male: 18.8 years
female: 19.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.004% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Birth rate:
35.56 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Death rate:
15.52 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Urbanization:
urban population: 30% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 98.05 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 8 male: 108.03 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 87.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 48.3 years country comparison to the world: 216 male: 46.44 years
female: 50.22 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.58 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 34
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
16,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean
Ethnic groups:
African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%
Religions:
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%
Languages:
Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.4%
male: 58.1%
female: 27.4% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
male: 8 years
female: 5 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.2% of GDP (1999) country comparison to the world: 59
Government ::Guinea-Bissau
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau
local short form: Guine-Bissau
former: Portuguese Guinea
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Bissau
geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos
Independence:
24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
Constitution:
16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and in 1996
Legal system:
based on French civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Malam Bacai SANHA (since 8 September 2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Carlos GOMES Junior (since 25 December 2008)
cabinet: NA (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 28 June 2009 with a runoff between the two leading candidates held on 26 July 2009 (next to be held by 2014); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature
election results: Malam Bacai SANHA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Malam Bacai SANHA 63.5%, Kumba YALA 36.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 16 November 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 49.8%, PRS 25.3%, PRID 7.5%, PND 2.4%, AD 1.4%, other parties 13.6%; seats by party - PAIGC 67, PRS 28, PRID 3, PND 1, AD 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at more than $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases valued at less than $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)
Political parties and leaders:
African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verdeor PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Democratic Alliance or AD [VictorMANDINGA]; Democratic Social Front or FDS [Rafael BARBOSA];Electoral Union or UE [Joaquim BALDE]; Guinea-Bissau CivicForum/Social Democracy or FCGSD [Antonieta Rosa GOMES];Guinea-Bissau Democratic Party or PDG; Guinea-Bissau SocialistDemocratic Party or PDSG [Serifo BALDE]; Labor and Solidarity Partyor PST [Lancuba INDJAI]; New Democracy Party or PND; Party forDemocratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Party for Renewaland Progress or PRP; Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Kumba YALA];Progress Party or PP; Republican Party for Independence andDevelopment or PRID [Aristides GOMES]; Union of Guinean Patriots orUPG [Francisca VAZ]; Union for Change or UM [Amine SAAD]; UnitedPlatform or UP (coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB);United Popular Alliance or APU; United Social Democratic Party orPUSD [Frnacisco FADUL]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and military-led junta; the US Ambassador to Senegal is accredited to Guinea-Bissau
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; yellow symbolizes the sun; green denotes hope; red represents blood shed during the struggle for independence; the black star stands for African unity
note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the flag design was heavily influenced by the Ghanian flag
National anthem:
name: "Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada" (This Is Our Beloved Country)
lyrics/music: Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He
note: adopted 1974; a delegation from Portuguese Guinea visited China in 1963 and heard music by XIAO He; Amilcar Lopes CABRA, the leader of Guinea-Bissa"s independence movement, asked the composer to create a piece that would inspire his people to struggle for independence
Economy ::Guinea-Bissau
Economy - overview:
One of the poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau's legal economy depends mainly on farming and fishing, but trafficking narcotics is probably the most lucrative trade. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002. In December 2003, the World Bank, IMF, and UNDP were forced to step in to provide emergency budgetary support in the amount of $107 million for 2004, representing over 80% of the total national budget. The combination of limited economic prospects, a weak and faction-ridden government, and favorable geography have made this West African country a way station for drugs bound for Europe.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.769 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 188 $1.738 billion (2009 est.)
$1.687 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$825 million (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 157 3% (2009 est.)
2.8% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,100 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 210 $1,100 (2009 est.)
$1,100 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 62%
industry: 12%
services: 26% (1999 est.)
Labor force:
632,700 (2007) country comparison to the world: 152
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 82%
industry and services: 18% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 28% (2002)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 98 4.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Stock of narrow money:
$192.1 million (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 175 $171.2 million (31 December 2008)
Stock of broad money:
$209.3 million (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 181 $189.2 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$42.56 million (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 181 $58.87 million (31 December 2008)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish
Industries:
agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Industrial production growth rate:
4.7% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Electricity - production:
65 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Electricity - consumption:
60.45 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Oil - consumption:
3,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 180
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Oil - imports:
2,545 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 173
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Current account balance:
-$6 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Exports:
$133 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 185
Exports - commodities:
fish, shrimp; cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber
Exports - partners:
India 62.21%, Nigeria 31.28%, Portugal 1.48% (2009)
Imports:
$200 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 201
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Portugal 17.33%, Senegal 13.66%, Netherlands 9.27%, India 9.11%,Thailand 5.2%, Brazil 4.49% (2009)
Debt - external:
$941.5 million (2000 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 506.04 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006)
note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par
Communications ::Guinea-Bissau
Telephones - main lines in use:
4,800 (2009) country comparison to the world: 212
Telephones - mobile cellular:
560,300 (2009) country comparison to the world: 158
Telephone system:
general assessment: small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile-cellular communications
domestic: fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 35 per 100 in 2009
international: country code - 245 (2008)
Broadcast media:
1 state-owned TV station and a second station, RTP Africa, is operated by Portuguese public broadcaster RTP; 1 state-owned radio station, several private radio stations, and some community radio stations; multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)
Internet country code:
.gw
Internet hosts:
82 (2010) country comparison to the world: 206
Internet users:
37,100 (2009) country comparison to the world: 176
Transportation ::Guinea-Bissau
Airports:
9 (2010) country comparison to the world: 158
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 3,455 km country comparison to the world: 161 paved: 965 km
unpaved: 2,490 km (2002)
Waterways:
rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim
Military ::Guinea-Bissau
Military branches:
People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary force
Military service age and obligation:
18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger with parental consent, for voluntary service (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 361,785
females age 16-49: 363,488 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 199,771
females age 16-49: 206,240 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 17,300
female: 17,523 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.1% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Transnational Issues ::Guinea-Bissau
Disputes - international:
in 2006, political instability within Senegal's Casamance region resulted in thousands of Senegalese refugees, cross-border raids, and arms smuggling into Guinea-Bissau
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 7,454 (Senegal) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Guinea-Bissau is a source country for children trafficked primarily for forced begging and forced agricultural labor to other West African countries
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - for the second year in a row, Guinea-Bissau is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons, as evidenced by the continued failure to pass an anti-trafficking law and inadequate efforts to investigate or prosecute trafficking crimes or convict and punish trafficking offenders (2008)
Illicit drugs:
increasingly important transit country for South American cocaine enroute to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations thanks to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography around the capital facilitates drug smuggling
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Guyana (South America)
Introduction ::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.
Geography ::Guyana
Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, betweenSuriname and Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 214,969 sq km country comparison to the world: 84 land: 196,849 sq km
water: 18,120 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries:
total: 2,949 km
border countries: Brazil 1,606 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline:
459 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
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: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Land use:
arable land: 2.23%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 97.63% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,500 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
241 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.64 cu km/yr (2%/1%/98%)
per capita: 2,187 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Environment - current issues:
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
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
Geography - note:
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
People ::Guyana
Population:
748,486 country comparison to the world: 161 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33.3% (male 127,818/female 123,261)
15-64 years: 62.1% (male 233,270/female 234,025)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 14,481/female 20,085) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 23.6 years
male: 22.9 years
female: 24.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.547% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 224
Birth rate:
17.61 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Death rate:
7.24 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Net migration rate:
-15.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 218
Urbanization:
urban population: 28% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 37.89 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 70 male: 42.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 33.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.74 years country comparison to the world: 157 male: 62.93 years
female: 70.74 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.4 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
13,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 1,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese
Ethnic groups:
East Indian 43.5%, black (African) 30.2%, mixed 16.7%, Amerindian 9.1%, other 0.5% (2002 census)
Religions:
Hindu 28.4%, Pentecostal 16.9%, Roman Catholic 8.1%, Anglican 6.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 5%, Methodist 1.7%, Jehovah Witness 1.1%, other Christian 17.7%, Muslim 7.2%, other 4.3%, none 4.3% (2002 census)
Languages:
English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 91.8%
male: 92%
female: 91.6% (2002 Census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
6.1% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 37
Government ::Guyana
Country name:
conventional long form: Cooperative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Georgetown
geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 10 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, EastBerbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice,Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, UpperTakutu-Upper Essequibo
Independence:
26 May 1966 (from the 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 Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN and was 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 (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) 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 on 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%
Legislative branch:
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; members to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 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
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the High Court and the Court of Appeal, with right of final appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
Political parties and leaders:
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 HermanOrlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [BharratJAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The UnitedForce or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN]; VisionGuyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [RupertROOPNARAINE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Bar Association; GuyanaCitizens Initiative; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana PublicService Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades UnionCongress
International organization participation:
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, 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, PetroCaribe, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Karen L. WILLIAMS
embassy: US 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
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; green represents forest and foliage; yellow stands for mineral resources and a bright future; white symbolizes Guyana's rivers; red signifies zeal and the sacrifice of the people; black indicates perseverance
National anthem:
name: "Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains"
lyrics/music: Archibald Leonard LUKERL/Robert Cyril Gladstone POTTER
note: adopted 1966
Economy ::Guyana
Economy - overview:
The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in recent years and is based largely on agriculture and extractive industries. The economy is heavily dependent upon the export of six commodities - sugar, gold, bauxite, shrimp, timber, and rice - which represent nearly 60% of the country's GDP and are highly susceptible to adverse weather conditions and fluctuations in commodity prices. Guyana's entrance into the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) in January 2006 has broadened the country's export market, primarily in the raw materials sector. Economic recovery since a 2005 flood-related contraction was buoyed by increases in remittances and foreign direct investment in the sugar and rice industries as well as the mining sector. 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 48% of GDP, which along with other Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) debt forgiveness brought the debt-to-GDP ratio down from 183% in 2006 to 120% in 2007. Guyana became heavily indebted as a result of the inward-looking, state-led development model pursued in the 1970s and 1980s. Growth slowed in 2009-10 as a result of the world recession. The slowdown in the domestic economy and lower import costs helped to narrow the country's current account deficit, despite generally lower earnings from exports.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.069 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 160 $4.946 billion (2009 est.)
$4.834 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.197 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 139 2.3% (2009 est.)
3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,800 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 $6,600 (2009 est.)
$6,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 24.3%
industry: 24.7%
services: 51% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
333,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
11% (2007) country comparison to the world: 121
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 33.8% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43.2 (1999) country comparison to the world: 47
Investment (gross fixed):
34.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Public debt:
57% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 173 2.9% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
6.75% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 59 6.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
14.54% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 14.58% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$386.9 million (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 162 $252.9 million (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$1.303 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 152 $905.6 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$754 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 156 $524 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 107 $289.9 million (31 December 2008)
$262.4 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, rice, edible oils; shrimp, fish, beef, pork, poultry
Industries:
bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate:
2.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Electricity - production:
821 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Electricity - consumption:
667 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Oil - consumption:
10,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Oil - imports:
10,550 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 166
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Current account balance:
-$311 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 97 -$265 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$814 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 159 $763 million (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
sugar, gold, bauxite, alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
Exports - partners:
Canada 27.52%, US 16.93%, UK 10.84%, Ukraine 5.54%, Netherlands 5%,Trinidad and Tobago 4.33%, Jamaica 4.12% (2009)
Imports:
$1.366 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 164 $1.161 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Imports - partners:
US 25.23%, Trinidad and Tobago 23.23%, Cuba 6.41%, China 6.05% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$506 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $631.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$804.3 million (30 September 2008) country comparison to the world: 154 $1.2 billion (2002)
Exchange rates:
Guyanese dollars (GYD) per US dollar - 204.07 (2010), 204.02 (2009), 203.86 (2008), 201.89 (2007), 200.28 (2006)
Communications ::Guyana
Telephones - main lines in use:
130,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 138
Telephones - mobile cellular:
281,400 (2005) country comparison to the world: 170
Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system for long-distance service; microwave radio relay network for trunk lines; many areas still lack fixed-line telephone services
domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 15 per 100 persons; ; mobile-cellular teledensity about 35 per 100 persons in 2005
international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast media:
government-dominated broadcast media; the National Communications Network (NCN) TV is state-owned; a few private TV stations relay satellite services; the state owns and operates 2 radio stations broadcasting on multiple frequencies capable of reaching the entire country; government limits on licensing of new private radio stations continue to constrain competition in broadcast media (2007)
Internet country code:
.gy
Internet hosts:
8,840 (2010) country comparison to the world: 132
Internet users:
189,600 (2009) country comparison to the world: 142
Transportation ::Guyana
Airports:
96 (2010) country comparison to the world: 63
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 7 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 86
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 73 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 7,970 km country comparison to the world: 142 paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (2000)
Waterways:
330 km country comparison to the world: 92 note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2010)
Merchant marine:
total: 8 country comparison to the world: 121 by type: cargo 6, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1
registered in other countries: 3 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, unknown 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Georgetown
Military ::Guyana
Military branches:
Guyana Defense Force: Army (includes Coast Guard, Air Corps) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service: