Map of Guyana | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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 but until the early 1990s it was 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. Upon his death five years later he was succeeded by his wife Janet who resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor Bharrat JAGDEO was reelected in 2001.


top of page


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
Water: 18,120 km²
Land: 196,850 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 economic 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: 2.44%
Permanent crops: 0.08%
Other: 97.48% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 1500 km² (1998 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
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


top of page


Population
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 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 0.44% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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

Ethnic groups: East Indian 50% black 36% Amerindian 7% white Chinese and mixed 7%

Languages: English Amerindian dialects Creole Hindi Urdu

Religions: Christian 50% Hindu 35% Muslim 10% other 5%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 27% (male 96,775; female 93,077)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 240,305; female 236,378)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 15,755; female 19,810) (2003 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 25.7 years
Male: 25.2 years
Female: 26.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 0.44% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 17.87 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 9.27 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.16 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2003 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 37.55 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 33.26 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 41.64 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.09 years
Male: 60.51 years
Female: 65.79 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.7% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 18,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 1300 (2001 est.)

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: 98.8%
Male: 99.1%
Female: 98.5% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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

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: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President JAGAN
Head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA December 1997)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature
Elections: president elected by the majority party in the National Assembly following legislative elections, which must be held at least every five years; elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1

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

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress 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]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]

International organization participation: ACP C Caricom CDB ECLAC FAO G-77 IADB IBRD ICAO ICCt (signatory) ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO (subscriber) ITU LAES NAM OAS OIC OPANAL OPCW PCA RG UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WCO 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 consulates general: New York
In the us fax: [1] (202) 232-1297
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-6,900
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald D. GODARD
From the us embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 10,507, Georgetown
From the us telephone: [592] 225-4,900 through 4,909
From the us fax: [592] 225-8,497

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


top of page


Economy overview: The Guyanese economy has 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. 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 by restructuring and partial privatization.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.1% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2002 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 35%
Industry: 21%
Services: 44% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: sugar rice wheat vegetable oils; beef pork poultry dairy products; fish (shrimp)

Industries: bauxite sugar rice milling timber textiles gold mining

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

Labor force: 418,000 (2001 est.)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 9.1% (understated) (2000)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $227 million
Expenditures: $235.2 million, including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2000)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.7% (2002 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: $500 million f.o.b. (2002)
Commodities: sugar gold bauxite/alumina rice shrimp molasses rum timber
Partners: Canada 21.1% US 17.9% Netherlands Antilles 12.9% UK 10.4% Jamaica 5.3% Portugal 4.2% (2002)

Imports: $575 million c.i.f. (2002)
Commodities: manufactures machinery petroleum food
Partners: US 23.7% Netherlands Antilles 20.2% Trinidad and Tobago 15.2% Italy 6.3% UK 5.1% Cuba 4.2% (2002)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.2 billion (2002)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars per US dollar - NA (2002) 187.32 (2001) 182.43 (2000) 178 (1999) 150.52 (1998)


top of page


Electricity
Production: 852 million kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 99.4%
Production by source hydro: 0.6%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 792.4 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 70,000 (2000)
Mobile cellular: 6,100 (2000)

Telephone system
General assessment: 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: .gy
Service providers isps: 3 (2000)
Users: 95,000 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 51 (2002)
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 43
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 34 (2002)

Heliports

Pipelines

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

Waterways
Note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively

Merchant marine
Total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,929 GRT/4,507 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 2 (2002 est.)

Ports and terminals


top of page


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); territorial sea boundary with Suriname is in dispute

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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