Area Code 262 – Parika

Overview of Guyana Area Code 262

Area code 262 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the town of Parika and its surrounding communities in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara region of Guyana. This area code is part of the national numbering plan administered by the Guyana Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), which oversees the allocation of geographic and non-geographic codes in accordance with ITU-T E.164 recommendations.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The 262 code serves the administrative region of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, specifically the Parika area, which is a key transportation hub on the west bank of the Demerara River. Parika is known for its bustling ferry terminal and market, connecting the capital, Georgetown, with the western regions of the country. The code covers the town itself and nearby villages, including Uitvlugt, Stewartville, and Leonora, among others. As a geographic code, it is tied to the physical location of the subscriber's line, and calls to this code are routed over the PSTN to the corresponding exchange.

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

For callers within Guyana, dialing a Parika number requires the national trunk prefix 0 followed by the area code and the subscriber number. For example, to reach a local number such as 262-1234, a caller in Georgetown would dial 0-262-1234. However, the subscriber number in Guyana is typically seven digits, with the area code being the first three digits of the full national number. Thus, a complete national number would be 262-XXXX (where XXXX is the four-digit local extension).

For international callers, the format is: +592 262 XXXX, where +592 is Guyana's country calling code, 262 is the area code, and XXXX is the local subscriber number. For example, a caller from the United States would dial 011-592-262-XXXX, while a caller from the UK would dial 00-592-262-XXXX. It is important to omit the leading '0' when dialing from abroad.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest updates, Guyana has not implemented overlay codes for geographic areas; instead, each region maintains its own distinct NDC. However, with the ongoing expansion of telecommunications services, including VoIP and mobile networks, the PUC has been working to ensure numbering resource efficiency. Subscribers in the Parika area may also have non-geographic numbers if they have ported to a mobile or VoIP service, but the 262 code remains primarily associated with fixed-line services.

For local callers, it is essential to note that while mobile numbers in Guyana start with 6 (e.g., 600-XXXX), geographic codes like 262 are reserved for fixed lines. When calling a Parika number from a mobile phone, the same national dialing format applies.