| | Guyana |  |  | | Basic facts | | | The country | |
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| | Capital: Georgetown | | Area: 214,969 sq km; 83,000 sq miles | | Population: 703,399 (2000 Estimate) | | Urbanisation: Urban 37 per cent (1998 Estimate); Rural 63 per cent (1998 Estimate) | |
Economy
| Exports: Sugar, bauxite, gold, alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses
| Industry: Bauxite mining, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold mining
| Agriculture: Sugar cane, rice, wheat, oilseeds, cattle, pigs, poultry
| Currency: 1 Guyana dollar (G$), consisting of 100 cents
| Natural resources: Bauxite, gold, diamonds, manganese, petroleum, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
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The people
| Ethnic: East Indian 51 per cent, Black and mixed 43 per cent, Native American 4 per cent, European and Chinese 2 per cent
| Language: English (official), Hindi, Urdu, Native American dialects. The official language is English. Hindi, Urdu and Native American languages are also spoken.
| Religion: Christian 57 per cent, Hindu 33 per cent, Muslim 9 per cent, Other 1 per cent. About 42 per cent of the people are Christian, most of them Anglican or Roman Catholic. The remainder are mainly Hindu (34 per cent) or Muslim (9 per cent).
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The history
| Independence: 26 May 1966 (from the United Kingdom)
| Government: The country achieved independence in May 1966. Guyana is governed under a constitution adopted in 1980. The head of state and chief executive of Guyana is a President, elected to a five-year term of office by the National Assembly. The President appoints a cabinet, headed by a Prime Minister.
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