Map of Guyana | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: South America

Area
Total area total: 214,970 km²
Land: 196,850 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Idaho

Land boundaries: total 2,462 km, Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

Coastline: 459 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
Exclusive fishing 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

Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish

Land use
Arable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 6%
Forest and woodland: 83%
Other: 8%

Irrigated land: 1,300 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 723,774 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: -0.81% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Guyanese

Ethnic groups: East Indian 51%, black and mixed 43%, Amerindian 4%, European and Chinese 2%

Languages: English, Amerindian dialects

Religions: Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 33% (female 118,515; male 123,048)
15-64 years: 62% (female 224,484; male 225,543)
65 years and over: 5% (female 17,540; male 14,644) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.81% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 19.41 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 7.34 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -20.19 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
Current issues natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 47.7 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.1 years
Male: 61.86 years
Female: 68.5 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1990 est.)
Total population: 96%
Male: 98%
Female: 95%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Conventional short form: Guyana
Former: British Guiana

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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Executive President Cheddi JAGAN (since 5 October 1992); election last held 5 October 1992; results - Cheddi JAGAN was elected president since he was leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections
Head of government: Prime Minister Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers; appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly: elections last held on 5 October 1992 (next to be held in 1997); results - PPP 53.4%, PNC 42.3%, WPA 2%, TUF 1.2%; seats - (65 total, 53 elected) PPP 36, PNC 26, WPA 2, TUF 1

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, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
In the us chancery: 2,490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-6,900, 6,901
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador George F. JONES
From the us embassy: 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 10,507, Georgetown
From the us telephone: [592] (2) 54,900 through 54,909, 57,960 through 57,969
From the us FAX: [592] (2) 58,497

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, has pushed ahead strongly in 1992-94, with an 8% average annual economic growth rate, led by gold mining, and rice, sugar, and forestry products for export. Favorable factors include recovery in the key agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more realistic exchange rate, a sharp drop in the inflation rate, and the continued support of international organizations. Serious underlying economic problems will continue. Electric power has been in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government will have to persist in efforts to manage its large $2.2 billion external debt, control inflation, and to extend the privatization program.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 8.5% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,950 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: most important sector, accounting for 25% 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: 5.6% (1994 est.)

Labor force: 268,000
By occupation industry and commerce: 44.5%
By occupation agriculture: 33.8%
By occupation services: 21.7%
Note: public-sector employment amounts to 60%-80% of the total labor force (1985)

Unemployment rate: 12% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $23.7 million
Expenditures: $19.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 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: $475 million (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodoties: sugar, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses
Partners: UK 33%, US 31%, Canada 9%, France 5%, Japan 3% (1992)

Imports: $456 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Partners: US 37%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%, UK 11%, Italy 8%, Japan 5% (1992)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.2 billion (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 142.7 (January 1995), 138.3 (1994), 126.7 (1993), 125.0 (1992), 111.8 (1991), 39.533 (1990)


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Electricity
Capacity: 110,000 kW
Production: 230 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 286 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: over 27,000 telephones; fair system for long distance calling
Local: NA
Intercity: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
International: tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 54
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 34
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 14

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

Merchant marine: total:1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,317 GRT/2,558 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: 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)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to the US and Europe; producer of cannabis