Guyana

GUYANA

A. THE COUNTRY

The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is on the north coast of South
America.  90% of the people live on the developed coastal strip.  The
government is a semi-presidential republic and the political sphere is
defined along racial lines (Indo-Guyanese versus Afro-Guyanese)).  There
are persistent claims on its land by neighbouring Venezuela and
Suriname.  Mainstays are gold, sugar, rice, forest products and
minerals.  The economy is vulnerable to the climate, as the disastrous
floods of 2005 attest.  With limited medical facilities and widespread
AIDS and Malaria, Guyana needs better medical care.

B. THE PEOPLE

The population is ~762,000 and the official languages English and
Creole, which is used by 90% of the population.  Large-scale emigration
of much of its population, includes many of the most gifted.
~43.5% are South Asian, ~29.7% African, ~16.5% Mixed (primarily
Euroafrican, but some Asian and Amerindian also), ~8.9% Amerindian,
~2.4% Other (Portuguese, Chinese, British).
Colonial transportation of labour for the sugar industry created the
current racial diversity and political tension.

C. RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIANITY/PENTECOSTALISM

Guyana is a secular state with full religious freedom.  There is a
growing evangelical witness, and evangelicals are found in all levels of
society.  ~52.68% claim to be Christian, ~30.3% Hindu, ~9.4% Muslim,
~4% Non-religious, ~3% Ethnoreligionist, ~0.4% Baha’i, ~0.22% Buddhist.
In the Christian category:
~24.2% are Protestant, ~11.95% Catholic, ~11.06% Independent, ~8.41%
Anglican, ~1% Orthodox.
Evangelicals represent ~19.8% of the population.
Charismatics represent ~15.5% and of those ~14% are Pentecostals.
Donna Siemens

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org

Operation World, Jason Mandryk. Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing, 2010.