World Factbook
Guyana
Cooperative Republic of Guyana
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
196,849 sq km
water
18,120 sq km
total
214,969 sq km
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
Land use
other
9.5% (2023 est.)
forest
87.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
3.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 2.8% (2023 est.)
Location
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
Coastline
459 km
Elevation
lowest point
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point
Laberintos del Norte on Mount Roraima 2,775 m
mean elevation
207 m
Irrigated land
1,430 sq km (2012)
Map references
South America
Land boundaries
total
2,933 km
border countries
Brazil 1,308 km; Suriname 836 km; Venezuela 789 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
flash flood threat during rainy seasons
Geography - note
the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; contains some of the largest unspoiled rainforests on the continent
Natural resources
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Idaho; almost twice the size of Tennessee
Geographic coordinates
5 00 N, 59 00 W
Population distribution
population is heavily concentrated in the northeast in and around Georgetown, with notable concentrations along the Berbice River to the east; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage
Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Orinoco (953,675 sq km)