Editing Demographics of Guyana (section)

==Language==
{{main article|Languages of Guyana}}
English is the official language of [[Guyana]], which is the only South American country with English as the official language.<ref name=Smock>{{cite book|last=Smock|first=Kirk|title=Guyana: The Bradt Travel Guide|year=2008|publisher=Bradt|isbn=978-1-84162-223-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/guyanabradttrave0000smoc/page/19 19]|url=https://archive.org/details/guyanabradttrave0000smoc/page/19}}</ref><ref name=Ali>{{cite book|last=Ali|first=Arif|title=Guyana|year=2008|publisher=Hansib|location=London|isbn=978-1-906190-10-1}}</ref>

[[Guyanese Creole]] (an English-based [[Creole language|creole]] with [[African languages|African]] and [[Languages of  India|Indian]] [[syntax]]) is widely spoken in Guyana.<ref name=Smock />

A number of [[Amerindian language]]s are also spoken by a minority of the population. These include [[Cariban languages]] such as [[Macushi language|Macushi]], [[Akawaio language|Akawaio]] and [[Waiwai language|Wai-Wai]], and [[Arawakan languages]] such as [[Arawak language|Arawak]] (or Lokono) and [[Wapishana language|Wapishana]].<ref name=Smock /><ref name=Ali />

Other languages include [[Chinese language|Chinese]] spoken by some members of the Chinese community, [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] spoken by some [[Portuguese Guyanese]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]] spoken by Surinamese in Guyana, and [[Caribbean Hindustani#Guyanese Hindustani|Guyanese Hindustani]] and [[Tamil language|Tamil]] spoken by a few older members of the Indian Guyanese community, as well as [[Caribbean Hindustani#Sarnami Hindustani|Sarnami Hindustani]] spoken by [[Indo-Surinamese|Indians from Suriname]].<ref name=Smock /><ref name= Ali />
=== Second and third languages ===
[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] is increasingly widely used as a [[second language]] in Guyana, particularly in the south of the country near the [[Brazil]] border.<ref name= Smock /> [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and [[French language|French]] are spoken by those who frequently visit neighbouring [[Suriname]] and [[French Guiana]] respectively. French is widely taught in secondary schools along with Spanish as foreign languages. [[Spanish language|Spanish]] is also used by a minority of the population as a second language. Spanish is spoken typically by visitors and residents from [[Venezuela]].<ref>Damoiseau, Robert (2003) ''Eléments de grammaire comparée français-créole guyanais'' Ibis rouge, Guyana, {{ISBN|2-84450-192-3}}</ref>