What animals live in Guyana?

Guyana is packed with wild creatures! The rainforests are home to jaguars, giant river otters, tapirs, and giant anteaters. Colorful macaws and toucans fill the treetops, and the rivers hold massive arapaima fish — one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. Guyana also has giant river turtles, anacondas, and hundreds of frog species hiding in the forest floor. The Rupununi savanna in the south is a great spot to spot giant anteaters lumbering across the grasslands. God packed this small country with an incredible variety of creatures, and the people who live among them — like the Amerindian communities deep in the interior — are people Jesus loves and wants to know Him.

What do kids eat in Guyana?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Kids in Guyana grow up eating some really good food. One favorite is pepperpot — a thick, dark stew made with meat and a special ingredient called cassareep, which comes from the cassava root. It has a rich, slightly sweet flavor and is often eaten at breakfast with bread. Rusty wants to add that rice and beans show up at almost every meal, just like in many parts of the Caribbean and South America. Roti — a soft, flat bread — is also hugely popular, especially wrapped around curried vegetables or chicken. Guyana has people from many different backgrounds, including African, Indian, and Indigenous Amerindian, and you can taste all of those traditions right there on the plate.

How do people say hello in Guyana?

In Guyana, most people speak English, so a simple 'Hello' or 'Hi' works just fine — it is one of the only countries in South America where English is the official language! But locals often greet each other with 'Wha' you say?' which is a casual, friendly way of asking 'What's up?' or 'How are you?' Guyana is home to many different groups of people — Afro-Guyanese, Indo-Guyanese, Indigenous Amerindian peoples, and others — so you might also hear greetings in Hindi or in one of the Amerindian languages like Macushi or Wapishana. The Amerindian peoples deep in the rainforest interior have their own words for welcome, and many missionaries have worked hard to learn those languages so they could share the good news of Jesus in the words closest to people's hearts.

What sports or games do kids play in Guyana?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Kids in Guyana love cricket more than almost any other sport — it is serious business there, the way football or basketball might feel where you live. You will see kids playing it in open fields, on the beach, and even in the street with a homemade bat. Rusty wants to add that football — what many call soccer — is also huge, and kids play it barefoot on dusty ground with whatever ball they can find. Guyana sits on the northeastern coast of South America, so it has both Caribbean and South American sports influences mixed together, which makes its playground culture pretty one-of-a-kind. Kids there also enjoy swimming in rivers and racing homemade wooden boats, since so much of daily life in Guyana happens near water.

What's the weather like in Guyana?

Guyana sits right near the equator, so it stays warm and humid almost all year long. Temperatures usually hover around 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and there is no real winter — just wet seasons and drier seasons. The wettest months bring heavy tropical rains that can flood rivers and jungle paths, which makes traveling to remote villages very tricky. Those same rivers, like the mighty Essequibo, are often the only roads into the deep rainforest where many people live — and where missionaries work hard to bring the good news about Jesus.

Tell me a fun fact about Guyana.

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Guyana is the only country in South America where English is the official language. That makes it stand out from all its neighbors, who mostly speak Spanish or Portuguese. Rusty wants to add this gem: Guyana is home to Kaieteur Falls, one of the most powerful waterfalls on earth. It drops 741 feet straight down into the jungle below — that is about five times taller than Niagara Falls. Not many people have ever seen it in person because it sits deep in the rainforest, far from any roads.

What is school like for kids in Guyana?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! In Guyana, children are required to go to school from about age five through their early teens. Classes are taught in English, which is the official language, though many kids also speak Creole at home with their families. Rusty wants to add that in some rural villages deep in the rainforest or along the rivers, schools can be small — sometimes just one room for several grades together. Some children have to travel by boat to reach their school. Not every child has easy access to books or supplies, so missionaries and local churches sometimes help provide those things, and they share the good news of Jesus while doing it.

Who are the unreached people in Guyana?

Great question! Guyana is a small country on the northeastern coast of South America, and most people there speak English. But tucked into the deep rainforest interior live indigenous groups called the Amerindians — people like the Wai Wai, the Akawaio, and the Macushi. Many of them have had little chance to hear the good news about Jesus in a clear way. There are also communities of people whose ancestors came from India long ago, often called Indo-Guyanese. Many of them follow Hinduism or Islam and have very few Christians among them who can share the gospel in a way that connects with their culture. Rusty and I think about them often — because Jesus came for every tribe and tongue, and these folks are still waiting for more people to tell them that.

How can I pray for the people of Guyana?

Great question — prayer is one of the most important things you can do for the people of Guyana! Guyana has many different ethnic groups, including Afro-Guyanese, Indo-Guyanese, and indigenous Amerindian peoples deep in the rainforest interior. Some of them have heard about Jesus, but many still have not truly understood that He is the only Savior who can forgive sins and give eternal life. You can pray that the good news about Jesus reaches every one of them. You can also pray for the Amerindian communities in Guyana's interior, where some languages still do not have the full Bible translated yet. Pray that faithful translators finish that work and that people can read God's Word in their own heart language. Ask God to protect Christians in Guyana who face pressure from folk religion or Hindu and Muslim backgrounds, and pray that strong local church leaders rise up to teach and serve their own people for generations to come.

What is a holiday or celebration in Guyana?

One of the biggest celebrations in Guyana is Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. Families light small clay lamps called diyas and place them around their homes and yards, so on Diwali night whole neighborhoods glow with tiny flickering flames. It is one of the most visually striking nights of the year in many Guyanese towns. Guyana is a country with many different groups of people — descendants of African, Indian, Indigenous Amerindian, and European families — so it actually celebrates a wide range of holidays, including Christmas and Easter too. For followers of Jesus, Christmas and Easter are not just days off school but reminders of the most important news in the world: that Jesus came, died, and rose again so that anyone in Guyana — no matter their background — can be forgiven and know God personally.

What language do people speak in Guyana?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Most people in Guyana speak English — it is actually the official language of the country, which makes Guyana stand out from its neighbors in South America, where Spanish and Portuguese are more common. So if you visited, you could have a real conversation with most people right away! But that is not the whole story, says Rusty. Many Guyanese people also speak Guyanese Creole, which mixes English with words and rhythms from African, Indian, and other languages brought by people who settled there long ago. And deep in the rainforest interior, some Indigenous groups speak their own languages — languages like Macushi or Wapishana — that have been passed down for generations. Some of those languages still do not have a complete Bible, which is one reason we pray for Bible translators working in Guyana today.

What's a famous place to visit in Guyana?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! One of the most famous places in Guyana is Kaieteur Falls — a thundering waterfall deep in the jungle that is about four times taller than Niagara Falls. It crashes down into a misty gorge and the sound is so loud you can feel it in your chest. Rusty loves this part: the falls sit inside a wild stretch of rainforest where golden frogs and giant otters live near the water's edge. Very few people live nearby, which means there are also many people in that region of Guyana who have not yet heard the good news about Jesus. Missionaries travel through tough jungle paths to bring them the Bible — that takes real courage!

Guyana — Kids Missions Explorer

Giant River Otter

Growing up to six feet long, the giant river otter hunts fish in the rivers of Guyana in loud, playful family groups that communicate with each other through squeaks and whistles.

Harpy Eagle

The harpy eagle is one of the most powerful birds of prey on earth, capable of snatching a monkey from a tree with talons as large as a grizzly bear's claws.

Black Caiman

The black caiman is the largest predator in the Amazon basin, patrolling Guyana's rivers and wetlands at night with eyes that glow red in the dark.

Pepperpot

Pepperpot is Guyana's national dish — a rich, dark meat stew slow-cooked with a bitter Amerindian ingredient called cassareep that preserves it and gives it a deep, smoky sweetness.

Roti and Curry

Brought by Indo-Guyanese ancestors generations ago, soft flatbread called roti is eaten wrapped around savory curried vegetables or meat, and it is a staple meal found in homes and roadside stalls across the country.

Metemgee

Metemgee is a hearty Afro-Guyanese stew of root vegetables like cassava and plantain cooked slowly in creamy coconut milk, often served with fried dumplings called duff.

Guyana

Things you should know about Guyana

Wildlife you might meet

What’s on the table

Did you know?

Life in Guyana

Missions in Guyana

Pray for Guyana