Map of Guyana | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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
Comparative: slightly smaller than Idaho

Land boundaries

Coastline: 459 km

Maritime claims

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

Irrigated land: 1300 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: 697,286
Growth rate: -0.1% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: East Indian 51% black 30% mixed 14% Amerindian 4% white and Chinese 1%

Languages: English Amerindian dialects Creole Hindi Urdu

Religions: Christian 50% Hindu 33% Muslim 9% other 8%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.1% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 17.94 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 8.42 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -10.48 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 39.07 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 2.11 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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

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

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats 53 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Guyana or AFG [Rupert ROOPNARINE]; Democratic Labor Movement or DLM [Paul TENNASSEE]; For a Good and Green Guyana or GGG [Hamilton GREEN]; Guyana Democratic Party or GDP [Asgar ALLY]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; Guyanese Organization for Liberty and Democracy Party or GOLD [Anthony MEKDECI]; National Democratic Front or NDF [Joseph BACCHUS]; National Republican Party or NRP [Robert GANGADEEN]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Llewellyn JOHN]; People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond HOYTE]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [leader NA]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [leader NA]

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 OPANAL OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTrO

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 green

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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. 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 an inadequate and poorly maintained transportation system. Also electricity has been in short supply; the privatization of the sector in August 1999 is expected to improve prospects. 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: 1.8% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: sugar rice wheat vegetable oils; beef pork poultry dairy products; forest and fishery potential not exploited

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

Industrial production growth rate: 7.1% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 245,492 (1992)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 12% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.5% (1999 est.)

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: $574 million (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: sugar gold bauxite/alumina rice shrimp molasses rum timber
Partners: US 25% Canada 24% UK 19% Netherlands Antilles 11% Jamaica 5% (1998)

Imports: $620 million (c.i.f. 1999 est.)
Commodities: manufactures machinery petroleum food
Partners: US 28% Trinidad and Tobago 21% Netherlands Antilles 14% UK 7% Japan 5% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.4 billion (1998)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 180.4 (December 1999) 178.0 (1999) 150.5 (1998) 142.4 (1997) 140.4 (1996) 142.0 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 325 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 302 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 45,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 1243 (1995)

Telephone system: fair system for long-distance calling

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 2 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $7 million (FY94)
Percent of gdp: 1.7% (FY94)

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: 51 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

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 [Koetari] Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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