About Guyana
English - the sole official language; Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America, reflecting its British and Dutch colonial history.
Guyanese Creole is also widely spoken informally, along with Amerindian languages (Caribbean and Arawak), Indian languages (including Caribbean Hindustani, a Hindi dialect), and Chinese.
English is the sole official language of Guyana.
| Geography |
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
Map references: South America
Area:
total: 214,969 sq km
Land boundaries:
border countries: Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela
Geography - note: the name derives from Guiana, a local term meaning "Land of Water," referring to the area's many rivers and streams; Guyana is involved in territorial disputes with both Suriname and Venezuela
| People |
Population: 773,000-794,099 (2024-2025 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.5%
15-64 years: 68.4%
65 years and over: 8.1% (2024 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population 70.2 years (World Bank, 2025)
Nationality:
noun/adjective: Guyanese
Ethnic groups: East Indian 39.8%, African descent 29.3%, mixed 19.9%, Indigenous 10.5%, other 0.5% (2012 est.)
Religions: Protestant 34.8% (Pentecostal, Adventist, Anglican, Methodist), Hindu 24.8%, other Christian 20.8%, Roman Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 6.8% (2012 est.)
Languages: English (official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages, Indian languages (Caribbean Hindustani), Chinese (2014 est.)
Literacy: total population 85.6% (male 84.2%, female 86.9%) (2020 est.)
Population distribution: heavily concentrated in the northeast, in and around Georgetown, with notable concentrations along the Berbice River
| Government |
Country name:
conventional long form: Cooperative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana
Data code: GY
Government type: presidential republic
National capital: Georgetown
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Mohammed Irfaan Ali (PPP/C, reelected 2025)
Background: in 1992, Cheddi Jagan was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence; his wife Janet Jagan later served as president briefly before resigning in 1999 due to poor health
| Economy |
Economy - overview: high-income economy transformed by the 2015 discovery of massive offshore oil reserves, which has become Guyana's primary economic and political focus; one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in recent years; historically dependent on rainforests, sugarcane, rice, bauxite, and gold
GDP (purchasing power parity): $97.76 billion (2026 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 19.3% (2025); 43.8% (2024)
GDP - per capita: $95,480 PPP (2026 est.)
Inflation rate: 5.7% (2026)
Unemployment rate: 12.0% (World Bank, 2025)
Population below poverty line: 35% (2006)
Currency: Guyanese dollar (GYD)
| Military |
Military branches: Guyana Defense Force (GDF): unified force with ground, air, and coast guard components; Guyana National Reserve (2026)