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| CIA Background Information |
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. This 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.
| U.S. State Department Description |
Country Description:
Guyana is a developing nation on the north coast of South America. Tourist facilities are not developed, except for hotels in the capital city of Georgetown and a limited number of eco-resorts. The vast majority of Guyanese nationals live along the coast, leaving the interior largely unpopulated and undeveloped. Travel in the interior of Guyana can be difficult; many interior regions can only be reached by plane or boat and the limited roads are often impassable in the rainy seasons. Read the Department of State Background Notes
on Guyana for additional information.
ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A valid ... Read this Article
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Guyanese (sing. and pl.).
Population (2006, Government of Guyana): 760,200.
Ethnic groups: East Indian origin 43%, African origin 30%, mixed 17%, Amerindian 9%.
Religions: Christian 57%, Hindu 28%, Muslim 10%, other 5%.
Languages: English, Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (primarily Carib and Arawak).
Education: Years compulsory--ages 5 1/2 to 14 1/2. Attendance--primary 93.6%, secondary 93%. Literacy--96.5% of adults who have attended school.
Health: ... Read this Article
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Location: Guyana is Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela See Map
Capital: name: Georgetown
geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 10 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Currency (Code): Guyanese dollar (GYD) ...More
Area: total: 214,970 sq km , land: 196,850 sq km , water: 18,120 sq km ( 1 sq km is approximately 0.4 sq miles or 250 acres)
Area Comparison: slightly smaller than Idaho
Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m , highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m (1 meter = 3.28 feet)
Population: 770,794
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Unemployment: 9.1% (understated) (2000)
Ethnic Groups: East Indian 43.5%, black (African) 30.2%, mixed 16.7%, Amerindian 9.1%, other 0.5% (2002 census)
Religion: Hindu 28.4%, Pentecostal 16.9%, Roman Catholic 8.1%, Anglican 6.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 5%, Methodist 1.7%, Jehovah Witness 1.1%, other Christian 17.7%, Muslim 7.2%, other 4.3%, none 4.3% (2002 census)
Languages: English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu
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| History
Before the arrival of Europeans, the region was inhabited by both Carib and Arawak tribes, who named it Guiana, which means land of many waters. The Dutch settled in Guyana in the late 16th century, but their control ended when the British became the de facto rulers in 1796. In 1815, ... Read this Article
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| Geographic Info for Guyana : |
Geography
Area: 214,970 sq. km. (83,000 sq. mi.); about the size of Idaho.
Cities: Capital--Georgetown (pop. 150,000). Other cities--Linden (29,000) and New Amsterdam (18,000).
Terrain: Low coastal plain, hilly sand and clay region, forested highlands, interior savanna.
Climate: Tropical.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Guyanese (sing. and pl.).
Population (2006, Government of Guyana): 760,200.
Ethnic groups: East Indian ... Read this Article
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