Guyana
|
| Basic Facts |
| Country name |
conventional long form: Cooperative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana former: British Guiana |
| Gevernment type | republic |
| Capital |
name: Georgetown
geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 10 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Flag description | 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 |
| Currency | Guyanese dollar (GYD) |
| Internet country code | .gy |
| Ports and terminals | Georgetown |
| Agriculture products | sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp |
| Industries | bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining |
| Geography |
| Location | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela |
| Coordinates | 5 00 N, 59 00 W |
| Continent | South America |
| Area |
total: 214,970 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km water: 18,120 sq km |
| Boundaries |
total: 2,949 km
border countries: Brazil 1,606 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km |
| Coastline | 459 km |
| 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 |
| Natural resources | bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish |
| Natural hazards | flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons |
| People |
| Population | 767,245
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7% |
| Religions | Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5% |
| Languages | English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu |
