World Facts

conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Capital: Georgetown
Type of Government: republic within the Commonwealth-
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
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 26.4% (male 103,054/female 99,279)
Agriculture: sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp
Airports: 49 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 8
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 214,970 sq km. slightly smaller than Idaho
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.
Birth rate: 18.45 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $320.1 million
Coastline: 459 km-
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Communications:
Constitution: 6-Oct-80
Currency: Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Current account balance: $-92.72 million (2005 est.)
Death rate: 8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $1.2 billion (2002)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roland W. BULLEN
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
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 UNCLOS arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor:
Economic aid - recipient: $84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)
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 then slowed in 2003 and came back gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export earnings, and 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.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 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
Ethnic groups: East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%
Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 200.79 (2005), 198.33 (2004), 193.88 (2003), 190.67 (2002), 187.32 (2001)
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
Exports: $587.2 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - partners: Canada 23.2%, US 19.2%, UK 10.9%, Portugal 9%, Belgium 6.4%, Jamaica 5.2% (2004)
Fiscal year: calendar year
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
GDP (official exchange rate): $822.4 million (2005 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.002 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 36.8%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.5% (2005 est.)
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-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,100 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 11,000 (2003 est.)-
Heliports:
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis
Imports: $681.6 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - partners: Trinidad and Tobago 24.8%, US 24.5%, Cuba 6.8%, UK 5.4% (2004)
Independence: 26 May 1966 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
Infant mortality rate: total: 33.26 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (2005 est.)
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
Internet country code: .gy
Internet hosts: 613 (2003)
Internet users: 125,000 (2002)
Investment (gross fixed): 36.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court
Labor force: 418,000 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: total: 2,462 km
Land use: arable land: 2.44%
Languages: English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Legal system: based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.5 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela-
Major infectious diseases:
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.)-
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Map references: South America
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Median age: total: 26.91 years-
Merchant marine: -
Military - note:
Military branches: Guyana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Corps, Guyana People's Militia
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $6.5 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.9% (2004)-
Military service age and obligation:
National holiday: Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
Nationality: noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)-
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: -
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Net migration rate: -7.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 11,300 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)-
Oil - proved reserves: -
People - note: -
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 [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]; 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
Population: 765,283
Population below poverty line: NA
Population growth rate: 0.26% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Georgetown-
Public debt:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways: total: 187 km-
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $248.8 million (2005 est.)
Roadways: total: 7,970 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system: general assessment: fair system for long-distance service
Telephones - main lines in use: 80,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 87,300 (2002)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)
Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 9.1% (understated) (2000)
Waterways: 1,077 km