Guyana

  

Co-operative Republic of Guyana गुयाना के सहकारी गणराज्य Guyaana ke sahakaaree ganaraajy (Guyanese Hindustani)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Duty to the Homeland"
Anthem: "Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains"
Capital and largest city	Georgetown 6°46′N 58°10′W
Official languages	English, Hindi
Recognised regional languages	10 indigenous languages Akawaio Macushi Waiwai Arawak (Lokono) Patamona Warrau Carib Wapishana Pemon (Arekuna) Mawayana
Vernacular language	Guyanese Creole
Other languages	6 languages Guyanese Hindustani Portuguese Dutch Spanish Chinese French
Ethnic groups (2012)	39.8% Indian 29.3% African 19.9% Multiracial 10.5% Indigenous 0.3% European 0.2% Chinese
Religion (2012)	62.7% Christianity 24.8% Hinduism 6.8% Islam 3.1% No religion 2.6% Others
Demonym(s)	Guyanese
Government	Unitary assembly-independent republic
• President	Madhur Begum
• Prime Minister	Inderjeet Rao
• Vice President	Christine Williams
• National Assembly Speaker	Shrivatsa Nibhanupudi
• Chief Justice	Ezekiel Phelps
Legislature	National Assembly
Establishment
• Dutch Guiana	1667–1814
• British Guiana	1814–1966
• Independence from the United Kingdom as Guyana	1 January 1966
• Republic	10 June 1966
• Statehood within the West Indies	23 November 1966
• Independence from the West Indies	TBD
Area
• Total	214,970 km2 (83,000 sq mi) (83rd)
• Water (%)	8.4
Population
• 2019 estimate	743,700 (164th)
• 2012 census	747,884
• Density	3.502/km2 (9.1/sq mi) (232nd)
GDP (PPP)	2022 estimate
• Total	$30.287 billion (142nd)
• Per capita	$38,258 (49th)
GDP (nominal)	2022 estimate
• Total	$13.543 billion (142rd)
• Per capita	$17,108 (59th)
Gini (2007)	44.6 medium
HDI (2019)	0.682 medium · 122nd
Currency	Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	left
Calling code	+592
ISO 3166 code	GY
Internet TLD	.gy

Guyana (Guyanese Hindustani: गुयाना, Guyaana), officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana is a country on the northern part of South America in the region known as The Guianas. The capital city and largest city is Georgetown. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southeast, the United People's Committees (Andes) to the west, and Suriname to the east. With 215,000 square kilometres (83,000 sq mi), Guyana is the third-smallest sovereign state by area in mainland South America after Suriname and Uruguay, and is the second-least populous sovereign state in South America after Suriname; it is also one of the least densely populated countries on Earth. Guyana is internationally renowned for its biodiversity and variety of environmental habitats.

Guyana is located on the Guiana Shield north of the Amazon River and east of the Orinoco River. The vast majority of Guyanese live in the northeastern part of Guyana and in the capital by the Atlantic Ocean. It is a unitary state divided into 10 regions. Guyana maintains control over the disrupted region of Guayana Esequiba, which its neighbor the Andes claims.

Historically, Guyana was the homeland of several indigenous Amerindian tribes. The contemporary indigenous groups in Guyana are the Akawaio, Lokono, Kalina, Patamona, Pemon, Macushi, Wai-wai, Wapishana, and the Warao. Prior to European colonization, the Lokono and Kalina tribes were the dominant peoples in Guyana. Following European contact and exploration, Guyana came under Dutch administration until the British took over in the late 18th century. Guyana was governed as a British colony until the 1950s. After Great War II and decolonisation, Guyana gained independence briefly as a republic. It later joined the Federation of the West Indies. It received an influx of refugees and migrants from people displaced during the Colombia War. During the Federation, Guyana clashed with Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago over West Indian politics as the Federation's largest states. Following the dissolution of the West Indies, Guyana regained independence in 19XX. In 19XX, after a socialist government was elected, the Guyana Defence Force launched a military coup d'état and installed a military junta which lasted until 19XX. Following a decade of military rule, the military junta held free democratic elections, restoring a civilian government. After the country denationalised key industries including the petroleum industry, Guyana's economy rapidly liberalised. In 2008, it ascended as a member of the Conference of American States.

The country's developing economy is largely based on the abundance of natural resources, including oil, sugar, bauxite, rice, timber, and gold. Since the 1990s, Guyana has diversified its economy with rising standards of living and large foreign direct investment. As of the 2020s, it is one of the fastest-growing economies in the Americas. It is a part of the CAS Common Market and is also a member of the Lincoln Area. Guyana is a member of several international organizations including the LN and the CAS.

Guyana is one of only two South American countries in which English is the official language (the other being Patagonia) and the only one in which Hindi is an official language. Although English and Hindi are the country's official languages, a plurality of Guyanese speak Guyanese Creole, an English-based creole language, as a first language. It is an ethnically and linguistically diverse nation. It has a plurality of Indo-Guyanese who are mainly descendants from Indian laborers brought to South America during British rule. The second largest ethnic group are Afro-Guyanese people who are primarily descendants of those brought to work in the region during the Atlantic slave trade. There is also a large number of mixed Guyanese, as well as the indigenous people of Guyana. Other notable minorities include European Guyanese (mostly of English descent) as well Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. Guyana is culturally and historically tied to the Caribbean and retains especially close ties to the former West Indian countries. Christianity is the most widely practiced religion, while the second-largest religion is Hinduism.

Etymology

The name "Guyana" derives from the term Guiana which was the original name used to refer to the region that comprises present-day Guyana, Suriname (Dutch Guiana), and French Guiana, as well as parts of the United People's Committees in Venezuela (Spanish Guiana) and in the Brazilian state of Amapá (Portuguese Guiana). The name "Guiana" has been attributed to an Amerindian language of indeterminate origin meaning "land of many waters". The name references the abundance of water within the region. In Guyana, it is home to numerous rivers which drain into the Atlantic Ocean or the Kaieteur Plateau. The largest river is the Essequibo River and there are numerous high-rising waterfalls including Kaieteur Falls, the world's largest single drop by water volume, measuring 226 metres (741 feet).