Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006.

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
5 00 N, 59 00 W
South America
total: 214,970 sq km ; land: 196,850 sq km ; water: 18,120 sq km
slightly smaller than Idaho
total: 2,949 km ; border countries: Brazil 1,606 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
459 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; exclusive economic zone: 200 nm ; continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m ; highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
arable land: 2.23% ; permanent crops: 0.14% ; other: 97.63% (2005)
1,500 sq km (2003)
241 cu km (2000)
Total: 1.64 cu km/yr (2%/1%/98%) ; Per capita: 2,187 cu m/yr (2000)
flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 ; signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively
769,095 ; note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 26.1% (male 102,111/female 98,325) ; 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 266,288/female 261,620) ; 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 17,308/female 23,443) (2007 est.)
total: 27.8 years ; male: 27.3 years ; female: 28.3 years (2007 est.)
0.234% (2007 est.)
18.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
-7.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.039 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 1.018 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.738 male(s)/female ; total population: 1.006 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 31.35 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 34.93 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 27.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 66.17 years ; male: 63.52 years ; female: 68.95 years (2007 est.)
2.04 children born/woman (2007 est.)
2.5% (2003 est.)
11,000 (2003 est.)
1,100 (2003 est.)
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural) ; adjective: Guyanese
East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%
Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%
English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school ; total population: 98.8% ; male: 99.1% ; female: 98.5% (2003 est.)


conventional long form: Cooperative Republic of Guyana ; conventional short form: Guyana ; former: British Guiana
republic
name: Georgetown ; geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 10 W ; time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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

26 May 1966 (from UK)
Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
6 October 1980
based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN and reelected in 2001, and again in 2006 ; head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since October 1992, except for a period as chief of state after the death of President Cheddi JAGAN on 6 March 1997) ; cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature ; elections: president elected by popular vote as leader of a party list in parliamentary elections, which must be held at least every five years (no term limits); elections last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011); prime minister appointed by the president ; election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of vote 54.6%
unicameral National Assembly (65 seats; members elected by popular vote, also not more than 4 non-elected non-voting ministers and 2 non-elected non-voting parliamentary secretaries appointed by the president; to serve five-year terms) ; elections: last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011) ; election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 54.6%, PNC/R 34%, AFC 8.1%, other 3.3%; seats by party - PPP/C 36, PNC/R 22, AFC 5, other 2
Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the High Court and the Judicial Court of Appeal, with right of final appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice
Alliance for Change or AFC [Raphael TROTMAN and Khemraj RAMJATTAN]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Justice for All Party [C.N. SHARMA]; People's National Congress/Reform or PNC/R [Robert Herman Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN]; Vision Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]
Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Citizens Initiative; Guyana Bar Association; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana Public Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades Union Congress
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN ; chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 ; telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900 ; FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 ; consulate(s) general: New York
chief of mission: Ambassador David M. ROBINSON ; embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown ; mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown; US Embassy, 3170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170 ; telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909 ; FAX: [592] 225-8497





The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-07, based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Economic recovery since the 2005 flood-related contraction has been buoyed by increases in remittances and foreign direct investment. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. In March 2007, the Inter-American Development Bank, Guyana's principal donor, canceled Guyana's nearly $470 million debt, equivalent to nearly 41% of GDP. The bauxite mining sector should benefit in the near term from restructuring and partial privatization, and the state-owned sugar industry will conduct efficiency increasing modernizations. Export earnings from agriculture and mining have fallen sharply, while the import bill has risen, driven by higher energy prices. Guyana's entrance into the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) in January 2006 will broaden the country's export market, primarily in the raw materials sector.
$4.057 billion (2007 est.)
$896.8 million (2007 est.)
4.5% (2007 est.)
$5,300 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 35.2% ; industry: 19% ; services: 45.8% (2007 est.)
418,000 (2001 est.)
agriculture: NA% ; industry: NA% ; services: NA%
9.1% (understated) (2000)
NA%
lowest 10%: 1.3% ; highest 10%: 33.8% (1999)
43.2 (1999)
10.4% (2007 est.)
39.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
revenues: $419.4 million ; expenditures: $527.4 million (2007 est.)

sugarcane, rice, shrimp, fish, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products
bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
2% (2007 est.)
807.3 million kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 99.4% ; hydro: 0.6% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0% (2001)
750.7 million kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
10,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)
0 bbl/day (2004)
10,070 bbl/day (2004)
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005)
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
-$229.7 million (2007 est.)
$499.4 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
sugar, gold, bauxite, alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
US 18.8%, Canada 18.4%, UK 8.7%, Portugal 6.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.9%, Netherlands 4.3%, Belgium 4.3%, Jamaica 4.1% (2006)
$835.8 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago 23%, US 21.3%, China 9.7%, Cuba 6.3%, UK 4.5% (2006)

$292 million (31 December 2007 est.)
$1.2 billion (2002)


$187.3 million (2005)
Guyanese dollar (GYD)
GYD
Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 201.89 (2007), 200.28 (2006), 200.79 (2005), 198.31 (2004), 193.88 (2003)
calendar year
$136.8 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997) (2005)
110,100 (2005)
281,400 (2005)
general assessment: fair system for long-distance service ; domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines; fixed-line teledensity is about 15 per 100 persons; many areas still lack fixed-line telephone services; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 37 per 100 persons in 2005 ; international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
420,000 (1997)
3 (1 public station; 2 private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)
46,000 (1997)
.gy
3,000 (2007)
3 (2000)
160,000 (2005)

93 (2007)
total: 9 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 ; under 914 m: 6 (2007)
total: 84 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 14 ; under 914 m: 69 (2007)



total: 7,970 km ; paved: 590 km ; unpaved: 7,380 km (1999)
Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2006)
total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,516 GRT/14,193 DWT ; by type: cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1 ; registered in other countries: 2 (St Vincent and The Grenadines 2, unknown 1) (2007)
Georgetown

Guyana Defense Force: Army (includes Coast Guard, Air Corps) (2007)

males age 18-49: 206,098 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 137,964 (2005 est.)

1.8% (2006)

all of the area west of the Essequibo River is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters

transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis; rising money laundering related to drug trafficking and human smuggling

