Guyana

republicIndependence 26 May 1966 (from UK

Guyana as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalGeorgetown

Area214,970 km2

Populationas each edition published it

739,431 people July 1992 · 764,649 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition -0.68% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 25.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 64.7 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.4 children per woman 1992 · 2.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

50 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 40 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $370 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 7% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Total area

214,970km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than Idaho

Coastline

459km

Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nmExclusive fishing zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

2,462km

Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

Disputes

all of the area west of the Essequibo River claimed by Venezuela;
Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)

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

Natural resources

bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish

Land use

arable land 3%;
permanent crops NEGL%;
meadows and pastures 6%;
forest and woodland 83%;
other 8%;
includes irrigated 1%

Environment

flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution

People

14 fields

Population

739,431

(July 1992), growth rate - 0.6% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

21Death

7Net migration

-20

Ethnic divisions

East Indian 51%black and mixed 43%Amerindian 4%European and Chinese 2%

Religions

Christian 57%Hindu 33%Muslim 9%other 1%

Literacy

95%

(male 98%, female 96%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun - Guyanese (singular and plural); adjective - Guyanese

Labor force

268,000;
industry and commerce 44.5%, agriculture 33.8%, services 21.7%;
public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor force (1985)

Government

Republic

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

78%

PNC 78%PPP 16%UF 4%WPA 2%

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; formerly British Guiana)

Constitution

6 October 1980

Legal system

based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday

Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

Executive branch

executive president, first vice president, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Judicature

Leaders

Chief of State:: Executive President Hugh Desmond HOYTE (since 6 August 1985); First Vice President Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 1985)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Hamilton GREEN (since NA August 1985)

Political parties and leaders

People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE;
People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi JAGAN;
Working People's Alliance (WPA), Eusi KWAYANA, Rupert ROOPNARINE;
Democratic Labor Movement (DLM), Paul TENNASSEE;
People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Llewellyn JOHN;
National Democratic Front (NDF), Joseph BACCHUS;
United Force (UF), Manzoor NADIR;
United Republican Party (URP), Leslie RAMSAMMY;
National Republican Party (NRP), Robert GANGADEEN;
Guyanese Labor Party (GLP), Nanda GOPAUL

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Elections

Executive President:: last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held 1992);
results - Hugh Desmond HOYTE was elected president since he was leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections
National Assembly:: last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held mid-1992);
results - PNC 78%, PPP 16%, UF 4%, WPA 2%;
seats - (65 total, 53 elected) PNC 42, PPP 8, UF 2, WPA 1

Other political or pressure groups

Trades Union Congress (TUC);
Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO);
Civil Liberties Action Committee (CLAC);
the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized;
Guyanese Action for Reform and Democracy (GUARD) includes various labor groups, as well as several of the smaller political parties

Member of

ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Dr. Cedric Hilburn GRANT;
Chancery at 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008;
telephone (202) 265-6900;
there is a Guyanese Consulate General in New York

US:: Ambassador George JONES;
Embassy at 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Georgetown;
telephone [592] (2) 54900 through 54909

Flag

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 is one of the world's poorest countries with a per capita income less | than one-fifth the South American average.

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

75%

(1990)

External debt

$2.0billion

including arrears (1990)

Overview

Guyana is one of the world's poorest countries with a per capita income less than one-fifth the South American average. After growing on average at less than 1% a year in 1986-87, GDP dropped by 5% a year in 1988-90. The decline resulted from bad weather, labor trouble in the canefields, and flooding and equipment problems in the bauxite industry.

Consumer prices rose about 100% in 1989 and 75% in 1990, and the current account deficit widened substantially as sugar and bauxite exports fell. Moreover, electric power is in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government, in association with international financial agencies, seeks to reduce its payment arrears and to raise new funds.

The government's stabilization program - aimed at establishing realistic exchange rates, reasonable price stability, and a resumption of growth - requires considerable public administrative abilities and continued patience by consumers during a long incubation period. In 1991, buoyed by a recovery in mining and agriculture, the economy posted 6% growth, according to official figures. A large volume of illegal and quasi- legal economic activity is not captured in estimates of the country's total output.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $250 million, per capita $300; real growth rate 6% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

12-15% (1990 est.)

Budget

revenues $126 million; expenditures $250 million (1990 est.)

Exports

$189 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)

commodities:: bauxite, sugar, gold, rice, shrimp, molasses, timber, rum
partners:: UK 31%, US 23%, CARICOM 7%, Canada 6% (1988)

Imports

$246 million (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities:: manufactures, machinery, food, petroleum
partners:: US 33%, CARICOM 10%, UK 9%, Canada 2% (1989)

Industrial production

growth rate - 12.0% (1990 est.); accounts for about 11% of GDP

Electricity

252,500 kW capacity; 647 million kWh produced, 863 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

most important sector, accounting for 24% of GDP and about half of exports;
sugar and rice are key crops;
development potential exists for fishing and forestry;
not self-sufficient in food, especially wheat, vegetable oils, and animal products

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $116 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $325 million;
Communist countries 1970-89, $242 million

Currency

Guyanese dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 124.1 (March 1992) 111.8 (1991), 39.533 (1990), 27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988), 9.756 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

7 fields

Airports, 54 total, 49 usable

permanent-surface runways

5runways | over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

nonerunways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

7,665Railroads

187

Highways: ; 550 km paved, 5,000 km gravel, 1,525 km earth, 590 km unimproved · Railroads: , all single track 0.914-meter gauge

Railroads

187 km total, all single track 0.914-meter gauge

Highways

7,665 km total; 550 km paved, 5,000 km gravel, 1,525 km earth, 590 km unimproved

Inland waterways

6,000 km total of navigable waterways; Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively

Ports

Georgetown

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

fair system with radio relay network;
over 27,000 telephones;
tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad;
broadcast stations - 4 AM, 3 FM, no TV, 1 shortwave;
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Guyana Defense Force (GDF; includes Coast Guard and Air Corps), Guyana | Police Force (GPF), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National Service | (GNS)

3 fields

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