Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Flag Coat of arms
Motto "One people, one nation, one destiny"
Anthem "Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains"
Capital (and largest city)		Georgetown
Official languages		English
Demonym		Guyanese
Government		Republic
-	President	Bharrat Jagdeo
-	Prime Minister	Sam Hinds
Independence
-	from the United Kingdom	May 26, 1966
-	Declared and Recognized	February 23, 1972
Area
-	Total	214,970 km² (84th) 83,000 sq mi
-	Water (%)	8.4
Population
-	July 2005 estimate	751,0001 (162nd)
-	2002 census	751,223
-	Density	3.5 /km² (217th) 9.1 /sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$3.489 billion (157th)
-	Per capita	$4,612 (106th)
HDI (2003)		0.720 (medium) (107th)
Currency		Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Time zone		(UTC-4)
Internet TLD		.gy
Calling code		+592
1	Population includes excess mortality caused by AIDS. Around one-third of the population (230,000) live in the capital Georgetown.

Guyana (properly pronounced ; more frequently Anglicised as or ), is officially named the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, and is the only nation state of the Commonwealth of Nations on the mainland of South America. Guyana lies north of the equator, in the tropics, and is located on the Atlantic Ocean. Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil and to the west by Venezuela. It is the third smallest country on the mainland of South America. Culturally it is more associated with the Caribbean than with Latin America and is the only English speaking country in South America.

History

When the first Europeans arrived in the area around 1500, Guyana was inhabited by the Arawak and Carib tribes of American Indians. Although Guyana was first sighted by Christopher Columbus during his third voyage (in 1498), it was not settled by Europeans until the Dutch in 1616, who established three separate colonies; Essequibo (1616), Berbice (1627), and Demerara (1752). The British assumed control in the late eighteenth century and the Dutch formally ceded the area in 1814. In 1831 the three separate colonies became a single British colony known as British Guiana.

Guyana Pictures