| Background: |
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. |
| Location: |
Northern South
America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Suriname and Venezuela |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
5 00 N, 59 00 W |
| Map
references: |
South America |
| Area: |
total:
214,970 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km
water: 18,120 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than Idaho |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600
km, Venezuela 743 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental
shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the
continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical; hot,
humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons
(May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January) |
| Terrain: |
mostly rolling
highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m |
| Natural
resources: |
bauxite, gold,
diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 8% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
1,300 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
flash floods are
a constant threat during rainy seasons |
| Environment
- current issues: |
water pollution
from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals;
deforestation |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Population: |
697,181
note: estimates for this country explicitly
take into account the effects of excess mortality due to
AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality and death rates, lower population and
growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
28.19% (male 100,194; female 96,309)
15-64 years: 66.89% (male 234,976; female
231,360)
65 years and over: 4.92% (male 15,324; female
19,018) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.07% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
17.92
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
8.87 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-8.38 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
38.72
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 63.31 years
male: 60.52 years
female: 66.24 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.1 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
3.01% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
15,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
900 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese |
| Ethnic
groups: |
East Indian 49%,
black 32%, mixed 12%, Amerindian 6%, white and Chinese 1% |
| Religions: |
Christian 50%,
Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 8% |
| Languages: |
English,
Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.1%
male: 98.6%
female: 97.5% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana |
| Government
type: |
republic within
the Commonwealth |
| Administrative
divisions: |
10 regions;
Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East
Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara,
Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper
Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo |
| Independence: |
26 May 1966 (from
UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Republic Day, 23
February (1970) |
| Constitution: |
6 October 1980 |
| Legal
system: |
based on English
common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August
1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of
President JAGAN
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS
(since NA December 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the
president, responsible to the legislature
elections: president elected by the majority
party in the National Assembly following legislative
elections, which must be held at least every five years;
elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO
reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly (65 seats, 53 elected by popular vote, 10
elected by the ten Regional Democratic Councils, and 2
elected by the National Congress of Local Democratic Organs;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be
held NA March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR
1, TUF 1 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court of
Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Alliance for
Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and
Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARINE]; Guyana
Action Party or GAP [leader NA]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP
[leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond
HOYTE]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Janet JAGEN];
Rise, Organize and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United
Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or
WPA [Rupert ROOPARNINE] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Civil Liberties
Action Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council of Indian
Organizations or GCIO; Rise, Organize and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi
DEV]; Trades Union Congress or TUC
note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and
active but not well organized |
| International
organization participation: |
ACP, C, Caricom,
CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory
user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS,
OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900
consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Ronald D. GODARD
embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston,
Georgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
telephone: [592] (2) 54900 through 54909, 57960
through 57969
FAX: [592] (2) 58497 |
| Flag
description: |
green, with a red
isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on
a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border
between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border
between the yellow and the green |
| Economy
- overview: |
Severe drought
and political turmoil contributed to Guyana's negative
growth of -1.8% for 1998 following six straight years of
growth of 5% or better. Growth came back to a positive 1.8%
in 1999 and 3% in 2000. Underlying growth factors have
included expansion in the key agricultural and mining
sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business
initiative, a more realistic exchange rate, a moderate
inflation rate, and continued support by international
organizations. President JAGDEO, the former finance
minister, is taking steps to reform the economy, including
drafting an investment code and restructuring the
inefficient and unresponsive public sector. Problems include
a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure.
The government must persist in efforts to manage its sizable
external debt and attract new investment. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $3.4 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $4,800 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
34.7%
industry: 32.5%
services: 32.8% (1998 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
5.9% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
245,492 (1992) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%,
industry NA%, services NA% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
12% (1992 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$220.1 million
expenditures: $286.4 million, including capital
expenditures of $86.6 million (1998) |
| Industries: |
bauxite, sugar,
rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold
mining |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
7.1% (1997 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
455 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
98.9%
hydro: 1.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
423.2 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
sugar, rice,
wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products;
forest and fishery potential not exploited |
| Exports: |
$570 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
sugar, gold,
bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 22%, Canada
22%, UK 18%, Netherlands Antilles 11%, Jamaica (1999) |
| Imports: |
$660 million
(c.i.f., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
manufactures,
machinery, petroleum, food |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 29%, Trinidad
and Tobago 18%, Netherlands Antilles 16%, UK 7%, Japan
(1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$1.1 billion
(2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$84 million
(1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253
million (1997) |
| Currency: |
Guyanese dollar (GYD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Guyanese dollars
per US dollar - 184.1 (November 2000), 182.2 (2000), 178.0
(1999), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997), 140.4 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
70,000 (2000) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
6,100 (2000) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: fair system for long-distance calling
domestic: microwave radio relay network for
trunk lines
international: tropospheric scatter to
Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 3, FM 3,
shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
3 (one public
station; two private stations which relay US satellite
services) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
46,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.gy |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
3,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
187 km (all dedicated to ore transport)
standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge |
| Highways: |
total:
7,970 km
paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (1996) |
| Waterways: |
5,900 km (total
length of navigable waterways)
note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers
are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and
80 km, respectively |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Bartica,
Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,929 GRT/4,507 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
45
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 36 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Guyana Defense
Force (GDF; includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air
Corps), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National
Service (GNS), Guyana Police Force |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 204,938 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 154,259 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$7 million (FY94) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.7% (FY94) |
| Disputes
- international: |
all of the area
west of the Essequibo (river) claimed by Venezuela; Suriname
claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari
[Koetari] rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne) |
| Illicit
drugs: |
transshipment
point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela
- to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis |
|
