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Introduction | Guyana

Background:

Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. After his death five years later, his wife, Jane JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001.

Geography | Guyana

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
Coastline: | 459 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
Climate: | tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to 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: 2.23% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 97.63% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 1,500 sq km (1998 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively

People | Guyana

Population: | 767,245 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 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 26.2% (male 102,551/female 98,772) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 265,193/female 260,892) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 17,043/female 22,794) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 27.4 years male: 26.9 years female: 27.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.25% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 18.28 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | -7.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 32.19 deaths/1,000 live births male: 35.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 28.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 65.86 years male: 63.21 years female: 68.65 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 2.04 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 2.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 11,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 1,100 (2003 est.)
Nationality: | noun: Guyanese (singular and plural) adjective: Guyanese
Ethnic groups: | East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%
Religions: | Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%
Languages: | English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98.8% male: 99.1% female: 98.5% (2003 est.)

Government | Guyana

Country name: | conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana conventional short form: Guyana former: British Guiana
Government type: | republic within the Commonwealth
Capital: | Georgetown
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 Janet JAGAN and reelected in 2001
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since October 1992, except for a period as chief of state after the death of President Cheddi JAGAN on 6 March 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature
elections: president elected by popular vote as leader of a party list in parliamentary elections, which must be held at least every five years; elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by 4 August 2006); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of vote 52.9%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly (65 members elected by popular vote, also not more than four non-elected non-voting ministers and two non-elected non-voting parliamentary secretaries appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by 4 August 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 52.9%, PNC/R 41.9%, GAP/WPA 2.4%, ROAR 0.9%, TUF 0.7%, other 1.2%; seats by party - PPP/C 34, PNC/R 27, GAP/WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the High Court and the Judicial Court of Appeal, with right of final appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance for Change or AFC [Raphael TROTMAN and Khemraj RAMJATTAN]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Justice for All Party [C.N. SHARMA]; People's National Congress/Reform or PNC/R [Robert Herman Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN]; Vision Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Citizens Initiative; Guyana Bar Association; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana Public Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades Union Congress
International organization participation: | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Roland W. BULLEN embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909 FAX: [592] 225-8497
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 | Guyana

Economy - overview:

The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-02, based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Growth slowed in 2003 and came back gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export earnings; it slowed again in 2005. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. The bauxite mining sector should benefit in the near term from restructuring and partial privatization. Export earnings from agriculture and mining have fallen sharply, while the import bill has risen, driven by higher energy prices. Guyana's entrance into the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) in January 2006 might broaden the country's export market, primarily in the raw materials sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity): | $2.895 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $779 million (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | -2.5% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $3,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 36.8% industry: 20.2% services: 43% (2005 est.)
Labor force: | 418,000 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Unemployment rate: | 9.1% (understated) (2000)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 5.5% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 36.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $320.1 million expenditures: $362.6 million; including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products: | sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp
Industries: | bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate: | NA%
Electricity - production: | 779 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 99.4% hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 724.5 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 11,300 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance: | $-92.72 million (2005 est.)
Exports: | $587.2 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: | sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
Exports - partners: | Canada 23.2%, US 19.2%, UK 10.9%, Portugal 9%, Belgium 6.4%, Jamaica 5.2% (2004)
Imports: | $681.6 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: | manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Imports - partners: | Trinidad and Tobago 24.8%, US 24.5%, Cuba 6.8%, UK 5.4% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $248.8 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external: | $1.2 billion (2002)
Economic aid - recipient: | $84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)
Currency (code): | Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Currency code: | GYD
Exchange rates: | Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 200.79 (2005), 198.31 (2004), 193.88 (2003), 190.67 (2002), 187.32 (2001)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Guyana

Telephones - main lines in use: | 102,700 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 104,600 (2004)
Telephone system: | general assessment: fair system for long-distance service domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: | 420,000 (1997)
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 hosts: | 914 (2005)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 3 (2000)
Internet users: | 145,000 (2005)

Transportation | Guyana

Airports: | 69 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 61 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 47 (2005)
Railways: | total: 187 km standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)
Roadways: | total: 7,970 km paved: 590 km unpaved: 7,380 km (1999)
Waterways: | Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2005)
Merchant marine: | total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,031 GRT/12,899 DWT by type: cargo 6, refrigerated cargo 1 foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) registered in other countries: 4 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, unknown 1) (2005)
Ports and terminals: | Georgetown

Military | Guyana

Military branches: | Guyana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Corps, Guyana People's Militia
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 206,098 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 137,964 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $6.48 million (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.9% (2003 est.)

Transnational Issues | Guyana

Disputes - international:

all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis; rising money laundering related to drug trafficking and human smuggling

This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006