Guyana

Location

• Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
• the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; contains some of the largest unspoiled rainforests on the continent

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Georgetown	235,017	Capital
Linden	44,690
New Amsterdam	35,039

Size

• 83,000 square miles
• 214,970 square kilometers
• slightly smaller than Idaho; almost twice the size of Tennessee

History

Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to former slaves settling urban areas and indentured servants being imported 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 primarily socialist-oriented governments have ruled the country. 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 elected in 2001 and again in 2006. Donald RAMOTAR won in 2011, but early elections held in 2015 resulted in the first change in governing party, and David GRANGER took office. After a 2018 no-confidence vote against the GRANGER government, the administration ignored a constitutional requirement to hold elections and remained in place until the 2020 elections, when Irfaan ALI became president. The discovery of massive offshore oil reserves in 2015 has been Guyana's primary economic and political focus, with many hoping the reserves will transform one of the poorest countries in the region. Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and shares cultural and historical bonds with the Anglophone Caribbean.

Climate

tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)

Terrain

mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

Languages

English (official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (including Caribbean and Arawak languages), Indian languages (including Caribbean Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi), Chinese (2014 est.)

Religions

Protestant 34.8% (Pentecostal 22.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 5.2%, Methodist 1.4%), Hindu 24.8%, other Christian 20.8%, Roman Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 6.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 0.5%, other 0.9%, none 3.1% (2012 est.)

Government

parliamentary republic

• Constitution: history: several previous; latest promulgated 6 October 1980amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles, such as national sovereignty, government structure and powers, and constitutional amendment procedures, requires approval by the Assembly membership, approval in a referendum, and assent of the president; other amendments only require Assembly approval
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: common law system, based on the English model, with some Roman-Dutch civil law influence
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Mohammed Irfaan ALI (since 2 August 2020)head of government: President Mohammed Irfaan ALI (since 2 August 2020)cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assemblyelection/appointment process: the predesignated candidate of the winning party in the last National Assembly election becomes president for a 5-year term (no term limits); prime minister appointed by the presidentmost recent election date: 2 March 2020election results: 2020: Mohammed Irfaan ALI (PPP/C) designated president by the majority party in the National Assembly2015: David GRANGER (APNU-AFC) designated president by the majority party in the National Assemblyexpected date of next election: 1 September 2025note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with a chief justice and 3 justices, and the High Court with a chief justice and 10 justices organized into 3- or 5-judge panels); Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appeal in civil and criminal casesjudge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president; other judges of both courts appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a body appointed by the president; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 65subordinate courts: Land Court; magistrates' courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliament of the Co-operative Republic of Guyanalegislative structure: unicameralchamber name: National Assemblynumber of seats: 69 (all directly elected)electoral system: mixed systemscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 5 yearsmost recent election date: 9/1/2025parties elected and seats per party: People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) (33); A Partnership for National Unity - Alliance for Change (APNU-AFC) (31); Other (1)percentage of women in chamber: 39.4%expected date of next election: August 2030

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• small, hydrocarbon-driven South American export economy; major forest coverage being leveraged in carbon credit offsets to encourage preservation; strengthening financial sector; large bauxite and gold resources
• Budget: revenues: $1.333 billion (2019 est.)expenditures: $1.467 billion (2019 est.)
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
• Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
• Agricultural Products: rice, sugarcane, plantains, cassava, papayas, pumpkins/squash, chicken, milk, ginger, eggplants (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 5.3% (2022 est.)arable land: 2.1% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.1% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 3% (2022 est.)forest: 93.5% (2022 est.)other: 1.2% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, ships, construction vehicles, excavation machinery, cars (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: USA 28%, China 13%, Trinidad & Tobago 11%, Brazil 5%, Bahamas, The 4% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: crude petroleum, railway cargo containers, gold, ships, rice (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: USA 20%, Trinidad & Tobago 11%, Netherlands 10%, Singapore 10%, Germany 7% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports