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Georgetown

Capital of GuyanaWhere the Demerara River meets the Atlantic Ocean, Georgetown stands on the river's east bank, on the coast of Guyana in northern South America.

Why it's the capital

The French founded the town in 1782 as Longchamps, while briefly occupying the Dutch colony of Demerara. The Dutch renamed it Stabroek in 1784, and under British rule it became Georgetown in 1812, after King George III. It was the capital of British Guiana from 1831 and stayed the capital when Guyana became independent in 1966.

Fun facts

  1. Much of the city lies below the level of high tide, so a long seawall keeps the ocean out, and canals with sluice gates called kokers, first built by the Dutch, drain the water away.
  2. St. George's Cathedral, opened in 1892, is built of timber and is more than 40 m tall.
  3. Stabroek Market has a large cast-iron clock tower that stands out on the city skyline.

Finding it on the globe

Find Guyana on the north coast of South America, between Venezuela and Suriname. Georgetown is on that coast at the mouth of the Demerara River, a little east of the coast's middle.

Easy to mix up

Do not confuse it with St. George's, the capital of the island country of Grenada in the Caribbean. Georgetown is on the South American mainland.

Sources: Wikipedia: Georgetown, Guyana, Wikipedia: British Guiana, Wikipedia: St. George's Cathedral, Georgetown, Wikipedia: Grenada