Guyana

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

Geographic coordinates: 5 00 N, 59 00 W

Map references: South America

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

Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Idaho

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

Coastline: 459 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

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

Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,300 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons

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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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Population: 705,156 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 109,156; female 105,017)
15-64 years: 65% (male 230,624; female 227,677)
65 years and over: 5% (male 14,684; female 17,998) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.32% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 18.23 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9.04 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -12.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
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: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 48.64 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.82 years
male: 59.15 years
female: 64.61 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.09 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: East Indian 49%, black 32%, mixed 12%, Amerindian 6%, white and Chinese 1%

Religions: Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%

Languages: English, Amerindian dialects

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

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

Data code: GY

Government type: republic

Capital: Georgetown

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

Independence: 26 May 1966 (from UK)

National holiday: Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

Constitution: 6 October 1980

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Janet JAGAN (since NA December 1997)
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 after legislative elections, which must be held within five years; legislative elections last held 15 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2000; this date was part of a negotiated settlement between the two main political parties following a dispute over the December elections); prime minister appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats, 53 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 15 December 1997 (next to be held by March 2000; this date was negotiated following a dispute over the December elections)
election results: percent of vote by party—PPP 54%, PNC 41%, AFG 1%, TUF 1%; seats by party—PPP 36, PNC 25, AFG 2, TUF 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature

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

Political pressure groups and leaders: Trades Union Congress or TUC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC
note: the latter two organizations 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 (observer), OPANAL, OPCW, 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 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

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

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Economy—overview: In 1997, Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, posted its sixth straight year of economic growth of 5% or better, with the advance led by gold and bauxite mining and by sugar growing. Favorable 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 the continued support of international organizations. However, a severe drought and political turmoil following the 1997 elections contributed to a negative growth rate for 1998. Serious underlying economic problems will continue. Electricity has been in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government must persist in efforts to manage its sizable external debt and extend its privatization program.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$1.8 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: -1.8% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$2,500 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 37%
industry: 22%
services: 41% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1998)

Labor force: 245,492 (1992)

Labor force—by occupation: agriculture, hunting and forestry 30.2%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 11% (1992)

Unemployment rate: 12% (1992 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $253.7 million
expenditures: $304.1 million, including capital expenditures of $108.8 million (1997 est.)

Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold mining

Industrial production growth rate: 7.1% (1997 est.)

Electricity—production: 325 million kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.46%
hydro: 1.54%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 339 million kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 14 million kWh (1996)

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

Exports: $593.4 million (1997 est.)

Exports—commodities: sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses

Exports—partners: Canada 25.9%, US 20.4%, UK 22.7%, Netherlands Antilles 8.4%, Germany 4.3% (1996)

Imports: $641.6 million (1997 est.)

Imports—commodities: manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

Imports—partners: US 27.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 17.7%, Netherlands Antilles 12.1%, UK 10.7%, Japan 4.2% (1996)

Debt—external: $1.5 billion (1997)

Economic aid—recipient: $84 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1—163.7 (December 1998), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997), 140.4 (1996), 142.0 (1995), 138.3 (1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

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Telephones: 33,000 (1987 est.)

Telephone system: 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)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 1

Radios: 398,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 1 public station; two private stations relay US satellite services (1997)

Televisions: 32,000 (1992 est.)

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Railways:
total: 88 km (all dedicated to ore transport)
standard gauge: 40 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge

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

Waterways: 6,000 km total of navigable waterways; Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively

Ports and harbors: Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika

Merchant marine:
total: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,340 GRT/4,530 DWT (1998 est.)

Airports: 48 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 44
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 35 (1998 est.)

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Military 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

Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 202,509 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 152,839 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $7 million (1994)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 1.7% (1994)

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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)

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics from South America—primarily Venezuela—to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis