1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Coastline
459 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Idaho
Continental shelf
outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Disputes
all of the area west of the Essequibo River claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Environment
flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution
Exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Land area
196,850 km2
Land boundaries
2,462 km; Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Land use
arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 83%; other 8%; includes irrigated 1%
Natural resources
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Terrain
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
214,970 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
21 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
East Indian 51%, black and mixed 43%, Amerindian 4%, European and Chinese 2%
Infant mortality rate
50 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
268,000; industry and commerce 44.5%, agriculture 33.8%, services 21.7%; public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor force (1985)
Languages
English, Amerindian dialects
Life expectancy at birth
61 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Literacy
95% (male 98%, female 96%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Guyanese (singular and plural); adjective - Guyanese
Net migration rate
-20 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
34% of labor force
Population
739,431 (July 1992), growth rate - 0.6% (1992)
Religions
Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%
Total fertility rate
2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Government
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
Chief of State
Executive President Hugh Desmond HOYTE (since 6 August 1985); First Vice President Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 1985)
Constitution
6 October 1980
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Dr. Cedric Hilburn GRANT; Chancery at 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6900; there is a Guyanese Consulate General in New York US: Ambassador George JONES; Embassy at 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Georgetown; telephone [592] (2) 54900 through 54909
Executive branch
executive president, first vice president, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Executive President
last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held 1992); results - Hugh Desmond HOYTE was elected president since he was leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections
Flag
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
Head of Government
Prime Minister Hamilton GREEN (since NA August 1985)
Independence
26 May 1966 (from UK; formerly British Guiana)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Judicature
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
Long-form name
Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Member of
ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO
National Assembly
last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held mid-1992); results - PNC 78%, PPP 16%, UF 4%, WPA 2%; seats - (65 total, 53 elected) PNC 42, PPP 8, UF 2, WPA 1
National holiday
Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
Other political or pressure groups
Trades Union Congress (TUC); Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO); Civil Liberties Action Committee (CLAC); the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized; Guyanese Action for Reform and Democracy (GUARD) includes various labor groups, as well as several of the smaller political parties
Political parties and leaders
People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE; People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi JAGAN; Working People's Alliance (WPA), Eusi KWAYANA, Rupert ROOPNARINE; Democratic Labor Movement (DLM), Paul TENNASSEE; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Llewellyn JOHN; National Democratic Front (NDF), Joseph BACCHUS; United Force (UF), Manzoor NADIR; United Republican Party (URP), Leslie RAMSAMMY; National Republican Party (NRP), Robert GANGADEEN; Guyanese Labor Party (GLP), Nanda GOPAUL
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
most important sector, accounting for 24% of GDP and about half of exports; sugar and rice are key crops; development potential exists for fishing and forestry; not self-sufficient in food, especially wheat, vegetable oils, and animal products
Budget
revenues $126 million; expenditures $250 million (1990 est.)
Currency
Guyanese dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $116 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $325 million; Communist countries 1970-89, $242 million
Electricity
252,500 kW capacity; 647 million kWh produced, 863 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 124.1 (March 1992) 111.8 (1991), 39.533 (1990), 27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988), 9.756 (1987)
Exports
$189 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: bauxite, sugar, gold, rice, shrimp, molasses, timber, rum partners: UK 31%, US 23%, CARICOM 7%, Canada 6% (1988)
External debt
$2.0 billion, including arrears (1990)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $250 million, per capita $300; real growth rate 6% (1991 est.)
Imports
$246 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: manufactures, machinery, food, petroleum partners: US 33%, CARICOM 10%, UK 9%, Canada 2% (1989)
Industrial production
growth rate - 12.0% (1990 est.); accounts for about 11% of GDP
Industries
bauxite mining, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold mining
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
75% (1990)
Overview
Guyana is one of the world's poorest countries with a per capita income less than one-fifth the South American average. After growing on average at less than 1% a year in 1986-87, GDP dropped by 5% a year in 1988-90. The decline resulted from bad weather, labor trouble in the canefields, and flooding and equipment problems in the bauxite industry. Consumer prices rose about 100% in 1989 and 75% in 1990, and the current account deficit widened substantially as sugar and bauxite exports fell. Moreover, electric power is in short supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government, in association with international financial agencies, seeks to reduce its payment arrears and to raise new funds. The government's stabilization program - aimed at establishing realistic exchange rates, reasonable price stability, and a resumption of growth - requires considerable public administrative abilities and continued patience by consumers during a long incubation period. In 1991, buoyed by a recovery in mining and agriculture, the economy posted 6% growth, according to official figures. A large volume of illegal and quasi- legal economic activity is not captured in estimates of the country's total output.
Unemployment rate
12-15% (1990 est.)
Communications
Airports
54 total, 49 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; none with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
3 major transport aircraft
Highways
7,665 km total; 550 km paved, 5,000 km gravel, 1,525 km earth, 590 km unimproved
Inland 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
Georgetown
Railroads
187 km total, all single track 0.914-meter gauge
Telecommunications
fair system with radio relay network; over 27,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 3 FM, no TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Guyana Defense Force (GDF; includes Coast Guard and Air Corps), Guyana Police Force (GPF), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National Service (GNS)
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $5.5 million, 6% of GDP (1989 est.)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 196,066; 149,045 fit for military service