Georgetown, estimated population 250,000 (1998), is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and is nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.'

Georgetown is located at 6"50' North, 58"12' West (6.8333, -58.2).

Georgetown was originally called Stabroek when the Dutch controlled the region. The settlement gained permanence during a period of French control when the first paved street, Brickdam, was built. It was renamed Georgetown in 1812 in honour of King George III, after the British occupied the colony during the Napoleonic Wars, and gained official city status on Aug 24, 1842 during the reign of Queen Victoria. In 1945 a large fire (The Great Fire) broke out in the city causing widespread damage.

Georgetown is laid out in a N-S, E-W grid, interlaced with canals protected by kokers built by the Dutch and later the British that provide drainage to a city that lies 13 feet below high-tide level. A long sea wall helps prevent flooding. The city has an abundance of tree-lined streets and 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, the National Library (built by Andrew Carnegie), the Bank of Guyana, the Museum of Guyana and State House (built 1852) where the President resides, and St. George's Anglican Cathedral. St. George's was built out of wood to designs by Sir Arthur Bromfield and was completed in 1899. It is 44 meters high and is generally regarded as the tallest wooden church in the world. A large chandelier, a gift from Queen Victoria hangs prominently within. There are many churches, mosques and mandirs in Georgetown.

To the south of this region is where the neo-Gothic Town Hall (1889) is to be found, as well as Victoria Law Courts (1887), Parliament Building, the large Stabroek Market (1792) containing the prominent cast-iron clock tower that dominates the city sky line, the Roman Catholic Cathedral, City Engineer House, the Magistrate's Court, St. Andrew's Kirk (18th century) and Independence Arch.

The northern area of the city near the Atlantic coast contains 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. Georgetown is the seat of the University of Georgetown and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. The University of Guyana is located in Turkeyen, on the city's outskirts.