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Communications

Airports [time series]

54 total, 49 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; none with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

3 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; broadcast 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]

exchange rate conversion - $5.5 million, 6% of GDP (1989 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 196,066; 149,045 fit for military service

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

most important sector, accounting for 24% 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 [time series]

revenues $126 million; expenditures $250 million (1990 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 (1970-89), $325 million; Communist countries 1970-89, $242 million

Electricity [time series]

252,500 kW capacity; 647 million kWh produced, 863 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 124.1 (March 1992) 111.8 (1991), 39.533 (1990), 27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988), 9.756 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$189 million (f.o.b., 1990 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]

$2.0 billion, including arrears (1990)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

exchange rate conversion - $250 million, per capita $300; real growth rate 6% (1991 est.)

Imports [time series]

$246 million (c.i.f., 1991) 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 - 12.0% (1990 est.); accounts for about 11% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

75% (1990)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 canefields, 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 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. In 1991, buoyed by a recovery in mining and agriculture, the economy posted 6% growth, 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 [time series]

12-15% (1990 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

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

196,850 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

2,462 km; 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%

Maritime claims [time series]

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

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

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

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 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Georgetown; telephone [592] (2) 54900 through 54909

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

Executive President: last held on 9 December 1985 (next to be held 1992); results - Hugh Desmond HOYTE was elected president since he was 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-1992); results - PNC 78%, PPP 16%, UF 4%, WPA 2%; seats - (65 total, 53 elected) PNC 42, PPP 8, UF 2, WPA 1

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

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

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)

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); 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

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; Democratic Labor Movement (DLM), Paul TENNASSEE; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Llewellyn JOHN; National Democratic Front (NDF), Joseph BACCHUS; United Force (UF), Manzoor NADIR; United Republican Party (URP), Leslie RAMSAMMY; National Republican Party (NRP), Robert GANGADEEN; Guyanese Labor Party (GLP), Nanda GOPAUL

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

21 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

50 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

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 [time series]

English, Amerindian dialects

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

61 years male, 68 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun - Guyanese (singular and plural); adjective - Guyanese

Net migration rate [time series]

-20 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

34% of labor force

Population [time series]

739,431 (July 1992), growth rate - 0.6% (1992)

Religions [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.4 children born/woman (1992)