1996 Edition

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

Location

5 00 N, 59 00 W -- Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than Idaho

land area

196,850 sq km

total area

214,970 sq km

Climate

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

Coastline

459 km

Environment

current issues

water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Whaling

natural hazards

flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons

Geographic coordinates

5 00 N, 59 00 W

International 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)

Irrigated land

1,300 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

total

2,462 km

Land use

arable land

3%

forest and woodland

83%

meadows and pastures

6%

other

8%

permanent crops

0%

Location

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

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

highest point

Mount Roraima 2,835 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 33% (male 118,796; female 114,327) 15-64 years: 63% (male 224,219; female 222,562) 65 years and over: 4% (male 14,582; female 17,605) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

19.03 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

9.55 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

East Indian 51%, black and mixed 43%, Amerindian 4%, European and Chinese 2%

Infant mortality rate

51.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

English, Amerindian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

female

62.78 years (1996 est.)

male

57.55 years

total population

60.1 years

Literacy

age 15 and over has ever attended school (1995 est.)

female

97.5%

male

98.6%

total population

98.1%

Nationality

adjective

Guyanese

noun

Guyanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-18.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

712,091 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.9% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

all ages

1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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: 0.83 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

2.19 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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

Constitution

6 October 1980

Data code

GY

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL

consulate(s) general

New York

telephone

[1] (202) 265-6900, 6901

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers was appointed by the president; is responsible to the legislature

chief of state

Executive President Cheddi JAGAN (since 9 October 1992); the president is elected by the majority party in the National Assembly after legislative elections, which must be held within five years; legislative elections last held 5 October 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - Cheddi JAGAN was elected president by the PPP

head of government

Prime Minister Sam HINDS (since 9 October 1992) was appointed by the president

FAX

[592] (2) 58497

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

Independence

26 May 1966 (from UK)

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, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

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

Name of country

conventional long form

Co-operative Republic of Guyana

conventional short form

Guyana

former

British Guiana

National Assembly

elections last held on 5 October 1992 (next to be held in 1997); results - PPP 53.4%, PNC 42.3%, WPA 2%, TUF 1.2%; seats - (65 total, 53 elected) PPP 36, PNC 26, WPA 2, TUF 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)

note

the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized

Political parties and leaders

People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi JAGAN; People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE; Good and Green Georgetown (GGG), Hamilton GREEN; 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; The United Force (TUF), Manzoor NADIR; United Republican Party (URP), Leslie RAMSAMMY; National Republican Party (NRP), Robert GANGADEEN; Guyana Labor Party (GLP), Nanda GOPAUL

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador David L. HOBBS

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

Agriculture

sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; development potential exists for fishing and forestry

Budget

expenditures

$303 million, including capital expenditures of $109 million (1995 est.)

revenues

$209 million

Currency

1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

In 1995, Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, posted its fifth straight year of economic growth of 5% or better, with the advance led by gold mining and by production of rice, sugar, and forestry products for export. Favorable factors include recovery in the key agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more realistic exchange rate, a sharp drop in the inflation rate, and the continued support of international organizations. Serious underlying economic problems will continue. Electric power 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 $2 billion external debt, control inflation, and extend the privatization program.

Electricity

capacity

110,000 kW

consumption per capita

286 kWh (1993)

production

230 million kWh

Exchange rates

Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 140.3 (January 1996), 142.0 (1995), 138.3 (1994), 126.7 (1993), 125.0 (1992), 111.8 (1991)

Exports

$453 million (f.o.b., 1994)

commodities

sugar, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses

partners

UK 33%, US 31%, Canada 9%, France 5%, Japan 3% (1992)

External debt

$2.2 billion (1994 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.6 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

26.5%

industry

27.8%

services

45.7% (1993 est.)

GDP per capita

$2,200 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

5.1% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to the US and Europe; producer of cannabis

Imports

$456 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

commodities

manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

partners

US 37%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%, UK 11%, Italy 8%, Japan 5% (1992)

Industrial production growth rate

5.6% (1994 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.1% (1995)

Labor force

268,000

by occupation

industry and commerce 44.5%, agriculture 33.8%, services 21.7%

note

public-sector employment amounts to 60%-80% of the total labor force (1985)

Unemployment rate

12% (1992 est.)

Branches

Guyana Defense Force (GDF; includes Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National Service (GNS)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $7 million, 1.7% of GDP (1994)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

197,548

males fit for military service

149,646 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 1

Radios

398,000 (1992 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)

Telephones

33,000 (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1987 est.)

Televisions

32,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

47

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

3

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

32

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

9 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

547 km

total

7,621 km

unpaved

7,074 km (1987 est.)

Merchant marine

total

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,317 GRT/2,558 DWT (1995 est.)

Ports

Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika

Railways

narrow gauge

48 km 0.914-m gauge (dedicated to ore transport)

standard gauge

40 km 1.435-m gauge (dedicated to ore transport)

total

88 km

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