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  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
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  Military
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This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005


Map of Guyana



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Guyana
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Guyana
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
5 00 N, 59 00 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
South America
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 214,970 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km
water: 18,120 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
459 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 2.44%
permanent crops: 0.15%
other: 97.41% (2001)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
1,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
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
   People    Guyana
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
765,283
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 2005 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 26.4% (male 103,054/female 99,279)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 263,953/female 260,000)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 16,801/female 22,196) (2005 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 26.91 years
male: 26.44 years
female: 27.4 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.26% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
18.45 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-7.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 33.26 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 36.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 65.5 years
male: 62.86 years
female: 68.28 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.05 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
11,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.1%
female: 98.5% (2003 est.)
   Government    Guyana
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
republic within the Commonwealth
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Georgetown
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
26 May 1966 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
6 October 1980
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since 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:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected by popular vote, 1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2 nonvoting members appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held 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:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
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 [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]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Trades Union Congress or TUC
note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not well organized
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, 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:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900
FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Roland BULLEN
embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909
FAX: [592] 225-8497
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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    Guyana
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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 then slowed in 2003 and came back gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export earnings. 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.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $2.899 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.9% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 38.3%
industry: 19.9%
services: 41.8% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
34.5% of GDP (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.5% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
418,000 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9.1% (understated) (2000)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $287.6 million
expenditures: $371.6 million, including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7.1% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
808 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
751.4 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
11,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$-129.4 million (2004 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$570.2 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Canada 24.5%, US 20.9%, UK 13.1%, Portugal 6.4%, Belgium 6.3%, Jamaica 5.9% (2003)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$650.1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 22.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 19.2%, Italy 11.2%, UK 7.2%, Cuba 5.3% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$280.6 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.2 billion (2002)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997) (2000 est.)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
GYD
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 198.308 (2004), 190.665 (2003), 190.665 (2002), 187.321 (2001), 182.43 (2000)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Guyana
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
80,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
87,300 (2002)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.gy
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
613 (2003)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
125,000 (2002)
   Transportation    Guyana
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
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.)
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 7,970 km
paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
1,077 km
note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,475 GRT/8,758 DWT
by type: cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1
registered in other countries: 3 (2005)
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
49 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 41
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 32 (2004 est.)
   Military    Guyana
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Guyana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Corps, Guyana People's Militia
Military manpower - availability:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 206,098 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 137,964 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$6.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.9% (2004)
   Transnational Issues    Guyana
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
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 UNCLOS arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005


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