Guyana
 

Area: 83,000 sq mi (214,970 sq km)

Population (2004 est.): 705,803 (growth rate: 0.6%); birth rate: 17.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 37.2/1000; life expectancy: 62.4; density per sq mi: 9

Capital: Georgetown

Monetary unit: Guyanese dollar

Languages: English (official), Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu

Ethnicity/race: East Indian 50%; black 36%; Amerindian 7%; white, Chinese, and mixed 7%

Religions: Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Islam 10%, other 5%

Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.)

Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish. Exports: $512 million (f.o.b., 2003 est.): sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber. Imports: $612 million (f.o.b., 2003 est.): manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food. Major trading partners: Canada, U.S., Netherlands Antilles, UK, Jamaica, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy, Cuba.

Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Symbolism of Flag

The green represents the agricultural and forested nature of Guyana, white symbolizes the rivers and water potential of the country, a golden arrow represents Guyana's mineral wealth, black portrays the endurance that will sustain the forward thrust of the Guyanese people and red represents the zeal and dynamic nature of nation-building which lies before the young and independent Guyana.

Geography

Guyana is the size of Idaho and is situated on the northern coast of South America east of Venezuela, west of Suriname, and north of Brazil.

Government

Republic.

National Anthem

Dear land of Guyana, of rivers and plains;
Made rich by the sunshine, and lush by the rains,
Set gem like and fair, between mountains and sea,
Your children salute you, dear land of the free.

Green land of Guyana, our heroes of yore,
Both bondsmen and free, laid their bones on your shore.
This soil so they hallowed, and from them are we,
All sons of one Mother, Guyana the free.

Great land of Guyana, diverse though our strains,
We are born of their sacrifice, heirs of their pains,
And ours is the glory their eyes did not see,
One land of six peoples, united and free.

Dear land of Guyana, to you will we give,
Our homage, our service, each day that we live;
God guard you, great Mother, and make us to be
More worthy our heritage, land of the free.