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Communications

Airports [time series]

58 total, 55 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; none with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 14 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 (GDF; includes Coast Guard and Air Corps), Guyana Police Force (GPF), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National Service (GNS)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$5.5 million, 6% of GDP (1989 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 195,142; 148,477 fit for military service

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

most important sector, accounting for 27% of GDP and about 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

Budget [time series]

revenues $65 million; expenditures $129 million, including capital expenditures of $6 million (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $116 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $244 million; Communist countries 1970-89, $242 million

Electricity [time series]

250,000 kW capacity; 635 million kWh produced, 830 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1--45.00 (since June 1990), 39.533 (1990), 27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988), 9.756 (1987), 4.272 (1986), 4.252 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$234 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.); commodities--bauxite, sugar, gold, rice, shrimp, molasses, timber, rum; partners--UK 31%, US 23%, CARICOM 7%, Canada 6% (1988)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.7 billion, including arrears (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

$287.2 million, per capita $380; real growth rate - 3.3% (1989)

Imports [time series]

$319 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.); commodities--manufactures machinery, food, petroleum; partners--US 33%, CARICOM 10%, UK 9%, Canada 2% (1989)

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

growth rate - 10.0% (1989 est.); accounts for more than 20% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

105% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

After growing on average at less than 1% a year in 1986-87, GDP dropped by 3% a year in 1988-89. The decline resulted from bad weather, labor trouble in the canefields, and flooding and equipment problems in the bauxite industry. Consumer prices rose about 35% in 1988 and by over 100% in 1989, 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]

12-15% (1991 est.)

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 Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nm; Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Idaho

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

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 George JONES; 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--Executive 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 NA August 1985) 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; United Republican Party (URP), Leslie RAMSAMMY; National Republican Party (NRP), Robert GANGADEEN

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, 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

National holiday [time series]

Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

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

Trades Union Congress (TUC); Guyanese Action for Reform and Democracy (GUARD) includes various labor groups as well as several of the smaller parties; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO); Civil Liberties Action Committee (CLAC); the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized; Guyanese Action for Reform and Democracy (GUARD) includes various labor groups, as well as several of the smaller political parties

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 Executive President--last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held mid-1991); Hugh Desmond HOYTE was elected president (the leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections); National Assembly--last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held mid-1991); 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]

23 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

51 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

268,000; industry and commerce 44.5%, agriculture 33.8%, services 21.7%; 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]

61 years male, 68 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

95% (male 98%, female 96%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

- 20 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

34% of labor force

Population [time series]

749,508 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.4% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.6 children born/woman (1991)