Guyana

Broadcast media

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 continue to constrain competition in broadcast media (2007)

Internet country code

.gy

Internet users

total: 281,000 | percent of population: 38.2% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Telephone system

general assessment: fair system for long-distance service; microwave radio relay network for trunk lines; many areas still lack fixed-line telephone services | domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity about 75 per 100 persons | international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 154,057 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 543,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 74 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, rice, edible oils; beef, pork, poultry; shrimp, fish

Budget

revenues: $818.3 million | expenditures: $863.4 million (2015 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.4% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69

Central bank discount rate

5.5% (31 December 2011) | 4.25% (31 December 2010) | country comparison to the world: 72

Commercial bank prime lending rate

12.83% (31 December 2015 est.) | 12.83% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Current account balance

-$151 million (2015 est.) | -$388 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Debt - external

$2.303 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | $1.974 billion (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146

Distribution of family income - Gini index

44.6 (2007) | 43.2 (1999) | country comparison to the world: 45

Economy - overview

The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in recent years and is based largely on agriculture and extractive industries. The economy is heavily dependent upon the export of six commodities - sugar, gold, bauxite, shrimp, timber, and rice - which represent nearly 60% of the country's GDP and are highly susceptible to adverse weather conditions and fluctuations in commodity prices. Much of Guyana's growth in recent years has come from a surge in gold production in response to global prices, although downward trends in gold prices may threaten future growth. In 2014, production of sugar dropped to a 24-year low. | Guyana's entrance into the Caricom Single Market and Economy in January 2006 has broadened the country's export market, primarily in the raw materials sector. Guyana has experienced positive growth almost every year over the past decade. Inflation has been kept under control. Recent years have seen the government's stock of debt reduced significantly - with external debt now less than half of what it was in the early 1990s. Despite recent improvements, the government is still juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. In March 2007, the Inter-American Development Bank, Guyana's principal donor, canceled Guyana's nearly $470 million debt, equivalent to 21% of GDP, which along with other Highly Indebted Poor Country debt forgiveness, brought the debt-to-GDP ratio down from 183% in 2006 to 67% in 2015. Guyana had become heavily indebted as a result of the inward-looking, state-led development model pursued in the 1970s and 1980s. | Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure.

Exchange rates

Guyanese dollars (GYD) per US dollar - | 206.5 (2015 est.) | 206.45 (2014 est.) | 206.45 (2013 est.) | 204.36 (2012 est.) | 204.02 (2011 est.)

Exports

$1.17 billion (2015 est.) | $1.167 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 154

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 33.5%, Canada 17.9%, UK 6.7%, Ukraine 4.3%, Jamaica 4% (2015)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.164 billion (2015 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.759 billion (2015 est.) | $5.59 billion (2014 est.) | $5.383 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 170

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 80.1% | government consumption: 17% | investment in fixed capital: 25.2% | investment in inventories: 0% | exports of goods and services: 50.4% | imports of goods and services: -72.7% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 20.7% | industry: 30.9% | services: 48.4% (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$7,500 (2015 est.) | $7,300 (2014 est.) | $7,100 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 152

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2015 est.) | 3.8% (2014 est.) | 5.2% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Gross national saving

20.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | 9.8% of GDP (2014 est.) | 3.7% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 158

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.3% | highest 10%: 33.8% (1999)

Imports

$1.475 billion (2015 est.) | $1.791 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 173

Imports - commodities

manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

Imports - partners

US 24.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 24.1%, China 10.8%, Suriname 9.5% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate

9% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.9% (2015 est.) | 0.9% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36

Labor force

313,800 (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: NA% | industry: NA% | services: NA%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$610.9 million (31 December 2012 est.) | $440.4 million (31 December 2011 est.) | $339.8 million (31 December 2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Population below poverty line

35% (2006 est.)

Public debt

48.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | 50.9% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$600.9 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $667.9 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142

Stock of broad money

$1.68 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $1.596 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 159

Stock of domestic credit

$1.492 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $1.551 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Stock of narrow money

$631 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $635.3 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Taxes and other revenues

25.9% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 112

Unemployment rate

11.1% (2013) | 11.3% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 125

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

1.7 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 143

Electricity - consumption

800 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 148

Electricity - from fossil fuels

96.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 63

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Electricity - from other renewable sources

3.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 159

Electricity - installed generating capacity

400,000 kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147

Electricity - production

1 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Electricity access

population without electricity: 154,540 | electrification - total population: 79% | electrification - urban areas: 91% | electrification - rural areas: 75% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 148

Refined petroleum products - consumption

13,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Refined petroleum products - imports

13,250 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192

Area

total: 214,969 sq km | land: 196,849 sq km | water: 18,120 sq km | country comparison to the world: 85

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Idaho

Climate

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

Coastline

459 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 207 m | 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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

1,430 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 2,933 km | border countries (3): Brazil 1,308 km, Suriname 836 km, Venezuela 789 km

Land use

agricultural land: 8.4% | arable land 2.1%; permanent crops 0.1%; permanent pasture 6.2% | forest: 77.4% | other: 14.2% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

flash flood threat during rainy seasons

Natural resources

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

Population - distribution

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

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

name: Georgetown | geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 09 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: na

Constitution

several previous; latest promulgated 6 October 1980; amended many times, last in 2009; note - in 2015, Guinea's High Court reversed the constitutional two-term presidential limit (2016)

Country name

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)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Perry L. HOLLOWAY (since 2 October 2015) | embassy: US Embassy, 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown | mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown; US Embassy, 3170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170 | telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909 | FAX: [592] 225-8497

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lesley DOWRIDGE-COLLINS (since 22 July 2016) | chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900 | FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 | consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President David GRANGER (since 16 May 2015) | head of government: Prime Minister Moses NAGAMOOTOO (since 20 May 2015) | cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly | elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly from party lists to serve a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 11 May 2015 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister appointed by the president | election results: David GRANGER (APNU-AFC) elected president by National Assembly; percent of vote - 50.3%

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; 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

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

26 May 1966 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): 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 ceased final appeals in civil and criminal cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London), replacing it with the Caribbean Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the Caribbean Community | 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

Legal system

common law system, based on the English model, with some Roman-Dutch civil law influence

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies and a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: last held on 11 May 2015 (next to be held by May 2020) | election results: percent of vote by party - APNU 50.3%, PPP/C 49.19%, other 0.51%; seats by party - APNU 33, PPP/C 32

National anthem

name: "Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains" | lyrics/music: Archibald Leonard LUKERL/Robert Cyril Gladstone POTTER | note: adopted 1966

National holiday

Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

National symbol(s)

Canje pheasant (hoatzin), jaguar, Victoria Regia water lily; national colors: red, yellow, green, black, white

Political parties and leaders

A Partnership for National Unity or APNU [David A. GRANGER] | Alliance for Change or AFC [Khemraj RAMJATTAN] | Justice for All Party [C.N. SHARMA] | People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Donald RAMOTAR] | Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV] | The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR] | The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN] | Vision Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Amerindian People's Association | Guyana Bar Association | Guyana Citizens Initiative | Guyana Human Rights Association | Guyana Public Service Union or GPSU | Private Sector Commission | Trades Union Congress

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 settlement of urban areas by former slaves and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. The resulting ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been 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. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006. Early elections held in May 2015 resulted in the replacement of President Donald RAMOTAR by David GRANGER.

Military branches

Guyana Defense Force: Army (includes Air Corps, Coast Guard) (2012)

Military expenditures

1.09% of GDP (2012) | 1.17% of GDP (2011) | 1.09% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 93

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age or older for voluntary military service; no conscription (2014)

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.12% (male 101,637/female 97,970) | 15-24 years: 21.46% (male 81,017/female 76,912) | 25-54 years: 37.73% (male 145,003/female 132,640) | 55-64 years: 7.9% (male 26,195/female 31,924) | 65 years and over: 5.79% (male 17,585/female 25,026) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

15.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 30,255 | percentage: 16% (2006 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

8.5% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 67

Contraceptive prevalence rate

42.5% (2009)

Death rate

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Demographic profile

Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and shares cultural and historical bonds with the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana's two largest ethnic groups are the Afro-Guyanese (descendants of African slaves) and the Indo-Guyanese (descendants of Indian indentured laborers), which together comprise about three quarters of Guyana's population. Tensions periodically have boiled over between the two groups, which back ethnically based political parties and vote along ethnic lines. Poverty reduction has stagnated since the late 1990s. About one-third of the Guyanese population lives below the poverty line; indigenous people are disproportionately affected. Although Guyana's literacy rate is reported to be among the highest in the Western Hemisphere, the level of functional literacy is considerably lower, which has been attributed to poor education quality, teacher training, and infrastructure. | Guyana's emigration rate is among the highest in the world - more than 55% of its citizens reside abroad - and it is one of the largest recipients of remittances relative to GDP among Latin American and Caribbean counties. Although remittances are a vital source of income for most citizens, the pervasive emigration of skilled workers deprives Guyana of professionals in healthcare and other key sectors. More than 80% of Guyanese nationals with tertiary level educations have emigrated. Brain drain and the concentration of limited medical resources in Georgetown hamper Guyana's ability to meet the health needs of its predominantly rural population. Guyana has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the region and continues to rely on international support for its HIV treatment and prevention programs.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 51.1% | youth dependency ratio: 43.5% | elderly dependency ratio: 7.6% | potential support ratio: 13.2% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 98.2% of population | rural: 98.3% of population | total: 98.3% of population | urban: 1.8% of population | rural: 1.7% of population | total: 1.7% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 136

Ethnic groups

East Indian 43.5%, black (African) 30.2%, mixed 16.7%, Amerindian 9.1%, other 0.5% (includes Portuguese, Chinese, white) (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.5% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

HIV/AIDS - deaths

100 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

7,800 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Health expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 93

Hospital bed density

2 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Infant mortality rate

total: 31.5 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 35.4 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Languages

English (official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (including Caribbean and Arawak languages), Indian languages (including Caribbean Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi), Chinese (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68.4 years | male: 65.4 years | female: 71.5 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school | total population: 88.5% | male: 87.2% | female: 89.8% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria | note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population

GEORGETOWN (capital) 124,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality rate

229 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43

Median age

total: 25.8 years | male: 25.5 years | female: 26.2 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.8 | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

-6.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.9% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 113

Physicians density

0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

735,909 | 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.17% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 190

Religions

Protestant 30.5% (Pentecostal 16.9%, Anglican 6.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 5%, Methodist 1.7%), Hindu 28.4%, Roman Catholic 8.1%, Muslim 7.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other Christian 17.7%, other 1.9%, none 4.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2002 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 87.9% of population | rural: 82% of population | total: 83.7% of population | urban: 12.1% of population | rural: 18% of population | total: 16.3% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 10 years | male: 10 years | female: 10 years (2012)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.09 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female | total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.04 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Urbanization

urban population: 28.6% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.76% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

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; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UNCLOS to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis; rising money laundering related to drug trafficking and human smuggling

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Guyana is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor – children are particularly vulnerable; women and girls from Guyana, Venezuela, Suriname, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic are forced into prostitution in Guyana’s interior mining communities and urban areas; forced labor is reported in mining, agriculture, forestry, domestic service, and shops; Guyanese nationals are also trafficked to Suriname, Jamaica, and other Caribbean countries for sexual exploitation and forced labor | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Guyana does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, Guyana was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; the government released its anti-trafficking action plan in June 2014 but made uneven efforts to implement it; law enforcement was weak, investigating seven trafficking cases, prosecuting four alleged traffickers, and convicting one trafficker – a police officer – who was released on bail pending appeal; in 2014, as in previous years, Guyanese courts dismissed the majority of ongoing trafficking prosecutions; the government referred some victims to care services, which were provided by NGOs with little or no government support (2015)

Airports

117 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 50

Airports - with paved runways

total: 11 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | under 914 m: 8 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 106 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 16 | under 914 m: 89 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

8R (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 10 | by type: cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1 | registered in other countries: 3 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, unknown 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 114

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 43,835 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Georgetown

Roadways

total: 7,970 km | paved: 590 km | unpaved: 7,380 km (2001) | country comparison to the world: 141

Waterways

330 km (the Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively) (2012) | country comparison to the world: 91