Guyana

Airports

total: 53 usable: 48 with permanent-surface runways: 5 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 13

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

Merchant marine

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

Ports

Georgetown, New Amsterdam

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

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 196,960; fit for military service 149,583 (1993 est.)

Agriculture

most important sector, accounting for 25% 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 $121 million; expenditures $225 million, including capital expenditures of $50 million (1990 est.)

Currency

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

253,500 kW capacity; 276 million kWh produced, 370 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates

Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 125.8 (January 1993) 125.0 (1992), 111.8 (1991), 39.533 (1990), 27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988)

Exports

$268 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: sugar, bauxite/alumina, rice, gold, shrimp, molasses, timber, rum partners: UK 28%, US 25%, FRG 8%, Canada 7%, Japan 6% (1989)

External debt

$2 billion including arrears (1990)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$242.4 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: manufactures, machinery, food, petroleum partners: US 40%, Trinidad & Tobago 13%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Netherland Antilles 3% (1989)

Industrial production

growth rate 12% (1990 est.); accounts for about 24% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15% (1992)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $267.5 million (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$370 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

7% (1992 est.)

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 cane fields, 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 has been 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. Buoyed by a recovery in mining and agriculture, the economy posted 6% growth in 1991 and 7% growth in 1992, 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% (1991 est.)

Area

total area: 214,970 km2 land area: 196,850 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Idaho

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

flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution

International disputes

all of the area west of the Essequibo River claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Koetari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)

Irrigated land

1,300 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 2,462 km, Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

Land use

arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 83% other: 8%

Location

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

Map references

South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 nm or the outer edge of 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

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

Digraph

GY

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Odeen ISHMAEL chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 265-6900 consulate general: New York

Elections

Executive President: last held on 5 October 1992; results - Cheddi JAGAN was elected president since he was leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections National Assembly: 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

Executive branch

executive president, first vice president, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Cabinet

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)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Judicature

Leaders

Chief of State: Executive President Cheddi JAGAN (since 5 October 1992); First Vice President Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992) Head of Government: Prime Minister Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992)

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

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

Names

conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana conventional short form: Guyana former: British Guiana

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 National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE; People's 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; 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

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador George Jones embassy: 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown telephone: [592] (2) 54900 through 54909 and 57960 through 57969 FAX: [592] (2) 58497

Birth rate

20.47 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

7.39 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

49.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

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)

Languages

English, Amerindian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 64.7 years male: 61.46 years female: 68.1 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over having ever attended scool (1990) total population: 95% male: 98% female: 96%

Nationality

noun: Guyanese (singular and plural) adjective: Guyanese

Net migration rate

-19.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

734,640 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.68% (1993 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

2.35 children born/woman (1993 est.)