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, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006.
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
land
196,850 sq km
water
18,120 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries
total
2,949 km
border countries
Brazil 1,606 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 sq km (2003)
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
Population
769,095
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 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
26.1% (male 102,111/female 98,325)
15-64 years
68.6% (male 266,288/female 261,620)
65 years and over
5.3% (male 17,308/female 23,443) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
27.8 years
male
27.3 years
female
28.3 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.234% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
18.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-7.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.039 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.018 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.738 male(s)/female
total population
1.006 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
31.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male
34.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female
27.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
66.17 years
male
63.52 years
female
68.95 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.04 children born/woman (2007 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, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population
98.8%
male
99.1%
female
98.5% (2003 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
Cooperative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form
Guyana
former
British Guiana
Government type
republic
Capital
name
Georgetown
geographic coordinates
6 48 N, 58 10 W
time difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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, and again in 2006
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 (no term limits); elections last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
election results
President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of vote 54.6%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (65 seats; members elected by popular vote, also not more than 4 non-elected non-voting ministers and 2 non-elected non-voting parliamentary secretaries appointed by the president; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 54.6%, PNC/R 34%, AFC 8.1%, other 3.3%; seats by party - PPP/C 36, PNC/R 22, AFC 5, other 2
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
P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown; US Embassy, 3170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170
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
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. 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 Inter-American Development Bank in November 2006 canceled Guyana's nearly $400 million debt with the Bank. 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 will broaden the country's export market, primarily in the raw materials sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$3.711 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$836.7 million (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
4.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$4,800 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
35.5%
industry
19.3%
services
45.2% (2006 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)
6% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
31.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$359.9 million
expenditures
$430.3 million; including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2006 est.)
US 18.7%, Canada 16.3%, UK 8.6%, Portugal 6.5%, Jamaica 6.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.9%, Netherlands 4.3%, Belgium 4.3% (2006)
Imports
$706.9 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Imports - partners
Trinidad and Tobago 23%, US 21.3%, China 9.7%, Cuba 6.3%, UK 4.5% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$294.9 million (2006 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)
Currency code
GYD
Exchange rates
Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 200.28 (2006), 200.79 (2005), 198.31 (2004), 193.88 (2003), 190.67 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
110,100 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
281,400 (2005)
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)
Radios
420,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
3 (1 public station; 2 private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)
Televisions
46,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.gy
Internet hosts
1,046 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
3 (2000)
Internet users
160,000 (2005)
Airports
90 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
9
1,524 to 2,437 m
3
under 914 m
6 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
81
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
14
under 914 m
65 (2006)
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 (2006)
Merchant marine
total
7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,461 GRT/15,155 DWT
by type
cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1
foreign-owned
1 (Germany 1)
registered in other countries
4 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, unknown 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Georgetown
Military branches
Guyana Defense Force: Army, Coast Guard, Air Corps (2007)
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 - percent of GDP
1.8% (2006)
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
