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Guyana
Background :
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.
Location :
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
Geographic Coordinates Center :
5 00 N, 59 00 W (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | -61.38 |
| North | 8.56 |
| East | -56.48 |
| South | 1.18 |
Map references :
America
Area :
| total | 214 969 | square km |
| land | 196 849 | square km |
| water | 18 120 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 2 949 | km |
| Brazil (br) | 1 606 | km |
| Suriname (sr) | 600 | km |
| Venezuela (ve) | 743 | km |
Coastline :
459.00 km
Climate :
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)
Terrain :
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 2 835 | metres |
Natural resources :
| bauxite | diamonds |
| fish | gold |
| hardwood timber | shrimp |
Land use :
| arable land | 2.23 | % |
| permanent crops | 0.14 | % |
| other | 97.63 | % |
Irrigated land :
1 500 square km
Total renewable water resources :
241 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| floods |
current issues :
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
international agreements :
| 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 |
Population :
752 940
Indicators :
| Growth rate | -0.63 | % |
| Birth rate | 18.31 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 2.48 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 7.34 | deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | -17.31 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 33.30 | % |
| 15-64 years | 62.10 | % |
| 65 years and over | 4.60 | % |
Median age :
| total | 28.70 | years |
| male | 28.20 | years |
| female | 29.20 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.05 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 1.04 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 1.02 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.72 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 1.01 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 39.11 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 66.31 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 62.44 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 70.38 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 2.50 | % |
| HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 13 000 | |
| HIV-AIDS deaths | 1 000 |
Religions :
| Hindu | 28.40 | % |
| Pentecostal | 16.90 | % |
| Roman Catholic | 8.10 | % |
| Anglican | 6.90 | % |
| Seventh Day Adventist | 5.00 | % |
| Methodist | 1.70 | % |
| Jehovah Witness | 1.10 | % |
| other Christian | 17.70 | % |
| Muslim | 7.20 | % |
| other | 4.30 | % |
| none | 4.30 | % |
Languages :
| English | |
| Amerindian dialects | |
| Creole | |
| Caribbean Hindustani | |
| Urdu |
Literacy :
| total population | 98.80 | % |
| male | 99.10 | % |
| female | 98.50 | % |
Country name :
| conventional long form | Cooperative Republic of Guyana |
| conventional short form | Guyana |
| former | British Guiana |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | GY |
| ISO Numeric | 328 |
| ISO3 | GUY |
| FIPS | GY |
| ccTLD | gy |
| English | Guyana |
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
Capital :
| name | Georgetown |
| geographic coordinates | 6 48 N, 58 10 W |
| time difference | -4.00 |
International organization participation :
| ACP | AOSIS |
| C | CDB |
| Caricom | FAO |
| G-77 | IADB |
| IBRD | ICAO |
| ICCt | ICRM |
| IDA | IFAD |
| IFC | IFRCS |
| ILO | IMF |
| IMO | IOC |
| IOM (observer) | ISO (subscriber) |
| ITU | ITUC |
| Interpol | LAES |
| MIGA | NAM |
| OAS | OIC |
| OPANAL | OPCW |
| PCA | PetroCaribe |
| RG | UN |
| UNASUR | UNCTAD |
| UNESCO | UNIDO |
| UPU | WCO |
| WFTU | WHO |
| WIPO | WMO |
| WTO |
Independence :
1966-05-26
National holiday :
Republic Day
1970-02-23
Executive branch :
| President Bharrat JAGDEO | Prime Minister Samuel HINDS |
Legislative branch :
| PPP/C | 54.60 | % |
| PNC/R | 34.00 | % |
| AFC | 8.10 | % |
| other | 3.30 | % |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 2 973 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 1 196 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | -1.20 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 3 900 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 24.50 | % |
| industry | 23.60 | % |
| services | 51.90 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Unemployment rate | 11.00 | % |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 43.20 | |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.20 | % |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 31.60 | % of GDP |
| Current account balance | - 232 000 000 | $ |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 317 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 804 300 000 | $ |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 262 399 999 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 1.80 | % of GDP |
Household income or consumption by percentage share :
| lowest 10% | 1.30 | % |
| highest 10% | 33.80 | % |
Budget :
| revenues | 493 700 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 596 900 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| beef | edible oils |
| fish | pork |
| poultry | rice |
| shrimp | sugarcane |
Industries :
| bauxite | gold mining |
| rice milling | sugar |
| textiles | timber |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 821 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 667 000 000 | kWh |
| Oil Consumption | 11 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 10 550 | bbl/day |
Value :
652 000 000 $
Partners :
| Canada (ca) | 20.90 | % |
| United States (us) | 15.30 | % |
| United Kingdom (gb) | 12.30 | % |
| Netherlands (nl) | 7.30 | % |
| Portugal (pt) | 4.70 | % |
| Trinidad and Tobago (tt) | 4.70 | % |
| Jamaica (jm) | 4.50 | % |
| Ukraine (ua) | 4.30 | % |
Commodities :
| alumina | bauxite |
| gold | molasses |
| rice | rum |
| shrimp | sugar |
| timber |
Value :
1 066 000 000 $
Partners :
| United States (us) | 23.20 | % |
| Trinidad and Tobago (tt) | 22.00 | % |
| Finland (fi) | 7.60 | % |
| Cuba (cu) | 6.10 | % |
| China (cn) | 5.60 | % |
Commodities :
| food | machinery |
| manufactures | petroleum |
Currency-code :
GYD
Currency-name :
Guyanese dollar
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 125 000 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 281 400 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 3 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 3 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | gy | |
| Internet Hosts | 7 116 | |
| Internet Users | 205 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 10 | |
| Roadways - total | 7 970 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 590 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 7 380 | km |
| Waterways | 330 | km |
Flag
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