Culture

Guyana, along with Suriname and Brazil, is one of the few non-Spanish speaking nations in South America. Guyana's culture is very similar to that of the English-speaking Caribbean, to the extent that Guyana is included and accepted as a Caribbean nation and is a founder member of the Caricom (Caribbean Community) economic bloc and also the home of the Bloc's Headquarters the Caricom Secretariat. Only its geographical location differentiates it from the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean countries.

Guyana shares similar interests with the islands in the West Indies, such as food, festive events, music, sports, and so on. Guyana plays international cricket as a part of the West Indies cricket team, and the Guyana team plays first class cricket against other nations of the Caribbean. In addition to its Caricom membership, Guyana is a member of CONCACAF, the international football federation for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Guyanese culture reflects the influence of African, Indian, French, Amerindian, Chinese, British, Dutch, Portuguese, Caribbean and American culture.

Cuisine

Guyana has a similar cuisine to the rest of the Caribbean, and as such, the food is very diverse and includes staples such as curried chicken, roti and the many variations on cookup rice (rice and peas). The food reflects the ethnic make up of the country and its colonial history and includes dishes from the Africans and creoles, East Indians, Amerindians, Chinese, Portuguese, and European (mostly English).

The ground provisions of the Caribbean and Latin American region is part of the staple diet for many, and include include cassava, sweet potatoes, edoes and many others. Unique dishes include pepperpot which is made with cassreep (an extract of the cassava) and thought to be Amerindian in origin. There is also metemgie - a delicious dish almost like a thick rich soup with a coconut base filled with ground provisions and eaten with either fried fish or chicken.

There is an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood on the coast. Fresh fish and seafood are an integral part of the food of the rural areas and small villages along the coast. The crab soups and soups involving okra from the Berbice costal region resemble that of the Louisiana creole soups.

Home made bread making is an art in many villages, and is a reflection of the English influence that includes pastries, such as cheese rolls and patties (brother to the Jamaican beef patty).

Sport

The major sports in Guyana are cricket (Guyana is part of the West Indies as defined for international cricket purposes), softball cricket (beach cricket) and football (soccer). Guyana hosted international cricket matches as part of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. A brand new 20,000 seat stadium, Providence Stadium, was built for the event.

The minor sports in Guyana include netball, rounders, lawn tennis, basketball, table tennis, boxing and squash.

Music and Entertainment

Guyana's musical tradition is a mix of Indian, African, European and native elements. Radio stations play the latest Chutney, Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Hip-Hop as well as Hindi music. Local television stations air American, British and Indian broadcasts.