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Communications

Airports [time series]

66 total, 63 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

5 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

7,665 km total; 550 km paved, 5,000 km gravel, 1,525 km earth, 590 km unimproved

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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 [time series]

Georgetown

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

187 km total, all single track 0.914-meter gauge

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

fair system with radio relay network; over 27,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; stations--4 AM, 3 FM, no TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Guyana Defense Force (including Maritime Corps and Air Corps), Guyana Police Force, Guyana People's Militia, Guyana National Service

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

4.3% of GDP, or $13.8 million (1988 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 201,104; 152,958 fit for military service

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

most important sector, accounting for 25% of GDP and over 50% 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

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $109 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $234 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $242 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $173 million; expenditures $414 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (1988 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Guyanese dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents

Electricity [time series]

221,000 kW capacity; 583 million kWh produced, 760 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1--33.0000 (January 1990), 27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988), 9.756 (1987), 4.272 (1986), 4.252 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$215 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.) commodities--bauxite, sugar, rice, shrimp, gold, molasses, timber, rum; partners--UK 37%, US 12%, Canada 10.6%, CARICOM 4.8% (1986)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.8 billion, including arrears (December 1988)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$323 million, per capita $420; real growth rate - 3.0% (1988 est.)

Imports [time series]

$216 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--manufactures machinery, food, petroleum; partners--CARICOM 41%, US 18%, UK 9%, Canada 3% (1984)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate - 5.0% (1988 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

35% (1988 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

After growing on average at less than 1% a year in 1984-87, GDP dropped by 3% in 1988, the result of bad weather, labor trouble in the canefields, and flooding and equipment problems in the bauxite industry. Consumer prices rose about 35%, and the current account deficit widened substantially as sugar and bauxite exports fell. Moreover, electric power is 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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

459 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Idaho

Continental shelf [time series]

outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm;

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution

Exclusive fishing zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 83% forest and woodland; 8% other; includes 1% irrigated

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

214,970 km2; land area: 196,850 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

Georgetown

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

100 (est.) hardcore within PPP; top echelons of PPP and PYO (Progressive Youth Organization, militant wing of the PPP) include many Communists; small but unknown number of orthodox Marxist-Leninists within PNC, some of whom formerly belonged to the PPP

Constitution [time series]

6 October 1980

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Dr. Cedric Hilburn GRANT; Chancery at 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6900; there is a Guyanese Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Theresa A. TULL; Embassy at 31 Main Street, Georgetown; telephone [592] (02) 54900 through 54909

Executive branch [time series]

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

Flag [time series]

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 [time series]

26 May 1966 (from UK; formerly British Guiana)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court of Judicature Chief of State--President Hugh Desmond HOYTE (since 6 August 1985); First Vice President Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 1985); Head of Government--Prime Minister Hamilton GREEN (since 6 August 1985)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Co-operative Republic of Guyana

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICJ, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Trades Union Congress (TUC); Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO); Civil Liberties Action Committee (CLAC); the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond Hoyte; People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi Jagan; Working People's Alliance (WPA), Eusi Kwayana, Rupert Roopnarine, Moses Bhagwan; Democratic Labor Movement (DLM), Paul Tennassee; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Llewellyn John; National Democratic Front (NDF), Joseph Bacchus; United Force (UF), Marcellus Feilden Singh; Vanguard for Liberation and Democracy (VLD, also known as Liberator Party), Gunraj Kumar, J. K. Makepeace Richmond

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 Executive President--last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held late 1990); Hugh Desmond Hoyte was elected president (the leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections--PNC 78%); National Assembly--last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held by 9 December 1990); results--PNC 78%, PPP 16%, UF 4%, WPA 2%; seats--(65 total, 53 elected) PNC 42, PPP 8, UF 2, WPA 1

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

24 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

268,000; 44.5% industry and commerce, 33.8% agriculture, 21.7% services; public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor force (1985)

Languages (Language) [time series]

English, Amerindian dialects

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

65 years male, 70 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

85%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Guyanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Guyanese

Net migration rate [time series]

- 19 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

34% of labor force

Population [time series]

764,649 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.1% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.7 children born/woman (1990)