Guyana

republicIndependence 26 May 1966 (from UK)

Guyana as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 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
LocationNorthern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between
1994

Every edition of Guyana

Populationas each edition published it
729,425 people July 1994 est. · 764,649 in 1990
Population growth% a year
-0.75% 1994 est. · -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
2.29 children per woman 1994 est. · 2.7 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
48.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 40 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,900 1993 est. · $370 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
8.3% 1993 est. · 7% in 1993

Geography

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between | Suriname and Venezuela

23 fields
Land boundaries
2,462km
total · Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Irrigated land
1,300sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Suriname and Venezuela

Map references

South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

214,970 sq km

land area

196,850 sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than Idaho

continental shelf

200 nm or the outer edge of continental margin

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

International 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

arable land

3%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

6%

forest and woodland

83%

other

8%

current issues

water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation

natural hazards

flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons

international agreements

party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratifed - Biodiversity, Climate Change

People

22 fields
Population
729,425
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: -0.75% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
19.95Death
7.36Net migration
-20.03

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
15
age · and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

48.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

64.9 years

male

61.66 years

female

68.3 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.29 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Guyanese (singular and plural)

adjective

Guyanese

Languages

English, Amerindian dialects

total population

95%

male

98%

female

96%

by occupation

industry and commerce 44.5%, agriculture 33.8%, services 21.7%

note

public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor force (1985)

Government

Republic

31 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

53.4%
PPP 53.4%PNC 42.3%WPA 2%TUF 1.2%

Legislature, 65 seatsone dot, one seat

(65 total, 53 elected) PPP 36PNC 26WPA 2TUF 1

conventional long form

Co-operative Republic of Guyana

conventional short form

Guyana

former

British Guiana

Type

republic

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

Independence

26 May 1966 (from UK)

National holiday

Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

Constitution

6 October 1980

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state

  • Executive President Cheddi JAGAN (since 5 October 1992);
  • First Vice President Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992);
  • election last held on 5 October 1992;
  • results - Cheddi JAGAN was elected president since he was leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections

head of government

Prime Minister Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992)

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers; appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature

National Assembly

  • elections last held on 5 October 1992 (next to be held in 1997);
  • results - PPP 53.4%, PNC 42.3%, WPA 2%, TUF 1.2%;
  • seats - (65 total, 53 elected) PPP 36, PNC 26, WPA 2, TUF 1

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Judicature

Political parties and leaders

  • People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi JAGAN;
  • People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE;;
  • People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE;
  • 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;
  • The United Force (TUF), Manzoor NADIR;
  • United Republican Party (URP), Leslie RAMSAMMY;
  • National Republican Party (NRP), Robert GANGADEEN;
  • Guyana Labor Party (GLP), Nanda GOPAUL

Other political or pressure groups

  • Trades Union Congress (TUC);
  • Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO);
  • Civil Liberties Action Committee (CLAC)

note

the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized

Member of

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL

chancery

2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 265-6900 through 6903

chief of mission

Ambassador George F. Jones

embassy

99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingstown, Georgetown

mailing address

P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown

telephone

[592] (2) 54900 through 54909 and 57960 through 57969

FAX

[592] (2) 58497

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

25 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$1,900
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
8.3%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 11% (1991 est.); accounts for about 11% of GDP
Unemployment rate
12%
(1992 est.)

Overview

Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, has pushed ahead strongly in 1991-93, at 7% average annual growth rate. Favorable factors include recovery in the key agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more realistic exchange rate, a sharp drop in the inflation rate, and the continued support of international organizations.

Serious underlying economic problems will continue. Electric power has been in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government will have to persist in efforts to control external debt and inflation and to extend the privatization program.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.4 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$121 million

expenditures

$225 million, including capital expenditures of $50 million (1990 est.)

Exports

$400 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

sugar, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses

partners

UK 33%, US 31%, Canada 9%, France 5%, Japan 3%, (1992)

Imports

$520 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)

commodities

manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

partners

US 37%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%, UK 11%, Italy 8%, Japan 5% (1992)

External debt

$1.9 billion including arrears (1992 est)

capacity

253,500 kW

production

276 million kWh

consumption per capita

370 kWh (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • most important sector, accounting for 25% 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

recipient

  • 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

1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 130.7 (January 1994), 126.7 (1993), 125.0 (1992), 111.8 (1991), 39.533 (1990), 27.159 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

14 fields

Railroads

no public railroads; about 100 km of narrow gauge industrial railroads to transport minerals, including bauxite

total

7,665 km

paved

550 km

unpaved

gravel 5,000 km; earth 2,115 km

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, New Amsterdam

Merchant marine

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,317 GRT/2,558 DWT

total

53

usable

48

with permanent-surface runways

5

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

0

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

12

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; including the Ground Forces, Coast Guard | and Air Corps), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National Service | (GNS)

3 fields

Branches

Guyana Defense Force (GDF; including the Ground Forces, Coast Guard and Air Corps), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National Service (GNS)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 197,802; fit for military service 150,072

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Central Intelligence Agency. “Guyana.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/guyana/1994.

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