Guyana’s population in 2015 was estimated to be around 773,000 people, making it the fourth smallest country in South America. The majority of Guyanese citizens identify as Christian, with a sizeable minority of Hindus also present. The Guyanese economy is heavily reliant on agriculture and mining, with these two industries accounting for nearly two-thirds of the country’s GDP. Other exports include sugar and timber. Guyana has strong trade ties with its South American neighbours, particularly Brazil and Venezuela, as well as other countries worldwide. In terms of politics, Guyana is a unitary presidential republic with a multi-party system. In 2015 David Granger was the President after winning reelection in 2020. In foreign relations, Guyana is a member of both the United Nations and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and is actively involved in international affairs such as peacekeeping operations. Relations with its South American neighbours have been mostly positive but tensions remain between Guyana and Venezuela over maritime border disputes. See ehealthfacts for Guyana in the year of 2005.
Yearbook 2015
Guyana. The May 11 presidential election became a turning point in Guyana’s history. The People’s Progress Party/ Civic (PPP/C), which has ruled the country for 23 years, lost to the multi-ethnic opposition alliance Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC). But the opposition’s victory was scarce – less than 5,000 votes out of 400,000 split between its candidate David Granger and incumbent PPP/C President Donald Ramotar. The scarce margin and the fact that the Election Commission delayed reporting the result made Ramotar claim electoral fraud. In Parliament, Granger has only one vote overweight PPP/C.
According to COUNTRYAAH, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana which is located in South America. Guyana’s ethnic composition once again made its mark on a political election. The PPP/C has traditionally represented Guyanans of Indian origin while the Black Party National People’s Congress/Reform (PNC/R) is the most important component of the Granger coalition. Granger admittedly called for a national rally during the election campaign, as well as at the 49th anniversary of Guyana’s independence on May 29. But former President Bharrat Jagdeo (1999–2011) of the PPP/C accused him during the election campaign for racism and risked himself prosecution for attempting to inflame ethnic contradictions through his own alleged racist statements.
- Also see AbbreviationFinder.org for Guyana country abbreviations, including geography, history, economy and politics.
During the year, Venezuela repeated its territorial demands on the Essequibo area of western Guiana. But President Nicolás Maduro’s decree in May that all of Guyanese territorial waters belong to Venezuela was rejected by Granger, who was supported by the Caribbean cooperation organization CARICOM.