• Guyana:
• Society

Guyana - Society

Population: 738,000 (2007); distribution is very uneven, with high concentration of people along the coastal strip and many inland areas virtually uninhabited; 38% lives in urban areas; growth 0.2% p.a. 1970–2004; birth rate (2005) 18 per 1,000 people (38 in 1970); life expectancy 64 years (60 in 1970).

The ethnic origins of the people are: 50% East Indian (resident mostly in agricultural areas); 36% African (resident mostly in towns); most of the remainder are European, Chinese, of mixed descent, or Amerindian (7%), who live mainly in the west and south, or on reserves.

Religion: Christians 50%, Hindus 35%, Muslims 10%.

Language: English is the official language, Guyana being the only English-speaking country in South America. An English-based Creole is widely used. Hindi, Urdu and Amerindian languages are also spoken.

Media: Guyana has a single television station, Guyana Television, which is state run. The government-operated Guyana Broadcasting Corporation runs three radio stations: Hot FM, Radio Roraima and Voice of Guyana. Local radio can also be accessed online (http://www.homeviewguyana.com/).

The state-owned Guyana Chronicle/Sunday Chronicle and privately owned Stabroek News are dailies. The Catholic Standard and Kaieteur News are weekly, and Mirror twice weekly.

There are 35 personal computers (2004) and 213 internet users (2006) per 1,000 people.

Education: Public spending on education was 8.5% of GDP in 2005. There are ten years of compulsory education starting at age six. The net enrolment ratio is 99% for primary. The pupil–teacher ratio for primary is 28:1 and for secondary 18:1 (2005). The school year starts in September.

About 10% of the relevant age group is enrolled in tertiary education (2005). Tertiary institutions include the Cyril Potter College of Education (for teachers), Guyana College of Agriculture, Commonwealth Youth Programme Caribbean Centre (which trains youth workers), and the University of Guyana in Georgetown, which has law and medical schools.

Health: The Public Hospital at Georgetown is the national referral hospital; there are some 30 hospitals and many health centres throughout the country, with both public and private care available, the former usually free. 83% of the population uses an improved drinking water source and 86% in urban areas have adequate sanitation facilities (2004/2005). Infant mortality was 47 per 1,000 live births in 2005 (100 in 1960). At the end of 2005, 2.1% of people age 15 and over were HIV positive.

Communications: Country code 592. Network providers Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Co. (GT and T) will hire out mobile phones to visitors.

Internet connections are slow but improving and internet cafes can be found in Georgetown. There are post office branches around the country and one at Georgetown’s international airport.

There are 147 main telephone lines and 375 mobile phones per 1,000 people (2006).

Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Republic Day (Mashramani, 23 February), Labour Day (1 May), Indian Heritage Day (5 May), Independence Day (26 May), CARICOM Day (first Monday in July), Freedom Day (first Monday in August), Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The Republic Day celebrations continue for about a week, though only one day is a public holiday.

Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Phagwah (Holi, March), Prophet’s Birthday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Deepavali (Diwali, October/November), Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).