Guyana Languages

English is the official language of Guyana. Most of the people in Guyana speak English as their first language. The language is spoken all over the country. English is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Germanic family of languages. English has 26 letters in its alphabet, 21 consonants and 5 vowels. It uses the Latin Script in its writing.

Approximately 89% of the Guyanese are literate, according to UNICEF. The same population is considered to be conversant and familiar with English. The rest of the people speak the Guyanese Creole, which is a dialect of English. Creole is mainly used for casual communication. English is used for official, governmental, and educational purposes.

The English dialect used in Guyana is the Guyanese Creole. It has a close resemblance to other English dialects used in the Caribbean region. The Guyanese Creole has African and East Indian syntax. The Guyanese Creole largely borrows from African, Old Dutch, and East Indian languages. The formation of sentences and pronunciation of words is quite different.

Other than English, there are other languages spoken by the minority in the country. Those who speak the minority languages are in most cases conversant with the English language. In the southern region of the country, the residents mostly use Portuguese as their second language. Other minority languages include Chinese, Spanish, French, Macushi, Wai-Wai, Akawaio and Arakawakan Languages.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

More on Graphicmaps

Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Georgetown
Languages	English (official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (including Caribbean and Arawak languages), Indian languages (including Caribbean Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi), Chinese (2014 est.)
Ethnic Groups	East Indian 39.8%, black (African) 29.3%, mixed 19.9%, Amerindian 10.5%, other 0.5% (includes Portuguese, Chinese, white) (2012 est.)
Religion	Protestant 34.8% (Pentecostal 22.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 5.2%, Methodist 1.4%), Hindu 24.8%, Roman Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 6.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 0.5%, other Christian 20.8%, other 0.9%, none 3.1% (2012 est.)
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	26 May 1966 (from the UK)
Area	214,969.00 km²
Water Area	18,120.00 km²
Land Area	196,849.00 km²
Population	735,909.00 Population is heavily concentrated in the northeast in and around Georgetown, with noteable concentrations along the Berbice River to the east; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
Location	Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
No. Bordering Countries	3
Bordering Countries	Brazil 1,308 km, Suriname 836 km, Venezuela 789 km
GDP(PPP)	$6,051,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$7,900.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are sugar, gold, bauxite, and alumina.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include manufactures, machinery, petroleum, and food.
Climate	Tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)
Terrain	Mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Learn More	Guyana

Guyana Languages

More on Graphicmaps

What is a Trade Embargo?

Which Two Countries Used to Have the Same Flag?

What Is the Only Two-Sided State Flag?

Which Country Flag Looks Like the Texas Flag?

Flags That Resemble the US Flag

What is Demography?