Map of Guyana | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: 5 00 N, 59 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: 214,970 km²
Land: 196,850 km²
Water: 18,120 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Idaho

Land boundaries
Total: 2,462 km
Border countries: (3) 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
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes 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 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons

Geography


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Population: 706,116 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: -0.78% (1997 est.)

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

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

Languages: English, Amerindian dialects

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 32% (male 115,120; female 110,741)
15-64 years: 63% (male 225,199; female 222,793)
65 years and over: 5% (male 14,563; female 17,700) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.78% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 18.71 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 10.02 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -16.55 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 51.4 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 59.27 years
Male: 56.93 years
Female: 61.74 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.16 children born/woman (1997 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
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 98.1%
Male: 98.6%
Female: 97.5% (1995 est.)

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 Samuel HINDS (since March 1997); replaced Cheddi JAGAN who died in office, March 1997
Head of government: Prime Minister Janet JAGAN (since March 1997); filled vacancy created when Samuel HINDS ascended to office of Executive President following death of Cheddi JAGAN, March 1997
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature
Elections: president elected by the majority party in the National Assembly after legislative elections, which must be held within five years; legislative elections last held 5 October 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); prime minister appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats, 53 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 5 October 1992 (next to be held by October 1997)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PPP 53.4%, PNC 42.3%, WPA 2%, TUF 1.2%; seats by party - 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, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Hugh SIMON
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: In 1996, Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, posted its fifth straight year of economic growth of 5% or better, with the advance led by gold and bauxite mining and by sugar. Favorable 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 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 must persist in efforts to manage its sizable external debt and extend its privatization program.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 7.9% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 49%
Industry: 28%
Services: 33% (1995 est.)

Agriculture products: sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; development potential exists for fishing and forestry

Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold mining

Industrial production growth rate: 5.6% (1994 est.)

Labor force: NA

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: $209 million
Expenditures: $303 million, including capital expenditures of $109 million (1995 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

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
Total value: $565 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses
Partners: Canada 33%, US 24%, UK 22% (1994 est.)

Imports
Total value: $589 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
Commodities: manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Partners: US 29%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, Netherlands Antilles 17%, UK 11%, (1994 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.5 billion (1996 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 140.3 (February 1997), 141.1 (December 1996), 140.4 (1996), 142.0 (1995), 138.3 (1994), 126.7 (1993), 125.0 (1992)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 318 million kWh (1995)

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 301 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 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)

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $7 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 1.7% (1994)

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: 47 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 36
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 32 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 11
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9 (1996 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 36
15-24 to 2437 m: 3
914 to 1523 m: 1
Under 914 m: 32 (1996 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 11
15-24 to 2437 m: 2
914 to 1523 m: 9 (1996 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 88 km
Standard gauge: 40 km 1.435-m gauge (dedicated to ore transport)
Narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge (dedicated to ore transport)

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 (1996 est.)

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