Languages and religion

The official and principal language is English, but a creole patois is spoken
throughout the country. Hindi and Urdu are heard occasionally among older
South Asians. The major religions are Christian (chiefly Anglican and Roman
Catholic) and Hindu. Various forms of Protestant Christianity made inroads in
the 20th century, mainly in Georgetown. There is also a sizable minority of
Muslims, most of whom are of South Asian descent. Indigenous religions are
still practiced by some of the Indian peoples.

Guyana: Religious affiliation

Guyana: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Settlement patterns

The country is divided traditionally between the coast, where most of the
population is concentrated, and the interior. The coastal population is
heterogeneous; its inhabitants descended from the labourers brought in to
work the sugarcane plantations. The interior, despite scattered ranching and
mining settlements, is largely home to Indians.

About three-fifths of Guyana’s population is rural, with most Guyanese

occupying villages in the coastal region. Villages range in size from several
hundred to several thousand persons. The most densely populated areas are
along the estuary of the Demerara River and between the mouths of the
Berbice and Courantyne rivers. Each village’s farmlands extend inland, often
for several miles, and are separated from neighbouring village lands by
canals. Settlement areas nearest the ocean are connected to one another by
a coastal highway.