Guyana
Co-operative Republic of Guyana conventional short form: Guyana former: British Guiana
republic within the CommonwealthIndependence 26 May 1966 (from UK)
Guyana as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 112 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
17 fieldsClimate
- tropical;
- hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds;
- two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Land use
arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 84% other: 8% (1993 est.)
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, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Population
- 697,181 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 2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 28.19% (male 100,194; female 96,309) 15-64 years: 66.89% (male 234,976; female 231,360) 65 years and over: 4.92% (male 15,324; female 19,018) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
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: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 63.31 years male: 60.52 years female: 66.24 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98.1% male: 98.6% female: 97.5% (1995 est.)
Government
Republic within the Commonwealth; President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999)
19 fieldsNational Assembly, 65 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana conventional short form: Guyana former: British Guiana
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
Legal system
based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 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 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA);
- prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected;
- percent of legislative vote - NA%
Legislative branch
- unicameral National Assembly (65 seats, 53 elected by popular vote, 10 elected by the ten Regional Democratic Councils, and 2 elected by the National Congress of Local Democratic Organs; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA 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
Political parties and leaders
Alliance for Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARINE]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [leader NA]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond HOYTE]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Janet JAGEN]; Rise, Organize and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPARNINE]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC;
- Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO;
- Rise, Organize and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV];
- Trades Union Congress or TUC note: the GCIO and the CLAC 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, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, 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 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald D. GODARD embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown telephone: [592] (2) 54900 through 54909, 57960 through 57969
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
Severe drought and political turmoil contributed to Guyana's negative growth of -1.8% for 1998 following six straight years of growth of 5% or better.
32 fieldsElectricity
Economy - overview
Severe drought and political turmoil contributed to Guyana's negative growth of -1.8% for 1998 following six straight years of growth of 5% or better. Growth came back to a positive 1.8% in 1999 and 3% in 2000. Underlying 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 continued support by international organizations.
President JAGDEO, the former finance minister, is taking steps to reform the economy, including drafting an investment code and restructuring the inefficient and unresponsive public sector. Problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government must persist in efforts to manage its sizable external debt and attract new investment.
Budget
revenues: $220.1 million expenditures: $286.4 million, including capital expenditures of $86.6 million (1998)
Agriculture - products
- sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils;
- beef, pork, poultry, dairy products;
- forest and fishery potential not exploited
Economic aid - recipient
$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)
Exchange rates
Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 184.1 (November 2000), 182.2 (2000), 178.0 (1999), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997), 140.4 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- 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)
Television broadcast stations
3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)
Transportation
8 fieldsNetworkskm
Railways
total: 187 km (all dedicated to ore transport) standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge
Waterways
5,900 km (total length of navigable waterways) note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively
Merchant marine
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,929 GRT/4,507 DWT ships by type: cargo 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 36 (2000 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 fieldsMilitary 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
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- 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)
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Guyana.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/guyana/2001.