Statistical information Guyana 1992
Guyana in the World
Guyana - Introduction 1992
top of pageBackground: 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.
Guyana - Geography 1992
top of pageLocation
Geographic coordinates
Map reference
Area
Total: 214,970 km²
Land: 196,850 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries: 2,462 km; Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline: 459 km
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes:
all of the area west of the Essequibo River claimed by
Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and
Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and
Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
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
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Land use
Land use: arable land: 3%; permanent crops: NEGL%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 83%; other 8%; includes irrigated 1%
Irrigated land
Major rivers
Major watersheds area km²
Total water withdrawal
Total renewable water resources
Natural hazards
Geography
Guyana - People 1992
top of pagePopulation: 739,431 (July 1992), growth rate - 0.6% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Guyanese (singular and plural; adjective - Guyanese
Ethnic groups:
East Indian 51%, black and mixed 43%, Amerindian 4%,
European and Chinese 2%
European and Chinese 2%
Languages: English, Amerindian dialects
Religions: Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%
Demographic profile
Age structure
Age structure
Dependency ratios
Median age
Population growth rate
Birth rate: 21 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: -20 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distribution
Urbanization
Major urban areas
Environment
Current issues: flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution
Air pollutants
Sex ratio
Mothers mean age at first birth
Maternal mortality ratio
Infant mortality rate: 50 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
Drinking water source
Current health expenditure
Physicians density
Hospital bed density
Sanitation facility access
Hiv/Aids
Major infectious diseases
Obesity adult prevalence rate
Alcohol consumption
Tobacco use
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
Education expenditures
Literacy: 95% (male 98%, female 96%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Youth unemployment
Guyana - Government 1992
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Government type: republic
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
Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara,
Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice,
Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo
Dependent areas
Independence: 26 May 1966 (from UK; formerly British Guiana)
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
Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participation
Citizenship
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Executive President: last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held 1992); results - Hugh Desmond HOYTE was elected president since he was leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections
National Assembly: last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held mid-1992); results - PNC 78%, PPP 16%, UF 4%, WPA 2%; seats - (65 total, 53 elected) PNC 42, PPP 8, UF 2, WPA 1
Executive branch: executive president, first vice president, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
Political parties and leaders
International organization participation:
ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES,
LORCS, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES,
LORCS, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Cedric Hilburn GRANT; Chancery at 2,490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 265-6,900; there is a Guyanese Consulate General in New York
US:
Ambassador George JONES; Embassy at 99-100 Young and Duke Streets,
Georgetown; telephone 592 (2) 54,900 through 54,909
Georgetown; telephone 592 (2) 54,900 through 54,909
Diplomatic representation
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 greenNational symbols
National anthem
National heritage
Guyana - Economy 1992
top of pageEconomy overview:
Guyana is one of the world's poorest countries with a per capita income less than one-fifth the South American average. After growing on average at less than 1% a year in 1986-87, GDP dropped by 5% a year in 1988-90. The decline resulted from bad weather, labor trouble in the canefields, and flooding and equipment problems in the bauxite industry.
Consumer prices rose about 100% in 1989 and 75% in 1990, and the current account deficit widened substantially as sugar and bauxite exports fell.
Moreover, electric power is in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government, in association with international financial agencies, seeks to reduce its payment arrears and to raise new funds. The government's stabilization program - aimed at establishing realistic exchange rates, reasonable price stability, and a resumption of growth - requires considerable public administrative abilities and continued patience by consumers during a long incubation period. In 1991, buoyed by a recovery in mining and agriculture, the economy posted 6% growth, according to official figures. A large volume of illegal and quasi- legal economic activity is not captured in estimates of the country's total output.
Consumer prices rose about 100% in 1989 and 75% in 1990, and the current account deficit widened substantially as sugar and bauxite exports fell.
Moreover, electric power is in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government, in association with international financial agencies, seeks to reduce its payment arrears and to raise new funds. The government's stabilization program - aimed at establishing realistic exchange rates, reasonable price stability, and a resumption of growth - requires considerable public administrative abilities and continued patience by consumers during a long incubation period. In 1991, buoyed by a recovery in mining and agriculture, the economy posted 6% growth, according to official figures. A large volume of illegal and quasi- legal economic activity is not captured in estimates of the country's total output.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $250 million, per capita $300; real growth rate 6% (1991 est.)
Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real gdp growth rate
Real gdp per capita
Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture products: most important sector, accounting for 24% of GDP and about half of exports; sugar and rice are key crops; development potential exists for fishing and forestry; not self-sufficient in food, especially wheat, vegetable oils, and animal products
Industries: bauxite mining, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate - 12.0% (1990 est.), accounts for about 11% of GDP
Labor force: 268,000; industry and commerce 44.5%, agriculture 33.8%, services 21.7%; public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor force (1985)
Organized labor: 34% of labor force
Labor force
Unemployment rate: 12-15% (1990 est.)
Youth unemployment
Population below poverty line
Gini index
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget: revenues $126 million; expenditures $250 million (1990 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
Public debt
Revenue
Fiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices
Central bank discount rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate
Stock of narrow money
Stock of broad money
Stock of domestic credit
Market value of publicly traded shares
Current account balance
Exports: $189 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: bauxite, sugar, gold, rice, shrimp, molasses, timber, rum
Partners: UK 31%, US 23%, CARICOM 7%, Canada 6% (1988)
Imports: $246 million (c.i.f., 1991)
Commodoties: manufactures, machinery, food, petroleum
Partners: US 33%, CARICOM 10%, UK 9%, Canada 2% (1989)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Debt external
Stock of direct foreign investment at home
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad
Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 124.1 (March 1992) 111.8 (1991), 39.533 (1990), 27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988), 9.756 (1987)
Guyana - Energy 1992
top of pageElectricity
Production: 252,500 kW capacity; 647 million kWh produced, 863 kWh per capita (1991)
Coal
Petroleum
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Natural gas
Carbon dioxide emissions
Energy consumption per capita
Guyana - Communication 1992
top of pageTelephones
Telephone system
Broadcast media
Internet
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Guyana - Military 1992
top of pageMilitary expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $5.5 million, 6% of GDP (1989 est.)
Military and security forces
Military service age and obligation
Space program
Terrorist groups
Guyana - Transportation 1992
top of pageNational air transport system
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Airports:
54 total, 49 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 3,659 m; none
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 13
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
with runways over 3,659 m; none
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 13
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Heliports
Pipelines
Railways
Roadways
Waterways:
6,000 km total of navigable waterways; Berbice,
Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively
Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively
Merchant marine
Ports and terminals
Guyana - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes international
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Illicit drugs