When the town was restored to the Dutch in 1784, it was renamed Stabroek
Stabroek, Guyana
Stabroek was established by the French in 1782 under the name Longchamps on the Company's reserve and was named by the Dutch after Nicholaas Geelvinck , Lord of Stabroek, the then President of the Dutch West India Company in 1784....
after Nicolaas Geelvinck
Nicolaas Geelvinck
Nicolaas Geelvinck , son of Nicolaes Geelvinck, Lord of Stabroek, was President of the Dutch West India Company in 1784....
, Lord of Stabroek, and President of the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
. Eventually the town expanded and covered the estates of Vlissengen, La Bourgade and Eve Leary to the North, and Werk-en-rust and La Repentir to the South. Brickdam, the first paved road, was built by the French.
It was renamed Georgetown on 29 April 1812 in honour of King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. On 5 May 1812 an ordinance was passed to the effect that the town formerly called Stabroek, with districts extending from La Penitence to the bridges in Kingston and entering upon the road to the military camps, shall be called Georgetown.
The ordinance provided that the various districts of Georgetown shall be known by their own names. The supervision of Georgetown was to be done by a committee chosen by the Governor and Court of Policy. Estimates of expenditure were to be prepared.
By 1806 the owner of Vlissingen asked to be exempted from the responsibility of maintaining the road which is now called Camp Street, but the Court refused the request. In 1810 the maintenance of the roads in the area called Georgetown cost 11,000 guilders per annum.
The governing body of Georgetown was once a Board of Police. The Board of Police was chosen by the governor and the Court of Policy. It came into existence as the result of disputes among various organisations which controlled the districts.
The Board met monthly but what was discussed is not on the records between 1825 and 1837. Newspapers in the colony were prohibited by law from reporting public matters.
The post of Commisary of Police was not regarded as important. People elected to the Board invariably declined to attend meetings and never gave reasons for their refusal.
It was, therefore, decided that individuals elected to the Board were bound to serve for two years, or suffer a penalty of 1,000 guilders.
The Board of Police was abolished when an ordinance was passed to establish a Mayor and Town Council.
Georgetown gained official city status on 24 August 1842 during the reign of Queen Victoria.
The names of Georgetown's wards and streets reflect the influence of the Dutch, French and English who administered the town at different periods of history.
Cummingsburg was originally named Pln. La Bourgade by its first owner, Jacques Salignac. It was laid out in streets and building lots by its second proprietor, Thomas Cuming, a Scotsman, after whom it is named. He made a presentation of the Militia Parade Ground and Promenade Gardens to the town as a gift. It is noteworthy that Carmichael Street was named after General Hugh Lyle Carmichael who served as Governor from 1812 to 1813. He died in March 1813 and was buried in the Officers' Cemetery, Eve Leary.
Water Street was so called because it ran along the riverside and formed the original river dam. High Street formed the leading road from the East Bank to the East Coast of Demerara. The part of High Street that ran through Cummingsburg was called Main Street. Camp Street received its name because it was the road which led to the camp or garrison at the northern end of the city. Kingston got its name from King George of England. It was part of Pln. Eve Leary which was named after the wife or daughter of its owner, Cornelis Leary. Some of the streets of Kingston have military names because the garrison used to be located there, e.g. Parade Street, Barrack Street and Fort Street.
Lacytown was another leasehold portion of Pln. Vlissengen. L.M. Hill claims that it was named after General Sir De Lacy Evans, a Crimean war hero. However, James Rodway claims that it was named after George Lacy who bought part of the plantation from R.B. Daly, representative of Vlissengen. The owner of Vlissengen was Joseph Bourda, Member of the Court of Policy. After his son and heir disappeared at sea, the government claimed the property under the authority of the Vlissengen Ordinance of 1876. A new district of Bourda was laid out and Lacytown was improved by the Board of Vlissengen Commissioners.
Bourda Street and the ward of Bourda were named after Joseph Bourda, Member of the Court of Policy and former owner of Pln. Vlissengen. It was laid out by the Commissioner of Vlissengen in 1879. The Bourda Cemetery holds the remains of many old citizens of Georgetown. Only those persons who owned family vaults or burial rights in the enclosed ground used it.
In 1945 a large fire (The Great Fire) broke out in the city causing widespread damage.
Geography
Georgetown is located on Guyana's Atlantic coast on the east bank of Demerara River estuary. The terrain in this part of the country where the city is located is flat coastal plains. The city is surrounded by a blanket of cane fields along with marshy swamps, and savannah lands on its east and south. The Elevation of the land is one metre below the high tide level. This low elevation is protected by a retaining wall known as the seawall to keep the ocean out and an innovative network of canals with kokers to drain the city of excess water.Climate
Georgetown has a year-round tropical climateTropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
, more specifically a tropical rainforest climate
Tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...
, with warm to hot temperatures. Relative humidity fluctuates throughout the year with the highest occurring in May, June, August and December–January; these months are usually the rainiest part of the year. Between the months of September to November relative humidity is lower ushering in the drier season. Georgetown does not truly have a dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
- monthly precipitation in all 12 months is above 60 mm. Because of its location Georgetown’s temperatures is moderated by the North-East Trade winds blowing in from the North Atlantic and rarely sees temperatures above 31 degrees Celsius.
The capital city
Georgetown is the seat of the central Government of Guyana. All Executive Departments are located in the city. Parliament Building, Guyana's Legislative Building, is also found in Georgetown and so is the Court of Appeals, Guyana's highest judicial court.The Official residence of the Head of State as well as the Head of Government are both located in the city. Georgetown is the capital city as well as the main economic base of Guyana.
Economy
Georgetown is Guyana's largest city and it contains a large portion of the major businesses. It is an important city for Guyana and the Caribbean. Within the metro area there is the CARICOM headquarters, the Administrative Arm of the Caribbean Regional Integration Organisation. Georgetown also is home to a seaport. Guyana's international airport, Cheddi Jagan International AirportCheddi Jagan International Airport
Cheddi Jagan International Airport , formerly Timehri International Airport, is the national airport of Guyana. The airport is located on the right bank of the Demerara River in the city of Timehri, south of Guyana's capital, Georgetown.-History:...
, an hour south of Georgetown is a destination for Caribbean Airlines
Caribbean Airlines
Caribbean Airlines Limited operating as Caribbean Airlines is the national airline of Trinidad and Tobago. The airline is also flag carrier to Jamaica through its subsidiary, Caribbean Airlines-Air Jamaica Transition Limited or Air Jamaica....
(the airline formerly known as BWIA or ""bwee""), Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, LIAT, META
META - Mesquita Transportes Aereos
Meta Linhas Aéreas is an airline based in Boa Vista, Brazil, that operates domestic and international services to destinations in northern Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname...
, and Travel Span GT.
Closer to the city is the newly-expanded Ogle Airport
Ogle Airport
Ogle Airport is located on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Guyana, 6 miles east of the capital, Georgetown.In 2003 the airport was a local hub shuttling some 50,000 passengers and 1,800 tons of cargo annually. Construction began that year to expand the facility to an international airport with...
, with a new terminal facility geared to handle regional international and inter-Caricom flights, connecting CARICOM states with the CARICOM Secretariat. The city has many highway projects under construction although the four-lane East Coast Highway was completed in 2005. This city accounts for a large portion of Guyana's GDP and it also is the centre of major commercial business.
Transportation
Georgetown is serviced by a ferry, the Demerara Harbour BridgeDemerara Harbour Bridge
The Demerara Harbour Bridge is a long floating toll bridge. It was commissioned on 2 July 1978. The bridge crosses the Demerara River south of the Guyanese capital Georgetown, from Peter's Hall, East Bank Demerara to Schoon Ord, West Bank Demerara. There is a pedestrian footwalk. A raised...
and many newly constructed highways.
The government is working to rehabilate all roads in the country to help transport people better than ever before. Guyana is preparing for the ICC Cricket World Cup, West Indies 2007. This is a major opportunity for this nation to develop a strong tourism industry as has several of its sister CARICOM states.
The Cheddi Jagan International Airport
Cheddi Jagan International Airport
Cheddi Jagan International Airport , formerly Timehri International Airport, is the national airport of Guyana. The airport is located on the right bank of the Demerara River in the city of Timehri, south of Guyana's capital, Georgetown.-History:...
acts as the air transportation hub of the city, which is located on the right bank of the Demerara River, 41 kilometres south of Georgetown.
Mass transport
Most of West Coast, East Bank, East Coast and Berbice, Guyana are served by numerous buses. Also taxis serve almost everywhere along the coast, primarily (in large numbers) Georgetown.Cost of living
The cost of living in Georgetown, Guyana is very high. This is because most of the items used in daily life are imported with high transportation cost involved. Monopoly in some business sectors also causes higher profit booking and further raising the prices of common commodities. For example approximate prices (as on January 2010) of Gasoline (Petrol) is 5 US$ per Liter, electricity prices close to 0.33 US$ per unit, A domestic gas bottle (or gas cylinder) is slightly over 20 US$, Rent for average family accommodation, two bedroom apartment - approximately US175 - US$200 per month in safe (Georgetown city center) locations and personal income tax, which is 33.33% (one third) of total taxable income (amount that exceeds approximately G$20,000 (US$100) makes the living further difficult. Employee's Salary is normally paid in Guyanese DollarGuyanese dollar
The Guyanese dollar has been the unit of account in Guyana since 29 January 1839. Originally it was intended as a transitionary unit to facilitate the changeover from the Dutch guilder system of currency to the British pound sterling system...
s (1 US Dollar = 205 Guyanese Dollars approx) and the income tax is deducted at source by employer.
Performing arts
Georgetown's theatre scene is dominantly concentrated on the stages of the National Cultural Centre.Points of interest
Georgetown is laid out in a north-south, east-west grid, interlaced with canals protected by kokers, or sluices, built by the Dutch and later the British that provide drainage to a city that lies 3 foot (0.9144 m) below high-tide level. A long sea wall helps prevent flooding. The city has anand avenues and contains many wooden colonial buildings and markets.Most of the main buildings are centred around the western region of the town. Around the western-central area is Independence Square and Promenade Gardens, the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology
Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology
The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology is a museum of anthropology in Georgetown, Guyana and claims to be the oldest such museum in the English-speaking Caribbean region...
, the National Library
National Library of Guyana
The National Library of Guyana is the legal deposit and copyright library for Guyana....
(built by Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
), the Bank of Guyana, the National Museum of Guyana
National Museum of Guyana
Guyana National Museum was established on 13 February 1868. The idea of starting a museum was conceived by members of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society of British Guiana...
and State House (built 1852) where the President resides, and St. George's Anglican Cathedral
St. George's Anglican Cathedral
St. George's Anglican Cathedral in Georgetown, Guyana is one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, at a height of .St. George's was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and opened on 24 August 1892. The building was completed in 1899...
. There are many churches, mosques and mandirs in Georgetown.
The Georgetown Cenotaph
Georgetown Cenotaph
The Georgetown Cenotaph is a war memorial in Georgetown, Guyana, located at the junction of Main and Church Streets.The Cenotaph was unveiled on August 14, 1923, by the then Governor, Graeme Thomson, and the first Armistice Day observance took place at the Church Street Monument on 11 November 1923...
, at Main and Church Streets, was built in 1923. It is the site of Remembrance Day (Remembrance Sunday) services in November each year.
To the south of this region is where the neo-Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
City Hall
Georgetown City Hall
The Georgetown City Hall, located in Georgetown, Guyana, was completed in 1889. Its architecture is described as Danube Gothic in timber, largely due to its stylized tower, with wrought-iron crenelations at the very apex....
(1889) is to be found, as well as the Victoria Law Courts (1887), the Parliament Building
Parliament Building, Guyana
Guyana's Parliament Building, designed by Joseph Hadfield, was built on a foundation of greenheart logs. The foundation stone was laid in 1829 and, in April 1834, the structure, stuccoed to resemble stone blocks, was completed....
(1829–1834), the large Stabroek Market
Stabroek Market
Stabroek Market is a large market located in the capital city of Guyana, Georgetown.In 1842, the Georgetown Town Council designated the current location of the market on Water St., officially recognizing it as a market despite the fact that it had served such a capacity for quite some time...
(1792) containing the prominent cast-iron clock tower that dominates the city sky line, the Roman Catholic Brickdam Cathedral
Brickdam Cathedral
Brickdam Cathedral, more formally known as the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Georgetown, Guyana, and is the leading Catholic church of the country. Built in the 1920s, it is constructed in a Romanesque architectural style designed by Leonard Stokes, and is 200...
, City Engineer House, the Magistrate's Court, St. Andrew's Kirk
St. Andrew's Kirk, Georgetown
St. Andrews Kirk is the oldest building in Georgetown, Guyana continually in use for religious purposes. The Dutch Reformed congregation laid its foundations in 1811. However, due to financial difficulties it was acquired by Scottish Presbyterians and was formally opened for service on 28 February...
(1818) and Independence Arch.
The northern area of the city near the Atlantic coast contains Splashmins Fun Park
Splashmins Fun Park
Splashmins Fun Park and Resort is an amusement park in Georgetown, Guyana. It is located on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. The theme park features shows, pristine plant life and beaches. The Park is built on one hundred and sixty four acres of amidst numerous species of flora and a variety of fauna...
, Fort William Frederick, a park and the Umana Yana
Umana Yana
The Umana Yana is a conical palm thatched hut erected for the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference in Guyana in August 1972 as a V.I.P...
, a conical thatched building built by Wai-Wai Amerindians using traditional techniques. It was built for the 1972 Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference
Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference
The Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference was held in Georgetown, Guyana from 8 August to 11 August 1972.During the conference, a monument to the four founders of the Non-Aligned Movement - President Nasser of Egypt, President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Jawaharlal Nehru of India and President Josip...
. The Georgetown Lighhouse is a famous landmark.
The City is protected from the Atlantic Ocean by the Georgetown Seawall
Georgetown Seawall
The most famous stretch of seawall in Guyana is the Georgetown Seawall.Seawall is the name given to the wall of concrete built along the foreshore with the sea in Guyana, mostly in Demerara. Earth walls are called sea-dams....
.
Georgetown is the seat of the University of Guyana
University of Guyana
The University of Guyana, in Georgetown, Guyana is a public university established in 1963 by the Guyanese government.-History:Cheddi Jagan, then Premier of British Guiana considered that the University of the West Indies, to which his government had contributed since 1948, was not meeting the...
and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat which are both located at Turkeyen, on the city's outskirts.
Regions of Georgetown
Georgetown has expanded dramatically through the years and may be divided into three Geographical regions:Georgetown - referring to Central Georgetown includes the Business district as well as the seat of the national Government.
Greater Georgetown - contains some of the most expensive and luxurious metropolitan neighbourhoods.Bel Air Park, Bel Air Gardens, Lamaha Gardens and Bel Air Springs are well known ultimately as places for the rich and powerful. Most residents here are high ranking executives or government officials. These close gated neighbourhoods of the city are mostly concentrated in the northeastern part towards Greater Georgetown and the Atlantic.
Greater Georgetown contains some notable places such as:
- The University of Guyana (Headquarters)
- The Cyril Potter College of Education
- The Caribbean Community SecretariatSecretariat of the Caribbean CommunityThe Secretariat of the Caribbean Community is the principal administrative organ for the Caribbean Community and is headed by the Secretary General who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Community....
(Headquarters of CARICOM) - The Guyana International Conference Centre
- Ocean View International Hotel
- Guyana Sugar Corporation (Headquarters of the country's largest corporation)
- Ogle Airport (Guyana's local air transport facility)
South Georgetown - incorporated communities of neighbourhoods along the eastern bank of the Demerara River such as Sophia, Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Albouystown, Guyhoc Park and Agricola.
This is a well known and highly regarded poor area of the city. Some places like Houston Estates, Ruimvelt and Thirst Park have retained high levels of affluence.
City neighbourhoods
Known for its historic importance, Georgetown remains the administrative centre for the central Government.North of Georgetown lies Main Street, where the Head of State's official residence can be found along with several other important Government buildings including the Ministry of Finance. East of Georgetown stretches towards the Avenue of the Republic where Georgetown's City Hall building is located as well as the majestic world famous St. Georges building. Also on the East side is Brickdam which is the single most concentrated area of Executive departments and agencies. The Ministries of Health, Education, Home Affairs, Housing and Water are all located on Brickdam.
West of Stabroek Market is the Port of Georgetown, the largest and busiest shipping point in Guyana.
Stabroek Market itself contains the Ministry of Labour as well as the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. It is also the host facility for the equally famous Stabroek markets.
- Regent Street - Georgetown's premier shopping district.
- Sheriff Street - Guyana's main entertainment area; contains most of the city's clubs, bars and restaurants.
Demographics
Of the 134,497 people accounted for by the 2002 Guyanese Census, about 70,962 (53%) listed themselves as Black/African; 31,902 (24%) as mixed; 26,542 (20%) as East IndianIndian people
Indian people or Indisians constitute the Asian nation and pan-ethnic group native to India, which forms the south of Asia, containing 17.31% of the world's population. The Indian nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the rich and complex history of India...
; 1,441 (1.1%) as Amerindian; 675 (0.5%) as Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
; 475 (0.35%) as Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
; 2,265 (1.7%) as "don't know/not stated"; 196 (0.15%) as white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
; 35 as "other".
Suburbs
Suburban Georgetown consists of Greater Georgetown and Uptown Georgetown and contains the following suburbs of the city :- Republic Park
- Nandy Park
- Providence
- Felicity
- Bel Air
- Vreed en Hoop
- Kingston
Travel
Georgetown is served by the Cheddi Jagan International AirportCheddi Jagan International Airport
Cheddi Jagan International Airport , formerly Timehri International Airport, is the national airport of Guyana. The airport is located on the right bank of the Demerara River in the city of Timehri, south of Guyana's capital, Georgetown.-History:...
, 41 km south of the city. International flights/connections from New York, Miami, Toronto, Bridgetown
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
, Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
and Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
are routine. There is also a regular coach service between Georgetown and Boa Vista in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and once-daily connections to Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
, Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
via a ferry crossing on the Courantyne River
Courantyne River
The Corentyne / Courantyne / Corantijn River is a river in northern South America in the country of Suriname, it is the longest river in the state. The river originates in the Acarai Mountains and flows northward for approximately between Guyana and Suriname, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near...
.
There are many hotels in the city, including: Blue Wave Apartments, Brandsville's Apartments, Campala Hotel, Cara Lodge, Cara Suites, Grand Coastal Hotels(two locations), Hotel Arizante, Hotel Tower, Le Grand Penthouse Hotel, Le Méridien Pegasus Hotel, Main Street Plaza, Raddison Suites Hotel, Roraima Residence Inn
Marriott International also announced that it will open its first Marriott-branded hotel in Guyana in 2013. The Hotel will be located at the corner of the Atlantic Ocean and Demerara River with a casino, night club, restaurant, and boardwalk.
Tourism
There are also many tourism attractions in Georgetown including the St. George's Anglican CathedralSt. George's Anglican Cathedral
St. George's Anglican Cathedral in Georgetown, Guyana is one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, at a height of .St. George's was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and opened on 24 August 1892. The building was completed in 1899...
,and Stabroek Market
Stabroek Market
Stabroek Market is a large market located in the capital city of Guyana, Georgetown.In 1842, the Georgetown Town Council designated the current location of the market on Water St., officially recognizing it as a market despite the fact that it had served such a capacity for quite some time...
, the Demerara Harbour Bridge
Demerara Harbour Bridge
The Demerara Harbour Bridge is a long floating toll bridge. It was commissioned on 2 July 1978. The bridge crosses the Demerara River south of the Guyanese capital Georgetown, from Peter's Hall, East Bank Demerara to Schoon Ord, West Bank Demerara. There is a pedestrian footwalk. A raised...
, and the Pegasus hotel. Georgetown receives over 450,000 tourist a year, that is almost 86% of Guyana's total tourism.
Utilities
- Power is supplied by the state-owned and controlled Guyana Power and LightGuyana Power and LightGuyana Power and Light is a utility company in Guyana, providing electric power in the country. Its distribution system is unique because it is supplied with 50 and 60 cycle power. Domestic voltage can be 110 or 220 depending on the area....
. - Water and solid waste disposal is handled by state-owned Guyana Water Incorporated.
- Telephone and high-speed Internet access are supplied by U.S.-owned Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company.
- Cellular services are also provided by DigicelDigicelDigicel is a mobile phone network provider covering parts of Oceania, Central America, and the Caribbean regions. The company is owned by Irishman Denis O'Brien, is incorporated in Bermuda, and based in Jamaica. It provides mobile services in 26 countries and territories throughout the Caribbean...
- Satellite television services are offered by Sky Digital Networks (Guyana) Inc.
- Satellite television services are offered by DirecTV Caribbean.
- Wireless Internet and Communication services are provided by Java Technologies.
Sister cities
Georgetown has several sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
: - St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
(United States) - Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
, Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
External links
- Site with photos and maps of Guyana and Georgetown
- http://www.princesshotelguyana.com/
- Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry
- Hotels in Georgetown, Guyana
- Tour of Georgetown with images
- Site about Georgetown with many images
- Photo gallery
- Photo gallery of Georgetown and Guyana
- Photo gallery of Georgetown and Guyana
- The Tramways of Georgetown, British Guiana
- Article about the 1945 fire, with images
- Article: Guyana's Capital, Tropical Victorian