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 and since then it has been 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. After his death five years later his wife Janet JAGAN became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor Bharrat JAGDEO was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006.

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: 2,949 km
Border countries: (3) Brazil 1,606 km; , Suriname 600 km; , Venezuela 743 km

Coastline: 459 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin

Climate: tropical; hot humid moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August November to 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: 2.23%
Permanent crops: 0.14%
Other: 97.63% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1500 km² (2003)

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

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 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 0.234% (2006 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.1% (male 102,111/female 98,325)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 266,288/female 261,620)
65 years and over: 5.3% (male 17,308/female 23,443) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 27.8 years
Male: 27.3 years
Female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.234% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 18.09 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 8.28 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -7.47 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.039 male/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 32.19 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 35.8 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 28.4 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.86 years
Male: 63.21 years
Female: 68.65 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.04 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.5% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 11,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 1100 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 98.8%
Male: 99.1%
Female: 98.5% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Cooperative Republic of Guyana
Conventional short form: Guyana
Former: British Guiana

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Georgetown
Geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 10 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

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

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 Janet JAGAN and reelected in 2001, and again in 2006
Head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since October 1992, except for a period as chief of state after the death of President Cheddi JAGAN on 6 March 1997)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature
Elections: president elected by popular vote as leader of a party list in parliamentary elections, which must be held at least every five years (no term limits); elections last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of vote 54.6%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 54.6%, PNC/R 34%, AFC 8.1%, other 3.3%; seats by party - PPP/C 36, PNC/R 22, AFC 5, other 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature consisting of the High Court and the Judicial Court of Appeal with right of final appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Change or AFC [Raphael TROTMAN and Khemraj RAMJATTAN]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Justice for All Party [C.N. SHARMA]; People's National Congress/Reform 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]; The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN]; Vision Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]

International organization participation: ACP C Caricom CDB CSN FAO G-77 IADB IBRD ICAO ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ISO (subscriber) ITU LAES MIGA NAM OAS OIC OPANAL OPCW PCA RG UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
In the us chancery: 2,490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-6,900
In the us fax: [1] (202) 232-1297
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador David M. ROBINSON
From the us embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 10,507, Georgetown; US Embassy, 3,170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20,521-3,170
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

Economy overview: The Guyanese economy 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. Growth slowed in 2003 and came back gradually in 2004 buoyed largely by increased export earnings; it slowed again in 2005. 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 from restructuring and partial privatization. Export earnings from agriculture and mining have fallen sharply while the import bill has risen driven by higher energy prices. Guyana's entrance into the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) in January 2006 might broaden the country's export market primarily in the raw materials sector.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $3.439 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: -3% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $4,500 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 37%
Industry: 20.3%
Services: 42.7% (2005 est.)

Agriculture products: sugarcane rice wheat vegetable oils; beef pork poultry dairy products; fish shrimp

Industries: bauxite sugar rice milling timber textiles gold mining

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

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

Unemployment rate: 9.1% (understated) (2000)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $320.1 million
Expenditures: $362.6 million; including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2005 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.9% (2005 est.)

Current account balance: $-112 million (2005 est.)

Exports: $587.2 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: sugar gold bauxite/alumina rice shrimp molasses rum timber
Partners: Canada 18.9% US 18.9% UK 11.7% Portugal 8.1% Jamaica 5.3% Trinidad and Tobago 4.2% (2005)

Imports: $681.6 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: manufactures machinery petroleum food
Partners: US 26.7% Trinidad and Tobago 23.9% Cuba 6.6% UK 5% China 4.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $261 million (2005 est.)

Debt external: $1.2 billion (2002)

Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 200.79 (2005) 198.31 (2004) 193.88 (2003) 190.67 (2002) 187.32 (2001)

Electricity
Production: 779 million kWh (2003)
Consumption: 724.5 million kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 110,100 (2005)
Mobile cellular: 281,400 (2005)

Telephone system
General assessment: fair system for long-distance service
Domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
International: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .gy
Hosts: 1046 (2006)
Users: 160,000 (2005)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 0.9% (2003 est.)

Airports: 90 (2006)
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (2006)
With unpaved runways total: 81
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 14
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 65 (2006)

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
Total: 7,970 km
Paved: 590 km
Unpaved: 7,380 km (1999)

Waterways: Berbice Demerara and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km 100 km and 80 km respectively (2005)

Merchant marine
Total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,461 GRT/15,155 DWT
By type: cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1
Foreign owned: 1 (Germany 1)
Registered in other countries: 4 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, unknown 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Georgetown

Disputes international: all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis; rising money laundering related to drug trafficking and human smuggling