Guyana: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 8, 2026

News •

‘A trailblazer in the truest sense’: poet Grace Nichols wins £10,000 Pioneer prize • Nov. 3, 2026, 9:46 AM ET (The Guardian)

King Charles III arrives in Guyana as part of official 9-day Caribbean trip • Oct. 30, 2026, 12:57 AM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	Co-operative Republic of Guyana • British Guiana
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Mark Phillips
Capital	Georgetown
Population	(2026 est.) 838,100
Head Of State	President: Mohamed Irfaan Ali
Form Of Government	unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [65¹])
Official Language	English
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Total Area (Sq Km)	214,999
Total Area (Sq Mi)	83,012
Monetary Unit	Guyanese dollar (G$)
Population Rank	(2026) 167
Population Projection 2030	813,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2026) 10.1
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2026) 3.9
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 27.3% • Rural: (2024) 72.7%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2021) 63 years • Female: (2021) 69.3 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2024) 16,738
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2024) 20,140
¹Excludes three nonelected ministers and the speaker.

Did You Know?

The national holidays of Guyana include Catholic, Muslim, and Hindu holidays.
Guyana is almost 80% forest.
The land area of Guyana is slightly smaller than that of Idaho.

Photos

Map of Guyana showing its national boundaries with Venezuela, Brazil, and Suriname, major cities including Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Linden, and Lethem, and an area along the southeastern border labeled as claimed by Suriname. The map includes rivers, a portion of the Atlantic Ocean coastline, and a small locator inset highlighting Guyana's position in northern South America.

Map highlighting Guyana in northern South America, shaded in tan, with neighboring countries Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname, and French Guiana labeled. The Atlantic Ocean borders Guyana to the north, and the capital city Georgetown is marked along the coast.

Map of Guyana highlighting its physical features, including major rivers, waterfalls such as Kaieteur and Kanuku, mountain ranges like the Pakaraima and Kanuku Mountains, and the Rupununi Savanna. Neighboring countries Venezuela, Brazil, and Suriname are labeled, along with an area in the southeast claimed by Suriname. The map includes a small locator inset showing Guyana's position on the northern coast of South America along the Atlantic Ocean.

Victorian-style City Hall with a tall central tower and Guyana flag, fronted by palm trees and a green lawn in Georgetown, Guyana.

National anthem of Guyana

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Topics

Sir Walter Raleigh Cheddi Jagan Janet Jagan Forbes Burnham history of Latin America South America nation-state Commonwealth Caribbean Community UNASUR United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

Engraving by J. Pofselwhite of Walter Raleigh wearing an ornate, patterned doublet, ruffled collar, and feathered hat, with one hand on his hip.

Sir Walter Raleigh

English explorer

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Cheddi Jagan

prime minister of British Guiana

Janet Jagan

Janet Jagan

president of Guyana

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Forbes Burnham

president of Guyana

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Sir Robert Dudley

English engineer

Map of Latin America showing countries, major cities, and key physical features such as mountain ranges, highlands, and rivers. The map includes Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, with labeled regions like the Andes, Brazilian Highlands, and Gran Chaco, as well as an inset highlighting the West Indies. Surrounding bodies of water, including the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea, are also labeled.

history of Latin America

Map showing the countries of South America with national capitals and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic and Pacific.

South America

continent

City Hall, Georgetown, Guyana

Georgetown

national capital, Guyana

New Amsterdam, Guyana

New Amsterdam

Guyana

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Linden

Guyana

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Corriverton

Guyana

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Bartica

Guyana

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Kaieteur National Park

national park, Guyana

Essequibo River

Essequibo River

river, South America

Berbice River, Guyana

Berbice River

river, Guyana

Demerara River, Guyana

Demerara River

river, Guyana

Kaieteur Falls

Kaieteur Falls

waterfall, Guyana

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Mazaruni River

river, Guyana

Flag of Venezuela with horizontal yellow, blue, and red stripes, an arc of white stars in the center, and the national coat of arms in the upper left.

Venezuela

country, South America

Flag with green top and bottom stripes bordered by thinner white stripes in turn bordering a thicker red stripe in the center of the flag. The red stripe has a large yellow star in the middle.

Suriname

country, South America

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