Guyana is situated in the northeastern corner of South America and shares land borders with Venezuela, Brazil, and Suriname. Because it has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and its climate is moderated by the trade winds off the Atlantic, the temperature in Guyana rarely falls out of the 21 to 32 degrees Celsius range.
Quick Facts
Population: 740,685
Ethnic Groups: East Indian (39.8%), Black (29.3%), Mixed (19.9%), Amerindian (10.5%), Other (0.5%)
Languages: English (Official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (including Caribbean and Arawak languages), Indian languages (including Caribbean Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi), Chinese
Religions: Protestant (34.8%), Hindu (24.8%), Roman Catholic (7.1%), Muslim (6.8%), Jehovah’s Witness (1.3%), Rastafarian (0.5%), other Christian (20.8%), Other (0.9%), None (3.1%)
Capital: Georgetown
CIA: The World Factbook — Last Updated December 29, 2019
Guyanese in Canada
Guyanese Population in Canada
84,275
Useful Links
Guyana became independent from Britain in 1966 (it was also ruled by the Dutch between 1750 and 1814). There is significant racial tension and the political sphere is divided along racial lines. The Guyanese have enjoyed full religious freedoms since 1985. The religious make-up of Guyana is complex. The Afro-Guyanese are mostly Christian, while the Indo-Guyanese are mostly Hindu. The Indo-Guyanese population also includes many Muslims. Meanwhile, some of the Guyanese practice traditional African beliefs, including “winti”, a polytheistic religion.
- Central Intelligence Agency. (2019, December 17). The World Factbook: Guyana. Retrieved December 29, 2019, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guyana/
- Encyclopedia of the Nations. (n.d.). Guyana. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/geography
- Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. (2009, October 15). Cultural Information – Guyana. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from https://www.international.gc.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-apercus_pays/culture-culture_gy.aspx?lang=eng
- Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. (2011, December 15). Overview – Guyana. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from https://www.international.gc.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-apercus_pays/overview-apercu_gy.aspx?lang=eng
- Guyanans/Guyanese. (2009). In T. L. Gall & J. Hobby (Eds.), Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 255-258). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
- Mandryk, J. (2010). Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation (7th ed.). Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing.
- Statistics Canada. (2011, April 7). 2006 Census of Canada: Topic-based tabulations/Ethnic Origin, Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses and Sex for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census – 20% Sample Data. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement