Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Guyana. The third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively; contains some of the largest unspoiled rainforests on the continent. Mother's mean age at first birth is 20.8 years (2009 est.) (Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 112 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Location | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela |
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Geographic coordinates | 5 00 N, 59 00 W |
Map references | South America |
Tarrain | mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south |
Natural Resources | bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish |
Natural Hazards | flash flood threat during rainy seasons |
Irrigated Land | 1,430 sq km (2012) |
Major rivers (by length in km) | |
Major aquifers | |
Land Boundaries | 2,933 km |
Border Countries | Brazil 1,308 km; Suriname 836 km; Venezuela 789 km |
Coastline | 459 km |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January) |
Area | |
Total Area | |
Land Area | 196,849 sq km |
Water Area | 18,120 sq km |
comparative Area | slightly smaller than Idaho; almost twice the size of Tennessee |
Maritime Claims | |
Territorial sea | 12 nm |
Exclusive economic zone | 200 nm |
Continental shelf | 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin |
Elevations | |
Highest point | Laberintos del Norte on Mount Roraima 2,775 m |
Lowest point | Atlantic Ocean 0 m |
Mean elevation | 207 m |
Land Use | |
Agricultural land | 8.4% (2018 est.) |
Agricultural land: arable land | arable land: 2.1% (2018 est.) |
Agricultural land: permanent crops | permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) |
Agricultural land: permanent pasture | permanent pasture: 6.2% (2018 est.) |
Forest | 77.4% (2018 est.) |
Other | 14.2% (2018 est.) |
Population is heavily concentrated in the northeast in and around Georgetown, with noteable concentrations along the Berbice River to the east; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
In Guyana, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: East Indian 39.8%, African descent 29.3%, mixed 19.9%, Indigenous 10.5%, other 0.5% (includes Portuguese, Chinese, White) (2012 est.)
Population | |
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Pop growth rate | 0.32% (2024 est.) |
Birth rate | 16.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
Death rate | 7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
Health expenditure | 5.5% of GDP (2020) |
Physicians Density | |
Hospital bed Density | 1.7 beds/1,000 population (2016) |
Total fertility rate | 2.05 children born/woman (2024 est.) |
Gross reproduction rate | 1 (2024 est.) |
Contraceptive prevalence rate | 29.9% (2019/20) |
Est married women (ages 15-49) | 62.6% (2023 est.) |
Literacy | age 15 and over has ever attended school |
Education expenditures | 4.5% of GDP (2018 est.) |
Net Migration rate | -6.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
Nationality | Guyanese | Guyanese (singular and plural) |
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.) |
Age Structure | |
0-14 years | 23.5% (male 95,223/female 91,272) |
15-64 years | 68.4% (male 281,669/female 261,261) |
65 years and over | 8.1% (2024 est.) (male 28,352/female 36,322) |
Dependency Ratios | |
Total dependency ratio | 53.6 |
Youth dependency ratio | 44.1 |
Elderly dependency ratio | 9.5 |
Potential support ratio | 10.6 (2021 est.) |
Median Age | |
Total | 28.3 years (2024 est.) |
Male | 28.2 years |
Female | 28.4 years |
Urbanization | |
Urban population | 27.2% of total population (2023) |
Rate of urbanization | 1.01% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) |
Major urban areas (Pop) | 110,000 GEORGETOWN (capital) (2018). |
Sex Ratio | |
At birth | 1.05 male(s)/female |
0-14 years | 1.04 male(s)/female |
15-64 years | 1.08 male(s)/female |
65 years and over | 0.78 male(s)/female |
Total population | 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.) |
Infant Motality | |
Total | 21.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) |
Male | 23.9 deaths/1,000 live births |
Female | 18.3 deaths/1,000 live births |
Life Expectancy at birth | |
Total population | 72.4 years (2024 est.) |
Male | 70.6 years |
Female | 74.3 years |
Drinking Water Sources | |
Improved: urban | urban: 100% of population |
Improved: rural | rural: 95.6% of population |
Improved: total | total: 96.8% of population |
Unimproved: urban | urban: 0% of population |
Unimproved: rural | rural: 4.4% of population |
Unimproved: total | total: 3.2% of population (2020 est.) |
Sanitation facility acess | |
Improved: urban | urban: 97.8% of population |
Improved: rural | rural: 95.4% of population |
Improved: total | total: 96% of population |
Unimproved: urban | urban: 2.2% of population |
Unimproved: rural | rural: 4.6% of population |
Unimproved: total | total: 4% of population (2020 est.) |
Major Infectious diseases | |
Degree of risk | very high (2023) |
Food or waterborne diseases | bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever |
Vectorborne diseases | dengue fever and malaria |
Alcohol consumption per capita | |
Total | 5.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
Beer | 2.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
Wine | 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
Spirits | 2.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
Other alcohols | 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
Tobacco use | |
Total | 12.1% (2020 est.) |
Male | 21.7% (2020 est.) |
Female | 2.4% (2020 est.) |
Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and shares cultural and historical bonds with the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana's two largest ethnic groups are the Afro-Guyanese (descendants of African slaves) and the Indo-Guyanese (descendants of Indian indentured laborers), which together comprise about three quarters of Guyana's population. Tensions periodically have boiled over between the two groups, which back ethnically based political parties and vote along ethnic lines. Poverty reduction has stagnated since the late 1990s. About one-third of the Guyanese population lives below the poverty line; indigenous people are disproportionately affected. Although Guyana's literacy rate is reported to be among the highest in the Western Hemisphere, the level of functional literacy is considerably lower, which has been attributed to poor education quality, teacher training, and infrastructure.
Guyana's emigration rate is among the highest in the world - more than 55% of its citizens reside abroad - and it is one of the largest recipients of remittances relative to GDP among Latin American and Caribbean counties. Although remittances are a vital source of income for most citizens, the pervasive emigration of skilled workers deprives Guyana of professionals in healthcare and other key sectors. More than 80% of Guyanese nationals with tertiary level educations have emigrated. Brain drain and the concentration of limited medical resources in Georgetown hamper Guyana's ability to meet the health needs of its predominantly rural population. Guyana has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the region and continues to rely on international support for its HIV treatment and prevention programs.
Want to know more about Guyana? Check all different factbooks for Guyana below.