Guyana




                                 Geography


Location:
     Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between
     Suriname and Venezuela
Map references:
     South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     214,970 sq km
land area:
     196,850 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries:
     total 2,462 km, Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline:
     459 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
     200 nm or the outer edge of continental margin
exclusive fishing zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
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)
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
Natural resources:
     bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Land use:
arable land:
     3%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     6%
forest and woodland:
     83%
other:
     8%
Irrigated land:
     1,300 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
     water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals;
     deforestation




natural hazards:
     flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons
international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
     Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratifed - Biodiversity, Climate
     Change


                                  People


Population:
     729,425 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     -0.75% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     19.95 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     7.36 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -20.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     48.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     64.9 years
male:
     61.66 years
female:
     68.3 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     2.29 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective:
     Guyanese
Ethnic divisions:
     East Indian 51%, black and mixed 43%, Amerindian 4%, European and
     Chinese 2%
Religions:
     Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%
Languages:
     English, Amerindian dialects
Literacy:
     age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)
total population:
     95%
male:
     98%
female:
     96%
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)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form:
former:
     British Guiana
Digraph:
     GY
Type:
     republic
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:
     Executive President Cheddi JAGAN (since 5 October 1992); First Vice
     President Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992); election 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
head of government:
     Prime Minister Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992)
cabinet:
     Cabinet of Ministers; appointed by the president, responsible to the
     legislature
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
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
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court of Judicature




Political parties and leaders:
     People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi JAGAN; People's National
     Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE;; People's National Congress (PNC),
     Hugh Desmond HOYTE; 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
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
Member of:
     ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO,
     ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user),
     INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
     UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery:
     2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
     (202) 265-6900 through 6903
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador George F. Jones
embassy:
     99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingstown, Georgetown
mailing address:
     P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
telephone:
     [592] (2) 54900 through 54909 and 57960 through 57969
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


                                  Economy




Overview:
     Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, has
     pushed ahead strongly in 1991-93, at 7% average annual growth rate.
     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 will have to persist in efforts to control
     external debt and inflation and to extend the privatization program.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.4 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     8.3% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $1,900 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     7% (1993
Unemployment rate:
     12% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
     $121 million
expenditures:
     $225 million, including capital expenditures of $50 million (1990
     est.)
Exports:
     $400 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
     sugar, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses
partners:
     UK 33%, US 31%, Canada 9%, France 5%, Japan 3%, (1992)
Imports:
     $520 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
commodities:
     manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
partners:
     US 37%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%, UK 11%, Italy 8%, Japan 5% (1992)
External debt:
     $1.9 billion including arrears (1992 est)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 11% (1991 est.); accounts for about 11% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     253,500 kW
production:
     276 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     370 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     bauxite mining, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp),
     textiles, gold mining




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
Economic aid:
recipient:
     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, $242 million
Currency:
     1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
     Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 130.7 (January 1994), 126.7 (1993),
     125.0 (1992), 111.8 (1991), 39.533 (1990), 27.159 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     no public railroads; about 100 km of narrow gauge industrial railroads
     to transport minerals, including bauxite
Highways:
total:
     7,665 km
paved:
     550 km
unpaved:
     gravel 5,000 km; earth 2,115 km
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, New Amsterdam
Merchant marine:
     1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,317 GRT/2,558 DWT
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:
     12
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






                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Guyana Defense Force (GDF; including the Ground Forces, Coast Guard
     and Air Corps), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National Service
     (GNS)
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 197,802; fit for military service 150,072
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP