Guyana
Americas Β· Capital: Georgetown
How it is run: Guyana is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Guyana is home to 835,986 people in South America, where people speak English.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
835,986 people
That is about 103 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
214,969 kmΒ²
Roughly the size of Italy or the state of Arizona.
ποΈ How crowded
Only about 3.9 people per square kilometre β lots of wide open space between towns.
π Size in its region
26th most people in Americas
14th largest by land in Americas.
π£οΈ Official languages
English
π° Money
Guyanese dollar ($)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
70.3 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$32,414
An upper-middle-income country: growing cities, and more families joining the middle class.
π’ Living in cities
26.5% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
π Kids under 15
28.9% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+592
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.gy
π§ People here are called
Guyanese
π·οΈ Name at home
Guyana
Also written: Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Latin American and Caribbean Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Guyana touches 3 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Guyana
French
Guyana
Arabic
ΨΊΩΨ§ΩΨ§
Chinese
εδΊι£
Japanese
γ¬γ€γ’γ
Russian
ΠΠ°ΠΉΠ°Π½Π°
Portuguese
Guiana
German
Guyana
Put it in perspective π
- United States β the most populated country in Americas β has about 408.8Γ as many people as Guyana.
- Guyana covers roughly 2,047 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Guyana lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 418 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Guyana is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
π·οΈ Official name
Co-operative Republic of Guyana
ποΈ Capital
Georgetown
π Region
Americas Β· South America
π€ Country code
GY
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Guyana π
π§ Where on the map
5.0Β° N, 59.0Β° W
π Half of the world
Northern & Western hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC-4 β when it is noon in London it is about 08:00 in Georgetown.
- The capital of Guyana is Georgetown β that's where the country's big decisions get made.
- Guyana is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- Guyana is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Guyana sits in South America, in the northern and western half of the globe.
- Guyana lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Guyana has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Guyana can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Guyana spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Guyana?
Georgetown
Which money do people spend in Guyana?
Guyanese dollar ($)
How many countries share a land border with Guyana?
3 β Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela.
Roughly how many people live in Guyana?
835,986 people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.