Guyana

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (2000)

Internet country code

.gy

Internet users

95,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

420,000 (1997)

Telephone 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)

Telephones - main lines in use

70,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

6,100 (2000)

Television broadcast stations

3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)

Televisions

46,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish (shrimp)

Budget

revenues: $227 million expenditures: $235.2 million, including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2000) (2000)

Currency

Guyanese dollar (GYD)

Currency code

GYD

Debt - external

$1.1 billion (2000) (2000)

Economic aid - recipient

$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)

Economy - overview

The Guyanese economy has exhibited moderate economic growth since 1999, based on an expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. Low prices for key mining and agricultural commodities combined with troubles in the bauxite and sugar industries threaten the government's already tenuous fiscal position and dim prospects for 2002.

Electricity - consumption

469.65 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

505 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 99% hydro: 1% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 189.5 (December 2001), 187.3 (2001), 182.4 (2000), 178.0 (1999), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997)

Exports

$505 million f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Canada 22%, US 22%, UK 18%, Netherlands Antilles 11% (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 36% industry: 32% services: 32% (2000) (2000)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.8% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$585 million c.i.f. (2000)

Imports - commodities

manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

Imports - partners

US 29%, Trinidad and Tobago 18%, Netherlands Antilles 16%, UK 7% (1999)

Industrial production growth rate

7.1% (1997 est.)

Industries

bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6% (2001 est.)

Labor force

418,000 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

9.1% (2000) (understated) (2000)

Area

total: 214,970 sq km water: 18,120 sq km land: 196,850 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Idaho

Climate

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

Coastline

459 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m

Environment - current issues

water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation

Environment - international agreements

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

Geographic coordinates

5 00 N, 59 00 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

1,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 2,462 km border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

Land use

arable land: 2.44% permanent crops: 0.08% other: 97.48% (1998 est.)

Location

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

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Natural hazards

flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons

Natural resources

bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish

Terrain

mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

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

Capital

Georgetown

Constitution

6 October 1980

Country name

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

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] 225-4900 through 4909 FAX: [592] 225-8497

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 FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900

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 by March 2006); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA%

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

Government type

republic within the Commonwealth

Independence

26 May 1966 (from UK)

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected by popular vote, 1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2 nonvoting members appointed by the president; 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

National holiday

Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond HOYTE]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, but until the early 1990s it was ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president, in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. Upon his death five years later, he was succeeded by his wife Janet, who resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001.

Military branches

Guyana Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Guyana Police Force, Guyana People's Militia, Guyana National Service

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 206,199 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 155,058 (2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.6% (male 98,198; female 94,397) 15-64 years: 67.4% (male 237,324; female 233,400) 65 years and over: 5% (male 15,510; female 19,380) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

17.89 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

9.33 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

3.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

900 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

15,000 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

38.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 62.59 years female: 65.34 years (2002 est.) male: 59.96 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98.1% male: 98.6% female: 97.5% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Guyanese (singular and plural) adjective: Guyanese

Net migration rate

-6.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

698,209 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 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

0.23% (2002 est.)

Religions

Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%

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: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.09 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - 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); territorial sea boundary with Suriname is in dispute

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis

Airports

51 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 5 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 43 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 34 (2002)

Highways

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

Merchant marine

total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,929 GRT/4,507 DWT ships by type: cargo 2 (2002 est.)

Ports and harbors

Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika

Railways

total: 187 km standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.) 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