Guyana

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

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

• population is heavily concentrated in the northeast in and around Georgetown, with noteable concentrations along the Berbice River to the east;
• the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

• the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay;
• substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively;
• contains some of the largest unspoiled rainforests on the continent

noun:

Guyanese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Guyanese

• population is heavily concentrated in the northeast in and around Georgetown, with noteable concentrations along the Berbice River to the east;
• the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.1 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.68 male(s)/female

total population:

1.02 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

degree of risk:

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

dengue fever and malaria

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

particulate matter emissions:

20.46 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

2.38 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

1.81 megatons (2020 est.)

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

urban population:

26.9% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization:

1.01% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

degree of risk:

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

dengue fever and malaria

municipal solid waste generated annually:

179,252 tons (2010 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

968 tons (2010 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

0.5% (2010 est.)

municipal:

61.3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial:

20.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

1.363 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

conventional long form:

Cooperative Republic of Guyana

conventional short form:

Guyana

former:

British Guiana

etymology:

• the name is derived from Guiana, the original name for the region that included British Guiana, Dutch Guiana, and French Guiana;
• ultimately the word is derived from an indigenous Amerindian language and means "Land of Many Waters" (referring to the area's multitude of rivers and streams)

name:

Georgetown

geographic coordinates:

6 48 N, 58 09 W

time difference:

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

when the British took possession of the town from the Dutch in 1812, they renamed it Georgetown in honor of King George III (1738-1820)

history:

several previous; latest promulgated 6 October 1980

amendments:

• proposed by the National Assembly;
• passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles, such as national sovereignty, government structure and powers, and constitutional amendment procedures, requires approval by the Assembly membership, approval in a referendum, and assent of the president;
• other amendments only require Assembly approval;
• amended many times, last in 2016

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent only:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

na

chief of state:

• President Mohammed Irfaan ALI (since 2 August 2020);
• First Vice President Mark PHILLIPS (since 2 August 2020);
• Vice President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 2 August 2020);
• Prime Minister Mark PHILLIPS (since 2 August 2020) ;
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President Mohammed Irfaan ALI (since 2 August 2020);
• First Vice President Mark PHILLIPS (since 2 August 2020);
• Vice President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 2 August 2020)

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly

elections/appointments:

• the predesignated candidate of the winning party in the last National Assembly election becomes president for a 5-year term (no term limits);
• election last held on 2 March 2020 (next to be held in 2025);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

2020: Mohammed Irfaan ALI (PPP/C) designated president by the majority party in the National Assembly; 2015: David GRANGER (APNU-AFC) designated president by the majority party in the National Assembly

description:

unicameral National Assembly (65 seats; 40 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency and 25 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - all by closed-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

last held on 2 March 2020 (next to be held in 2025)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - PPP/C 50.69%, APNU-AFC 47.34%, LJP 0.58%, ANUG 0.5%, TNM 0.05%, other 0.84%;
• seats by party - PPP/C 33, APNU-AFC 31, LJP-ANUG-TNM 1;
• composition - men 43, women 22, percent of women 33.8%;
• note - the initial results were declared invalid and a partial recount was conducted from 6 May to 8 June 2020, in which PPP/C was declared the winner

highest courts:

• Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with a chief justice and 3 justices, and the High Court with a chief justice and 10 justices organized into 3- or 5-judge panels);
• note - in 2009, Guyana acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal in civil and criminal cases, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office:

• Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president;
• other judges of both courts appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a body appointed by the president;
• judges appointed for life with retirement at age 65

subordinate courts:

Land Court; magistrates' courts

• A New and United Guyana or ANUG [Ralph RAMKARRAN]
• A Partnership for National Unity or APNU [David A. GRANGER]
• Alliance for Change or AFC [Raphael TROTMAN]
• Justice for All Party [C.N. SHARMA]
• Liberty and Justice Party or LJP [Lenox SHUMAN]
• National Independent Party or NIP [Saphier Husain SUBEDAR]
• People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO]
• The New Movement or TNM [joint leadership of several medical doctors]
• The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]
• United Republican Party or URP [Vishnu BANDHU]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Samuel Archibald HINDS (since 7 July 2021)

chancery:

2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 265-6900

FAX:

[1] (202) 232-1297

email address and website:

[email protected]; http://www.guyanaembassyusa.org/

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Sarah-Ann LYNCH (since 13 March 2019)

embassy:

100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown

mailing address:

3170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170

telephone:

[592] 225-4900 through 4909

FAX:

[592] 225-8497

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://gy.usembassy.gov/

• 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;
• green represents forest and foliage;
• yellow stands for mineral resources and a bright future;
• white symbolizes Guyana's rivers;
• red signifies zeal and the sacrifice of the people;
• black indicates perseverance;
• also referred to by its nickname The Golden Arrowhead

name:

Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains

lyrics/music:

Archibald Leonard LUKERL/Robert Cyril Gladstone POTTER

note: adopted 1966

agriculture:

NA

industry:

NA

services:

NA

total:

26.5%

male:

20.7%

female:

34.6% (2018 est.)

lowest 10%:

1.3%

highest 10%:

33.8% (1999)

• government-dominated broadcast media;
• the National Communications Network (NCN) TV is state-owned;
• a few private TV stations relay satellite services;
• the state owns and operates 2 radio stations broadcasting on multiple frequencies capable of reaching the entire country;
• government limits on licensing of new private radio stations has constrained competition in broadcast media

total:

3,995 km (2019)

paved:

799 km (2019)

unpaved:

3,196 km (2019)

total:

56

by type:

general cargo 26, oil tanker 7, other 23 (2021)

• the Guyana Defense Force was established in 1965;
• as of 2021, its primary missions were defense of the country, assisting civil authorities with law and order as needed, and contributing to the economic development of the country;
• the GDF’s ground force officers are trained at the British Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, while coast guard officers receive training the British Royal Naval College

• all of the area west of the Essequibo River is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary;
• Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters;
• Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari Rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne