Guyana Online Business Education. Administration. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Guyana
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Guyana Flag
Guyana

Country Profile

Capital City: Georgetown (pop. 250 000)

Other Cities: Linden (29,000) and New Amsterdam (18,000)

Local Time: UTC -4h

Geography:
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
Area: 215 000 sq. km. (83 000 sq. mi.)
Terrain: Coastal plain, inland highlands, rain forest, savanna.
Border countries: Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela

Climate: Equatorial tropical.

Government:
Type: Republic within the Commonwealth.
Independence: 26 May 1966;
Republic, 23 February 1970.
Constitution: 1980

People:
Nationality: Guyanese (sing. and pl.).
Population: 700 000.
Ethnic groups: East Indian origin 49%, African origin 32%, mixed 12%, Amerindian 6%, White and Chinese 1%.
Religions: Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%.
Languages: English, Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (primarily Carib and Arawak).
Literacy: 96.5% of adults who have attended school.

Business

Currency: Guyanese Dollar (GYD)

Natural resources: Bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish.

Agriculture products: Sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp.

Industries: Bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining.

Exports partners: Canada 22.8%, USA 19%, UK 12.1%, Portugal 8.2%, Jamaica 6.6%, Belgium 6.3% (2004)

Imports partners: USA 26.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 21.6%, UK 6.4%, Cuba 5.9%, China 4.7% (2004)

Internet Links

Official Sites of Guyana

Office of the President of Guyana

Parliament of Guyana

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Diplomatic Missions
Guyana Consulate

Guyana Diplomatic & Consular Representatives Abroad

Foreign Diplomatic Missions resident in Guyana

Maps
Map of Guyana

Map of South America

Introduction

Guyana

Background: Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966 and became a
republic in 1970. In 1989 Guyana launched an Economic Recovery Program,
which marked a dramatic reversal from a state-controlled, socialist
economy towards a more open, free market system. Results through the
first decade have proven encouraging.

Geography Guyana

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 water: 18,120 sq km land: 196,850 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 economic 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% other: 98% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,500 sq km (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, 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

People Guyana

Population: 698,209 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 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.6% (male 98,198; female 94,397) 15-64
years: 67.4% (male 237,324; female 233,400) 65 years and over: 5%
(male 15,510; female 19,380) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.23% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 17.89 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 9.33 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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:
0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 38.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:   65.34 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.09 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 15,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 900 (1999 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:   age 15 and over has ever attended school total population:
Government Guyana

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
JAGAN 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 following legislative elections,
which must be held at least every five years; elections last held 19
March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006); prime minister appointed
by the president election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected;
percent of legislative vote - NA%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected
by popular vote, 1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2
nonvoting members appointed by the president; members serve five-year
terms) elections: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal;
High Court

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 [Hugh Desmond
HOYTE]; 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 note: the GCIO and the CLAC 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, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS,
OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, 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 consulate(s) general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 telephone:
[1] (202) 265-6900

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Ronald D. GODARD embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown telephone: [592] 225-4900
through 4909 and [592] 225-7961 through 7963 FAX: [592] 225-7316

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

Economy Guyana

Economy - overview: The Guyanese economy has exhibited moderate economic
growth since 1999, based on an 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. 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. Low prices for key mining and agricultural commodities
combined with troubles in the bauxite and sugar industries threaten the
government's already tenuous fiscal position and dim prospects for 2002.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.8% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 36.1% industry: 31.8% services:
32.1% (2000)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 418,000 (2001 est.)

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

Unemployment rate: 9.1% (2000) (understated)

Budget: revenues: $227 million expenditures: $235.2 million, including
capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2000)

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

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

Electricity - production: 505 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.01% hydro: 0.99%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 469.65 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)

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

Exports: $505 million (f.o.b., 2000)

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

Exports - partners: Canada 22%, US 22%, UK 18%, Netherlands Antilles 11%
(1999)

Imports: $585 million (c.i.f., 2000)

Imports - commodities: manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

Imports - partners: US 29%, Trinidad and Tobago 18%, Netherlands Antilles
16%, UK 7% (1999)

Debt - external: $1.1 billion (2000)

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

Currency: Guyanese dollar (GYD)

Currency code: GYD

Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 189.5 (December 2001),
187.3 (2001), 182.4 (2000), 178.0 (1999), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Guyana

Telephones - main lines in use: 70,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 6,100 (2000)

Telephone system:   fair system for long-distance calling domestic:
scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Radios: 420,000 (1997)

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

Televisions: 46,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .gy

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)

Internet users: 3,000 (2000)

Transportation Guyana

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

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

Waterways: 5,900 km (total length of navigable waterways) note: 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 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,929
GRT/4,507 DWT ships by type: cargo 2 (2002 est.)

Airports: 51 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to
1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to
1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 36 (2001)

Military Guyana

Military branches: Guyana Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast
Guard, and Air Corps), Guyana Police Force, Guyana People's Militia,
Guyana National Service

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 206,199 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 155,058
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues Guyana

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);
territorial sea boundary with Suriname is in dispute

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

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

News
The Government Information Agency (GINA)

Guyana Chronicle

Guyana Review

Stabroek News