Guyana

Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966 and became a republic in 1970. In 1989 Guyana launched an Economic Recovery Program, which marked a dramatic reversal from a state-controlled, socialist economy towards a more open, free market system. Results through the first decade have proven encouraging.

• tropical;
• hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds;
• two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)

• mostly rolling highlands;
• low coastal plain;
• savanna in south

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

0-14 years:

29% (male 102,463; female 98,492)

15-64 years:

66% (male 232,857; female 229,598)

65 years and over:

5% (male 15,170; female 18,706) (2000 est.)

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:

0.81 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

noun:

Guyanese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Guyanese

conventional long form:

Co-operative Republic of Guyana

conventional short form:

Guyana

former:

British Guiana

chief of state:

President Bharrat JAGDEO (since NA August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President JAGAN

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 following legislative elections, which must be held at least every five years;
• elections last held 15 December 1997 (next to be held by January 2001);
• prime minister appointed by the president

• Supreme Court of Judicature;
• Judicial Court of Appeal;
• High Court

• Alliance for Guyana or AFG [Rupert ROOPNARINE];
• Democratic Labor Movement or DLM [Paul TENNASSEE];
• For a Good and Green Guyana or GGG [Hamilton GREEN];
• Guyana Democratic Party or GDP [Asgar ALLY];
• Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA];
• Guyanese Organization for Liberty and Democracy Party or GOLD [Anthony MEKDECI];
• National Democratic Front or NDF [Joseph BACCHUS];
• National Republican Party or NRP [Robert GANGADEEN];
• People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Llewellyn JOHN];
• People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond HOYTE];
• People's Progressive Party or PPP [leader NA];
• The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR];
• Working People's Alliance or WPA [leader NA]

• 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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL

chancery:

2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 265-6900

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador James F. MACK

embassy:

99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown

mailing address:

P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown

telephone:

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

FAX:

[592] (2) 59497

• 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

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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

total:

187 km (all dedicated to ore transport)

standard gauge:

139 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge:

48 km 0.914-m gauge

total:

7,970 km

paved:

590 km

unpaved:

7,380 km (1996 est.)

total:

1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,023 GRT/1,972 DWT

ships by type:

cargo 1 (1999 est.)

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

• transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US;
• producer of cannabis [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]