The 10 administrative regions of Guyana
Guyana's ten administrative regions, their main administrative centres, rough size and population, and how regional and local government is organised.
Guyana is divided into ten administrative regions, numbered 1 to 10. The hyphenated names come from the rivers that define their borders [2].
History
In colonial times British Guiana had three counties: Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice. It was reorganised into nine districts in 1958 and six in 1971. The present ten regions date from 1980 [1].
The regions
| No. | Region | Main administrative centre | Area (km²) | Population (2012 census) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barima-Waini | Mabaruma | 20,339 | 26,941 |
| 2 | Pomeroon-Supenaam | Anna Regina | 6,195 | 46,810 |
| 3 | Essequibo Islands-West Demerara | Vreed en Hoop | 3,755 | 107,416 |
| 4 | Demerara-Mahaica | Georgetown | 2,232 | 313,429 |
| 5 | Mahaica-Berbice | Fort Wellington | 4,190 | 49,723 |
| 6 | East Berbice-Corentyne | New Amsterdam | 36,234 | 109,431 |
| 7 | Cuyuni-Mazaruni | Bartica | 47,213 | 20,280 |
| 8 | Potaro-Siparuni | Mahdia | 20,051 | 10,190 |
| 9 | Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo | Lethem | 57,750 | 24,212 |
| 10 | Upper Demerara-Berbice | Linden | 17,040 | 39,452 |
Region names are as listed by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) [1]; GLSC spells Region 10 as "Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice". Areas, populations and centres are from the Wikipedia table, which cites the Bureau of Statistics [2]. Population figures are from the 2012 census and are now dated.
Region 4 holds the capital and about two in every five people in the country (2012). Regions 7, 8 and 9 are the largest by area and among the least populated [2].
How the regions are run
- Each region has a Regional Democratic Council (RDC), headed by a Chairman, and a Regional Executive Office under the Ministry of Local Government [1][2].
- Regions contain Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and towns with municipal councils, such as the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown [2].
- The ten regions are also the ten geographical constituencies for national elections [3]. See How Parliament and elections work.
Find your region
The GLSC publishes a page for each region and an online Gazetteer where you can search for a town, village or river to find its region [1].
References
- Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Fact Page, "Administrative Regions". https://factpage.glsc.gov.gy/regions/ (checked 24 Oct 2026) Open source Checked 24 Oct 2026.
- Wikipedia, "Regions of Guyana" (CC BY-SA 4.0). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_Guyana (checked 24 Oct 2026) Open source Checked 24 Oct 2026.
- Guyana Elections Commission, "Frequently Asked Questions" (Q37). https://gecom.org.gy/public/home/faqs (checked 24 Oct 2026) Open source Checked 24 Oct 2026.
Categories: Guides | Geography | Government
Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted in part from the Wikipedia article "Regions of Guyana" (CC BY-SA 4.0); facts cross-checked with the GLSC Fact Page. Images are credited under their own licences. Site contact: service@computingcore.net.