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: 214,969 km²
Rank: 85
Land: 196,849 km²
Water: 18,120 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Idaho

Land boundaries
Total: 2,949 km
Border countries: (3) Brazil 1606 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 (2008)

Total renewable water resources: 241 km³ (2000)

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: 744,768 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 164
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 higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Growth rate: -0.44% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 220
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Guyanese
Adjective: Guyanese

Ethnic groups: East Indian 43.5% black (African) 30.2% mixed 16.7% Amerindian 9.1% other 0.5% (2002 census)

Languages: English Amerindian dialects Creole Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi) Urdu

Religions: Protestant 30.5% (Pentecostal 16.9% Anglican 6.9% Seventh-Day Adventist 5% Methodist 1.7%) Hindu 28.4% Roman Catholic 8.1% Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1% Muslim 7.2% other Christian 17.7% other 4.3% none 4.3% (2002 census)

Age structure
0-14 years: 31.9%
15-64 years: 63.3% (male 235,566/female 235,717)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 14,801/female 21,049) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 23.9 years
Male: 23.2 years
Female: 24.6 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.44% (2011 est.)
Rank: 220

Birth rate: 17.12 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 117

Death rate: 7.2 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 125

Net migration rate: -14.32 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 216

Urbanization
Urban population: 29% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 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: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 36.76 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 68
Male: 41.09 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 32.2 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.08 years
Rank: 159
Male: 63.27 years
Female: 71.07 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 95

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.48 physicians/1000 population (2000)
Rank: 126

Hospital bed density: 1.9 beds/1000 population (2007)
Rank: 107

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.2% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 40
People living with hivaids: 5,900 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 117
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 87

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 10.8% (2007)
Rank: 63

Education expenditures: 6.1% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 28

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 91.8%
Male: 92%
Female: 91.6% (2002 Census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 12 years (2009)

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 the UK)

National holiday: Republic Day 23 February (1970)

Constitution: 6 October 1980

Legal system: common law system based on the English model with some Roman-Dutch civil law influence

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Donald RAMOTAR ;
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 on 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Donald RAMOTAR elected president percent of vote 48.6%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats; members elected by popular vote also not more than 4 non-elected non-voting ministers and 2 non-elected non-voting parliamentary secretaries appointed by the president; members to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held by November 2016)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 48.6% APNU 40% AFC 10.3% other 1.1%; seats by party - PPP/C 32 APNU 26 AFC 7

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

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Change or AFC [Khemraj RAMJATTAN]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Everall FRANKLIN]; Justice for All Party [C.N. SHARMA]; A Partnership for National Unity or APNU [David GRANGER]; People's National Congress/Reform or PNC/R [Robert Herman Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Donald RAMOTAR]; 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 [Clive THOMAS]

International organization participation: ACP AOSIS C Caricom CDB FAO G-77 IADB IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ISO (subscriber) ITU LAES MIGA NAM OAS OIC OPANAL OPCW PCA PetroCaribe RG UN UNASUR UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU 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 consulate general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Karen L. WILLIAMS
From the us embassy: 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; green represents forest and foliage; yellow stands for mineral resources and a bright future; white symbolizes Guyana's rivers; red signifies zeal and the sacrifice of the people; black indicates perseverance

National symbols: Canje pheasant (hoatzin); jaguar

National anthem
Name: 'Dear Land of Guyana of Rivers and Plains'
Lyricsmusic: Archibald Leonard LUKERL/Robert Cyril Gladstone POTTER
Note: adopted 1966

Economy overview: The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in recent years and is based largely on agriculture and extractive industries. The economy is heavily dependent upon the export of six commodities - sugar gold bauxite shrimp timber and rice - which represent nearly 60% of the country's GDP and are highly susceptible to adverse weather conditions and fluctuations in commodity prices. Guyana's entrance into the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) in January 2006 has broadened the country's export market primarily in the raw materials sector. Economic recovery since a 2005 flood-related contraction was buoyed by increases in remittances and foreign direct investment in the sugar and rice industries as well as the mining sector. 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. In March 2007 the Inter-American Development Bank Guyana's principal donor canceled Guyana's nearly $470 million debt equivalent to nearly 48% of GDP which along with other Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) debt forgiveness brought the debt-to-GDP ratio down from 183% in 2006 to 120% in 2007. Guyana became heavily indebted as a result of the inward-looking state-led development model pursued in the 1970s and 1980s. Growth slowed in 2009-10 as a result of the world recession. The slowdown in the domestic economy and lower import costs helped to narrow the country's current account deficit despite generally lower earnings from exports.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 160
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 107

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 128
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 24%
Industry: 24.4%
Services: 51.5% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: sugarcane rice edible oils; shrimp fish beef pork poultry

Industries: bauxite sugar rice milling timber textiles gold mining

Industrial production growth rate: 2.5% (2010 est.)
Rank: 125

Labor force: 333,900 (2007 est.)
Rank: 161
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 11% (2007)
Rank: 121

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.3%
Highest 10: 33.8% (1999)

Distribution of family income gini index: 43.2 (1999)
Rank: 47

Budget
Revenues: $587.3 million
Expenditures: $653.6 million (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 96

Taxes and other revenues: 26.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 113

Public debt: 57% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 41

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.9% (2009 est.)
Rank: 140

Central bank discount rate: 6.75% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 50

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14.54% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 61

Stock of narrow money: $326.5 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 163

Stock of broad money: $1.296 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 149

Stock of domestic credit: $826.8 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 155

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 112

Current account balance: -$254.1 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 92

Exports: $763 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 156
Commodities: sugar gold bauxite alumina rice shrimp molasses rum timber
Partners: Canada 24.6% US 24.6% Ukraine 6% Netherlands 4.9% Trinidad and Tobago 4.6% Portugal 4.5% Jamaica 4.5% UK 4.1% (2010)

Imports: $1.161 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 166
Commodities: manufactures machinery petroleum food
Partners: Trinidad and Tobago 24.2% US 23.1% Cuba 6.7% China 6.7% South Korea 4.1% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $631.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 140

Debt external: $1.2 billion (2002)
Rank: 156

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 820 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 151
Consumption: 688 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 153
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 193
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 186
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 110
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 131
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 145

Telephones
Main lines in use: 149,900 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 135
Mobile cellular: 555,400 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 163

Telephone system
General assessment: fair system for long-distance service; microwave radio relay network for trunk lines; many areas still lack fixed-line telephone services
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 15 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity about 35 per 100 persons in 2005
International: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media: government-dominated broadcast media; the National Communications Network (NCN) TV is state-owned; a few private TV stations relay satellite services; the state owns and operates 2 radio stations broadcasting on multiple frequencies capable of reaching the entire country; government limits on licensing of new private radio stations continue to constrain competition in broadcast media (2007)

Internet
Country code: .gy
Hosts: 8,840 (2010)
Hosts rank: 132
Users: 189,600 (2009)
Users rank: 142

Military expenditures: 1.8% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 80

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)

Airports: 96 (2010)
Rank: 63
With paved runways total: 10
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 7 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 86
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 73 (2010)

Roadways
Total: 7,970 km
Rank: 142
Paved: 590 km
Unpaved: 7,380 km (2001)

Waterways: 330 km (the Berbice Demerara and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km 100 km and 80 km respectively) (2010)
Rank: 92

Merchant marine
Total: 8
Rank: 121
By type: cargo 6 petroleum tanker 1 refrigerated cargo 1
Registered in other countries: 3 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2 unknown 1) (2010)

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