Guyana

§1. Guyana Introduction

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,
  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, Jane JAGAN, became president but resigned in
  1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in
  2001.

§2. Guyana Geography

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 km²
  land: 196,850 km²
  water: 18,120 km²

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

Climate:
  tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons
  (May to August, November to 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: 2.23%
  permanent crops: 0.14%
  other: 97.63% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  1,500 km² (1998 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, 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

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

§3. Guyana People

Population:
  767,245
  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 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 26.2% (male 102,551/female 98,772)
  15-64 years: 68.6% (male 265,193/female 260,892)
  65 years and over: 5.2% (male 17,043/female 22,794) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 27.4 years
  male: 26.9 years
  female: 27.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.25% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  18.28 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -7.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 32.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 35.8 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 65.86 years
  male: 63.21 years
  female: 68.65 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.04 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  2.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  11,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  1,100 (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Languages:
  English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 98.8%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 98.5% (2003 est.)

§4. Guyana Government

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

Government type:
  republic within the Commonwealth

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 Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note -
    assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN and
    reelected in 2001
  head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since October 1992, except
    for a period as chief of state after the death of President Cheddi JAGAN
    on 6 March 1997)
  cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to
    the legislature
  elections: president elected by popular vote as leader of a party list in
    parliamentary elections, which must be held at least every five years;
    elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by 4 August 2006);
    prime minister appointed by the president
  election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of vote 52.9%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (65 members elected by popular vote, also not
  more than four non-elected non-voting ministers and two non-elected
  non-voting parliamentary secretaries appointed by the president; members
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by 4 August 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 52.9%, PNC/R 41.9%,
    GAP/WPA 2.4%, ROAR 0.9%, TUF 0.7%, other 1.2%; seats by party - PPP/C 34,
    PNC/R 27, GAP/WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the High Court and the Judicial
  Court of Appeal, with right of final appeal to the Caribbean Court of
  Justice

Political parties and leaders:
  Alliance for Change or AFC [Raphael TROTMAN and Khemraj RAMJATTAN]; Guyana
  Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Justice for All Party [C.N. SHARMA];
  People's National Congress/Reform or PNC/R [Robert Herman Orlando CORBIN];
  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];
  The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN]; Vision Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]; Working
  People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Citizens Initiative; Guyana Bar
  Association; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana Public Service Union
  or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades Union Congress

International organization participation:
  ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
  (subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
  chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Roland W. BULLEN
  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

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

§5. Guyana Economy

Economy - overview:
  The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-02, based
  on 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.
  Growth slowed in 2003 and came back gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by
  increased export earnings; it slowed again in 2005. 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. The bauxite mining sector should benefit in the
  near term from restructuring and partial privatization. Export earnings
  from agriculture and mining have fallen sharply, while the import bill has
  risen, driven by higher energy prices. Guyana's entrance into the Caricom
  Single Market and Economy (CSME) in January 2006 might broaden the
  country's export market, primarily in the raw materials sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $2.895 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $779 million (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  -2.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $3,800 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 36.8%
  industry: 20.2%
  services: 43% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  418,000 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate:
  9.1% (understated) (2000)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  5.5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  36.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $320.1 million
  expenditures: $362.6 million; including capital expenditures of $93.4
    million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy
  products; fish, shrimp

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  779 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  724.5 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  11,300 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-92.72 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $587.2 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber

Exports - partners:
  Canada 23.2%, US 19.2%, UK 10.9%, Portugal 9%, Belgium 6.4%, Jamaica 5.2%
  (2004)

Imports:
  $681.6 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

Imports - partners:
  Trinidad and Tobago 24.8%, US 24.5%, Cuba 6.8%, UK 5.4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $248.8 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $1.2 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253
  million (1997)

Currency (code):
  Guyanese dollar (GYD)

Exchange rates:
  Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 200.79 (2005), 198.31 (2004), 193.88
  (2003), 190.67 (2002), 187.32 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Guyana Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  102,700 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  104,600 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fair system for long-distance service
  domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
  international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad;
    satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)

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

Internet country code:
  .gy

Internet hosts:
  914 (2005)

Internet users:
  145,000 (2005)

§7. Guyana Transportation

Airports:
  69 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 8
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  under 914 m: 5 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 61
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 12
  under 914 m: 47 (2005)

Railways:
  total: 187 km
  standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge
  note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)

Roadways:
  total: 7,970 km
  paved: 590 km
  unpaved: 7,380 km (1999)

Waterways:
  Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels
  for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,031 GRT/12,899 DWT
  by type: cargo 6, refrigerated cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1)
  registered in other countries: 4 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3,
    unknown 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Georgetown

§8. Guyana Military

Military branches:
  Guyana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Corps, Guyana
    People's Militia

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 206,098 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 137,964 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $6.48 million (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  0.9% (2003 est.)

§9. Guyana Transnational Issues

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 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 UN Convention on the Law of the
  Sea (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


<Factbook 2006>
