Country Profile Guyana

 

  • Capital:  Georgetown
  • Population: 772,298 (2009 est)
  • Currency: Guyanese dollar (GYD)                                 
  • Languages:
    • English
    • Amerindian dialects
    • Creole
    • Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi)
    • Urdu
  •  Time zone:  UTC-4
  • Government: Republic
  • Chief of State: President Bharrat JAGDEO
  • GDP real growth rate :
    • 3.2% (2008 est.)
    • 5.3% (2007 est.) 
    • 5.1% (2006 est.)      
  • Main Export Partners:
  • Main Import partners:
    • Trinidad and Tobago 26.2%
    • US 20.5%
    • Cuba 7.2%
    • China 7.1%
    • UK 5.4%
  • Country Dialing Code: +592
  • Police Emergency number: 911
  • Fire Emergency number: 912
  • Medical Emergency number:  913     
  • National Airline: Guyana
  • Voltage: 240V

Detailed country profile

ECONOMY

GDP real growth rate:

  • 3.2% (2008 est.)
  • 5.3% (2007 est.) 
  • 5.1% (2006 est.)

GDP-Composition by sector

  • Agriculture: 31.9%
  • Industry: 21%
  • Services: 47.2% (2008 est.)

Agriculture products:

  • Sugarcane
  • Rice
  • Shrimp
  • Fish
  • Vegetable oils
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Poultry
  • Dairy products

Industries:

  • Bauxite
  • Sugar
  • Rice milling
  • Timber
  • Textiles
  • Gold mining

Exports: $736.9 million f.o.b. (2008 est.)

Export Commodities

  • Sugar
  • Gold
  • Bauxite
  • Alumina
  • Rice
  • Shrimp
  • Molasses
  • Rum
  • Timber

Main Export Partners(2007):

Imports: $1.162 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

Import commodities:

  • Manufactures
  • Machinery
  • Petroleum
  • Food

Import partners(2007):

  • Trinidad and Tobago 26.2%
  • US 20.5%
  • Cuba 7.2%
  • China 7.1%
  • UK 5.4%

Ports and Terminal:Georgetown

Unemployment rate:11% (2007)

GOVERNMENT

Government Type:Republic

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
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

Legal system:Based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

GEOGRAPHY

Land Boundaries:total: 2,949 km

Border countries:

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

Environment and international agreement:

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

Environment and current issues:

  • Water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals
  • Deforestation

PEOPLE

Ethnic groups:

  • East Indian 43.5%
  • Black (African) 30.2%
  • Mixed 16.7%
  • Amerindian 9.1%
  • Other 0.5% (2002 census)

Languages:

  • East Indian 43.5%
  • Black (African) 30.2%
  • Mixed 16.7%
  • Amerindian 9.1%
  • Other 0.5% (2002 census)

Religion:

  • 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)

HISTORY

Express History

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.

Source: The world factbook www.cia.gov

See also:

Guyana Trade Agreement

Embassies and Consulates in Guyana