Guyana

Co-operative Republic of Guyana

republicIndependence 26 May 1966 (from UK)

Guyana as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 103 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

Position5 00 N, 59 00 W

Area214,970 sq km

LocationNorthern South America, bordering the North Atlantic

Populationas each edition published it

705,156 people July 1999 est. · 764,649 in 1990

Population growth% a year

-0.32% 1999 est. · -0.68% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 25.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

61.82 years 1999 est. · 64.7 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.09 children per woman 1999 est. · 2.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

48.64 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 40 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,500 1998 est. · $370 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

-1.8% 1998 est. · 7% in 1993

Geography

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

17 fields

Land useshare of 214,970 sq km

arable land 2%permanent crops 0%permanent pastures 6%forests and woodland 84%other 8% (1993 est.)irrigated 1,300 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

214,970sq km

land: 196,850 sq kmwater: 18,120 sq kmslightly smaller than Idaho

Coastline

459km

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental marginexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Highest point

2,835m

Mount Roraimalowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Land boundaries

2,462km

border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

Location

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

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

Natural hazards

flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons

Environment--current issues

water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation

Environment--international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements

People

15 fields

Population

705,156

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: -0.32% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

18.23Death

9.04Net migration

-12.43

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)61.82

59.15 · 64.61

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)98.1%

98.6% · 97.5%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

Ethnic groups

East Indian 49%black 32%mixed 12%Amerindian 6%white and Chinese 1%

Religions

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 30% (male 109,156; female 105,017)
15-64 years:: 65% (male 230,624; female 227,677)
65 years and over:: 5% (male 14,684; female 17,998) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

48.64 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective:: Guyanese

Government

Republic; President Janet JAGAN (since NA December 1997); Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA December 1997)

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

54%

-PPP 54%PNC 41%AFG 1%TUF 1%last held on 15 December 1997 (next to be held by March 2000

National Assembly, 65 seats, elected 15 December 1997one dot, one seat

-PPP 36PNC 25AFG 2TUF 2

Percent of vote

-PPP 54%PNC 41%AFG 1%TUF 1%

Country name

conventional long form:: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form:: Guyana
former:: British Guiana

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 Janet JAGAN (since NA December 1997)
head of government:: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA 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 after legislative elections, which must be held within five years;
legislative elections last held 15 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2000; this date was part of a negotiated settlement between the two main political parties following a dispute over the December elections);
prime minister appointed by the president

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (65 seats, 53 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held on 15 December 1997 (next to be held by March 2000; this date was negotiated following a dispute over the December elections)
election results:: percent of vote by party--PPP 54%, PNC 41%, AFG 1%, TUF 1%; seats by party--PPP 36, PNC 25, AFG 2, TUF 2

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Judicature

Political parties and leaders

People's Progressive Party or PPP

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

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

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery:: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general:: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador James F. MACK
embassy:: 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
mailing address:: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown

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

In 1997, Guyana, one of the poorest countries | in the Western Hemisphere, posted its sixth straight year of | economic growth of 5% or better, with the advance led by gold and | bauxite mining and by sugar growing.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$2,500

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

-1.8%

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 7.1% (1997 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

4.1%

(1998)

Unemployment rate

12%

(1992 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1997 est.)

agriculture 37%industry 22%services 41% (1997 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

20.4%

27.6%

25.9%

Canada

22.7%

10.7%

Trinidad and Tobago

17.7%

8.4%

Netherlands Antilles

12.1%

4.3%

Germany

Japan

4.2%

Exports $593.4 million (1997 est.)Imports $641.6 million (1997 est.)(1996)

Budget

Revenues

$253.7 millionExpenditures

$304.1 million (1997 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $108.8 million

Electricity

fossil fuel 98.46%hydro 1.54%nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

325 million (1996)Electricity consumption

339 million (1996)Electricity imports

14 million (1996)

Economy--overview

In 1997, Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, posted its sixth straight year of economic growth of 5% or better, with the advance led by gold and bauxite mining and by sugar growing. Favorable growth factors have included expansion in the key agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more realistic exchange rate, a moderate inflation rate, and the continued support of international organizations.

However, a severe drought and political turmoil following the 1997 elections contributed to a negative growth rate for 1998. Serious underlying economic problems will continue. Electricity has been in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government must persist in efforts to manage its sizable external debt and extend its privatization program.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$1.8 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force

245,492 (1992)

Labor force--by occupation

agriculture, hunting and forestry 30.2%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 11% (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils;
beef, pork, poultry, dairy products;
forest and fishery potential not exploited

Exports

$593.4 million (1997 est.)

Exports--commodities

sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses

Imports

$641.6 million (1997 est.)

Imports--commodities

manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

Debt--external

$1.5 billion (1997)

Economic aid--recipient

$84 million (1995)

Currency

1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1--163.7 (December 1998), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997), 140.4 (1996), 142.0 (1995), 138.3 (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

33,000

(1987 est.)

Telephone system

fair system for long-distance calling

domestic:: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
international:: tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 1

Radios

398,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 public station; two private stations relay US satellite services (1997)

Televisions

32,000 (1992 est.)

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 44 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7

Networkskm

Highways

7,970Railways

Highways: paved: 590 km · unpaved: 7,380 km (1996 est.) · Railways: (all dedicated to ore transport) · standard gauge: 40 km 1.435-m gauge · narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge

Railways

total:: 88 km (all dedicated to ore transport)
standard gauge:: 40 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:: 48 km 0.914-m gauge

Highways

total:: 7,970 km
paved:: 590 km
unpaved:: 7,380 km (1996 est.)

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 and harbors

Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika

Merchant marine

total: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,340 GRT/4,530 DWT (1998 est.)

Airports

48 (1998 est.)

Military

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

5 fields

Military expenditures--percent of GDP

1.7%

(1994)

Military branches

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