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Country name:
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana
Data code: GY
Government 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: President Janet JAGAN (since NA December
1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA
December 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president,
responsible to the legislature
elections: president elected by the majority party in the
National Assembly after legislative elections, which must be held
within five years; legislative elections last held 15 December 1997
(next to be held NA 2000; this date was part of a negotiated settlement
between the two main political parties following a dispute over
the December elections); prime minister appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats,
53 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 15 December 1997 (next to be held
by March 2000; this date was negotiated following a dispute over
the December elections)
election results: percent of vote by party—PPP 54%,
PNC 41%, AFG 1%, TUF 1%; seats by party—PPP 36, PNC 25, AFG
2, TUF 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
Political parties and leaders: People's Progressive Party
or PPP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond
HOYTE]; For a Good and Green Guyana or GGG [Hamilton GREEN]; Alliance
for Guyana or AFG [Rupert ROOPNARINE]; Democratic Labor Movement
or DLM [Paul TENNASSEE]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Llewellyn
JOHN]; National Democratic Front or NDF [Joseph BACCHUS]; The United
Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; National Republican Party or NRP [Robert
GANGADEEN]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; Guyana Democratic
Party or GDP [Asgar ALLY]; Guyanese Organization for Liberty and
Democracy Party or GOLD [Anthony MEKDECI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Trades Union Congress
or TUC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Civil Liberties
Action Committee or CLAC
note: the latter two organizations are small and active
but not well organized
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom,
CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,
IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC (observer), OPANAL,
OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MACK
embassy: 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
telephone: [592] (2) 54900 through 54909, 57960 through
57969
FAX: [592] (2) 59497
Flag description: 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: In 1997, Guyana, one of the poorest
countries in the Western Hemisphere, posted its sixth straight year
of economic growth of 5% or better, with the advance led by gold
and bauxite mining and by sugar growing. Favorable growth factors
have included expansion in the key agricultural and mining sectors,
a more favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more realistic
exchange rate, a moderate inflation rate, and the continued support
of international organizations. However, a severe drought and political
turmoil following the 1997 elections contributed to a negative growth
rate for 1998. Serious underlying economic problems will continue.
Electricity has been in short supply and constitutes a major barrier
to future gains in national output. The government must persist
in efforts to manage its sizable external debt and extend its privatization
program.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$1.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: -1.8% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$2,500
(1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 37%
industry: 22%
services: 41% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1998)
Labor force: 245,492 (1992)
Labor force—by occupation: agriculture, hunting and
forestry 30.2%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 11% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 12% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $253.7 million
expenditures: $304.1 million, including capital expenditures
of $108.8 million (1997 est.)
Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing
(shrimp), textiles, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate: 7.1% (1997 est.)
Electricity—production: 325 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.46%
hydro: 1.54%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 339 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 14 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable
oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest and fishery potential
not exploited
Exports: $593.4 million (1997 est.)
Exports—commodities: sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina,
rice, shrimp, molasses
Exports—partners: Canada 25.9%, US 20.4%, UK 22.7%,
Netherlands Antilles 8.4%, Germany 4.3% (1996)
Imports: $641.6 million (1997 est.)
Imports—commodities: manufactures, machinery, petroleum,
food
Imports—partners: US 27.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 17.7%,
Netherlands Antilles 12.1%, UK 10.7%, Japan 4.2% (1996)
Debt—external: $1.5 billion (1997)
Economic aid—recipient: $84 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1—163.7
(December 1998), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997), 140.4 (1996), 142.0
(1995), 138.3 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones: 33,000 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: fair system for long-distance calling
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
international: tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite
earth station—1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 1
Radios: 398,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1 public station; two private
stations relay US satellite services (1997)
Televisions: 32,000 (1992 est.)
Railways:
total: 88 km (all dedicated to ore transport)
standard gauge: 40 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge
Highways:
total: 7,970 km
paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (1996 est.)
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 and harbors: Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam,
Parika
Merchant marine:
total: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,340
GRT/4,530 DWT (1998 est.)
Airports: 48 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 44
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 35 (1998 est.)
Military branches: Guyana Defense Force (GDF; includes
Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Guyana People's Militia
(GPM), Guyana National Service (GNS), Guyana Police Force
Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 202,509 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 152,839 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $7 million (1994)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 1.7% (1994)
Disputes—international: all of the area west of the
Essequibo River claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between
New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari [Koetari] Rivers (all
headwaters of the Courantyne)
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics from
South America—primarily Venezuela—to Europe and the US;
producer of cannabis
Source: 1999 CIA World Factbook
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