The nation of Guyana sits between Brazil and the Caribbean ocean on the South American continent. Formerly known as British Guiana, it is slightly smaller than the US state of Idaho, with a total population under 900,000.

The Dutch settled the region in the early 16th century, then later ceded the country to the British in 1831, though the latter had been de facto rulers since 1796.

Following the abolition of slavery in 1834, thousands of indentured laborers were brought to Guyana to replace the African slaves on the sugar cane plantations, primarily from India but also from Portugal and China. The British stopped the practice in 1917.

The five main ethnic groups remain East Indian, African, Amerindian, Chinese and Portuguese. The first two groups constitute the great majority of the population.

Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966 and became a republic in 1970. In 1989 Guyana launched an Economic Recovery Program, which marked a dramatic reversal from a state-controlled, socialist economy towards a more open, free market system. Results through the first decade have proven encouraging.

Here are some pertinent facts about health, development and demography in Guyana, with some Canadian figures for comparison: