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Guyana Country Guide

Explore Guyana in South America

Guyana with the capital city Georgetown is located in South America (Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean). It covers some 214,970 square kilometres (slightly smaller than Idaho) with 770,000 citizens.

Interactive map of Guyana

The topography includes mostly rolling highlands with low coastal plain and savanna in south. The average density of population is approximately 4 per km². The notable climate conditions in Guyana can be described as tropical with hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds and two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January). Possible natural disasters include flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons.

To reach someone in Guyana dial +592 prior to a number. There are 130,000 installed telephones. And there are 281,400 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".gy". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 240V - 60Hz.

About the flag and history of Guyana

Guyana Flag Icon

Green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green; green represents forest and foliage; yellow stands for mineral resources and a bright future; white symbolizes Guyana's rivers; red signifies zeal and the sacrifice of the people; black indicates perseverance.


Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. The resulting ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006. Donald RAMOTAR was elected president in 2011.



Geography Quick-Facts

SummaryContinent: South America
Neighbours: Suriname, Brazil, Venezuela
Capital: Georgetown
Size214,970 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 83,000 square miles (mi² or sqmi)
slightly smaller than Idaho
Population770,000
CurrencyName Dollar, Currency Code:GYD
Country Top Level Domain (cTLD).gy
Telephone Country Prefix+592
Mobile Phone Connections281,400
Landline Phone Connections130,000

Country Position in World Rankings

Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).

Geography

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Area214,969 (sq km)85

People and Society

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Population739,903 164
Population growth rate-0.21 (%)213
Birth rate16.31 (births/1,000 population)122
Death rate7.18 (deaths/1,000 population)125
Net migration rate-11.21 (migrant(s)/1,000 population)213
Maternal mortality rate280.00 (deaths/100,000 live births)41
Infant mortality rate34.45 (deaths/1,000 live births)66
Life expectancy at birth67.68 (years)162
Total fertility rate2.21 (children born/woman)101
Health expenditures5.40 (% of GDP)123
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate1.20 (%)43
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS5,900 117
HIV/AIDS - deaths500 91
Obesity - adult prevalence rate17.20 (%)113
Children under the age of 5 years underweight11.10 (%)66
Education expenditures3.60 (% of GDP)123
Unemployment, youth ages 15-2446.10 (%)8

Economy

Value nameValueWorld Rank
GDP (purchasing power parity)6,256,000,000 164
GDP - real growth rate3.30 (%)102
GDP - per capita (PPP)8,100 132
Labor force313,100 164
Unemployment rate11.00 (%)118
Distribution of family income - Gini index44.60 44
Investment (gross fixed)29.60 (% of GDP)23
Taxes and other revenues22.50 (% of GDP)141
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)-5.90 (% of GDP)170
Public debt66.10 (% of GDP)41
Inflation rate (consumer prices)3.10 (%)80
Central bank discount rate4.25 (%)84
Commercial bank prime lending rate14.45 (%)51
Stock of narrow money462,400,000 159
Stock of broad money1,696,000,000 154
Stock of domestic credit1,097,000,000 156
Market value of publicly traded shares339,800,000 111
Industrial production growth rate0.30 (%)140
Current account balance-324,800,000 85
Exports1,229,000,000 153
Imports1,850,000,000 165
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold1,002,000,000 138
Debt - external1,234,000,000 152

Energy

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Electricity - production817,000,000 (kWh)153
Electricity - consumption683,000,000 (kWh)160
Electricity - installed generating capacity343,000 (kW)147
Electricity - from fossil fuels99.70 (% of total installed capacity)52
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants0.30 (% of total installed capacity)147
Refined petroleum products - consumption10,910 (bbl/day)152
Refined petroleum products - imports10,680 (bbl/day)132
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy1,520,000 (Mt)154

Communications

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Telephones - main lines in use152,600 134
Telephones - mobile cellular528,800 165
Internet hosts24,936 112
Internet users189,600 142

Transportation

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Airports98 59
Roadways7,970 (km)141
Waterways330 (km)92
Merchant marine10 114

Military

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Military expenditures1.90 (% of GDP)69

Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases

List of current world heritage sites

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