Georgetown is the capital and largest city of Guyana. It is situated in Demerara-Mahaica, region 4, on the Atlantic Ocean coast, at the mouth of the Demerara River. It is nicknamed the "Garden City of the Caribbean." It is the retail and administrative and financial services centre of the country, and the city accounts for a large portion of Guyana's GDP. The city recorded a population of 118,363 in the 2012 census.
The history of Guyana begins about 35,000 years ago with the arrival of humans coming from Eurasia. These migrants became the Carib and Arawak tribes, who met Alonso de Ojeda's first expedition from Spain in 1499 at the Essequibo River. In the ensuing colonial era, Guyana's government was defined by the successive policies of Spanish, French, Dutch, and British settlers.
Guyanese culture reflects the influence of African, Indian, Amerindian, British, Portuguese, Chinese, Creole, Latin American, and Dutch cultures. Guyana is one of a few mainland territories of South America that is considered to be a part of the Caribbean region. Guyanese culture shares many commonalities with the cultures of islands in the West Indies.
Bharrat Jagdeo is a Guyanese politician who has been serving as Vice President of Guyana since 2020, in the administration of President Irfaan Ali. He had previously also held the office from 1997 until 1999, during the presidency of Janet Jagan. Jagdeo subsequently served as the President of Guyana from 11 August 1999 to 3 December 2011. He also holds a number of global leadership positions in the areas of sustainable development, green growth and climate change.
Janet Rosenberg Jagan was a U.S.-born Guyanese politician who served as the President of Guyana, serving from December 19, 1997, to August 11, 1999. She was the first female President of Guyana. She previously served as the first female Prime Minister of Guyana from March 17, 1997, to December 19, 1997. The wife of Cheddi Jagan, whom she succeeded as president, she was awarded Guyana's highest national award, the Order of Excellence, in 1993, and the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Gold Medal for Women's Rights in 1998.
Hugh Desmond Hoyte was a Guyanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Guyana from 1984 to 1985 and President of Guyana from 1985 until 1992.
Islam in Guyana is the third largest religion in the country after Christianity and Hinduism, respectively. According to the 2002 census, 7.3% of the country is Muslim. However, a Pew Research survey from 2010 estimates that 6.4% of the country is Muslim. Islam was first introduced to Guyana via slaves from West Africa, but was suppressed on plantations until Muslims of India were brought to the country as indentured labor.
David Arthur Granger is a Guyanese politician and retired military officer who served as the 9th President of Guyana from May 2015 to August 2020. He served for a time as Commander of the Guyana Defence Force and subsequently as National Security Adviser from 1990 to 1992. He was Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of Guyana from 2012 to 2015.
The Catholic Church in Guyana is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Bishops in Guyana are members of Antilles Episcopal Conference. Like most other nations that form the AEC, the Apostolic delegate to the bishops' conference is also the Apostolic nuncio to the country, currently American archbishop Thomas Edward Gullickson.
The Georgetown Cenotaph is a war memorial in Georgetown, Guyana, located at the junction of Main and Church Streets.
Wordsworth McAndrew was a leading Guyana folklorist, poet, radio broadcaster, and creative artist.
Beterverwagting, also Betterverwagting or abbreviated to B.V., is a village in Guyana, on the East Coast of the Demerara River.
Religion is an important aspect of identity and society in Guyana. In 2012 the population was 63% Christian, 25% Hindu, 7% Muslim. Religions are reflected by East Indian, African, Chinese, and European ancestry, as well as a significant indigenous population. Members of all ethnic groups are well represented in all religious groups, with two exceptions: most Hindus are Indo-Guyanese, and nearly all Rastafarians are Afro-Guyanese people. Foreign missionaries from many religious groups are present. Christianity has historically been associated with Afro-Guyanese.
Guyana, officially the Co‑operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America and the capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the west, and Suriname to the east. With 215,000 square kilometres (83,000 sq mi), Guyana is the third-smallest sovereign state by area in mainland South America after Uruguay and Suriname; it is also the second-least populous sovereign state in South America after Suriname.
Andrew Morrison, SJ was a Guyanese Roman Catholic Jesuit priest, journalist, and pro-democracy activist.
The Presbyterian Church of Guyana was founded by missionaries of the Church of Scotland. On September 23, 1815 a Scotsmen bought an unfinished church building from the Dutch. This was the St. Andrew's Kirk, Georgetown. The first minister was Rev Archibald Brown, who arrived in September 1816. Many members were slave owners, but from 1821 slaves were admitted to the worship services. The church developed, the Presbyterian Church of Guyana was formed in 1837. By 1861 it absorbed the remnants of the Nederduitch Hervormde Kerk in Guyana. In 1945 a capital sum was paid to the presbytery and the church ceased its financial aid. In 1967 the Church of Scotland dissolved the Presbytery and it became an autonomous denomination. Membership was 5,600 in 25 congregations. It adheres to the Westminster Confession.
Margaret Ackman was a Guyanese politician and a founding member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).
Mohamed Irfaan Ali is a Guyanese politician who has served as the President of Guyana since August 2020. Ali is the first Muslim President of Guyana, along with being the second Muslim head of state in the Western Hemisphere after Noor Hassanali.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Guyana on 11 March 2020. The first case was a woman who travelled from New York, a 52-year-old woman suffering from underlying health conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. The woman died at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guyana refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Guyana. The first branch was organized in Georgetown, Guyana in 1980. In 2019, there were 6,264 members in 11 congregations.
