Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Guinea and
Senegal
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
36,120 sq km
land area:
28,000 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
total 724 km, Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
Coastline:
350 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
Guinea-Bissau and Senegal signed an agreement resolving their maritime
boundary in 1993
Climate:
tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June
to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May)
with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain:
mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Natural resources:
unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite, phosphates, fish, timber
Land use:
arable land:
11%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
43%
forest and woodland:
38%
other:
7%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing
natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry
season; brush fires
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratifed - Biodiversity, Climate Change
@Guinea-Bissau, People
Population:
1,098,231 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.37% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
40.75 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
17.03 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
120 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
47.44 years
male:
45.79 years
female:
49.15 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.51 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Guinea-Bissauan(s)
adjective:
Guinea-Bissauan
Ethnic divisions:
African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel
7%), European and mulatto less than 1%
Religions:
indigenous beliefs 65%, Muslim 30%, Christian 5%
Languages:
Portuguese (official), Criolo, African languages
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
36%
male:
50%
female:
24%
Labor force:
403,000 (est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 90%, industry, services, and commerce 5%, government 5%
note:
population of working age 53% (1983)
@Guinea-Bissau, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short form:
Guinea-Bissau
local long form:
Republica de Guine-Bissau
local short form:
Guine-Bissau
former:
Portuguese Guinea
Digraph:
PU
Type:
republic formerly highly centralized, multiparty since mid-1991
Capital:
Bissau
Administrative divisions:
9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau,
Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali
Independence:
10 September 1974 (from Portugal)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 10 September (1974)
Constitution:
16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991 (currently undergoing revision to
liberalize popular participation in the government)
Legal system:
NA
Suffrage:
15 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
President of the Council of State Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (assumed
power 14 November 1980 and was elected President of Council of State
on 16 May 1984); election last held 19 June 1989 (next to be held 3
July 1994); results - Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA was reelected without
opposition by the National People's Assembly
Council of State:
this body is elected by the National People's Assembly from among its
own members to legislate between sessions of the National People's
Assembly
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National People's Assembly:
(Assembleia Nacional Popular) elections last held 15 June 1989 (next
to be held 3 July 1994); results - PAIGC was the only party; seats -
(150 total) PAIGC 150
Judicial branch:
none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers
Political parties and leaders:
African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde
(PAIGC), President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, leader; Democratic Social
Front (FDS), Rafael BARBOSA, leader; Bafata Movement, Domingos
Fernandes GARNER, leader; Democratic Front (FD), Aristides MENEZES,
leader
note:
PAIGC is still the major party (of 10 parties) and controls all
aspects of the government
Member of:
ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL,
IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Alfredo Lopes CABRAL
chancery:
918 16th Street NW, Mezzanine Suite, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:
(202) 872-4222
FAX:
(202) 872-4226
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Roger A. McGUIRE
embassy:
Barrio de Penha, Bissau
mailing address:
C.P. 297, 1067 Bissau Codex, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
telephone:
[245] 25-2273, 25-2274, 25-2275, 25-2276
FAX:
[245] 25-2282
Flag:
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; uses the popular pan-African colors of
Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Cape Verde, which has the black star
raised above the center of the red band and is framed by two corn
stalks and a yellow clam shell
@Guinea-Bissau, Economy
Overview:
Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world, with a
per capita GDP of roughly $800. Agriculture and fishing are the main
economic activities. Cashew nuts, peanuts, and palm kernels are the
primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at
present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of
development.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $860 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
NA
National product per capita:
$800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
55% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$33.6 million
expenditures:
$44.8 million, including capital expenditures of $570,000 (1991 est.)
Exports:
$20.4 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
cashews, fish, peanuts, palm kernels
partners:
Portugal, Spain, Senegal, India, Nigeria
Imports:
$63.5 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
foodstuffs, transport equipment, petroleum products, machinery and
equipment
partners:
Portugal, Netherlands, China, Germany, Senegal
External debt:
$462 million (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 0.1% (1991 est.); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
22,000 kW
production:
30 million kWh
consumption per capita:
30 kWh (1991)
Industries:
agricultural processing, beer, soft drinks
Agriculture:
accounts for over 45% of GDP, nearly 100% of exports, and 90% of
employment; rice is the staple food; other crops include corn, beans,
cassava, cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and cotton; not
self-sufficient in food; fishing and forestry potential not fully
exploited
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $49 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $615
million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $41 million; Communist
countries (1970-89), $68 million
Currency:
1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1 - 11,850 (December 1993), 10,082
(1993), 6,934 (1992), 3,659 (1991), 2,185 (1990), 1,810 (1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Guinea-Bissau, Communications
Highways:
total:
3,218 km
paved:
bituminous 2,698 km
unpaved:
earth 520 km
Inland waterways:
scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce
Ports:
Bissau
Airports:
total:
32
usable:
16
with permanent-surface runways:
4
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
5
Telecommunications:
poor system of radio relay, open-wire lines, and radiocommunications;
3,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 1 TV
@Guinea-Bissau, Defense Forces
Branches:
People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; including Army, Navy, Air
Force), paramilitary force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 243,715; fit for military service 139,161
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $9.3 million, 5%-6% of GDP (1987)
@Guyana, Geography
Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between
Suriname and Venezuela
Map references:
South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
214,970 sq km
land area:
196,850 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries:
total 2,462 km, Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline:
459 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200 nm or the outer edge of continental margin
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
all of the area west of the Essequibo River claimed by Venezuela;
Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and
Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy
seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
Terrain:
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Natural resources:
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
6%
forest and woodland:
83%
other:
8%
Irrigated land:
1,300 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals;
deforestation
natural hazards:
flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratifed - Biodiversity, Climate
Change
@Guyana, People
Population:
729,425 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.75% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
19.95 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
7.36 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-20.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
48.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
64.9 years
male:
61.66 years
female:
68.3 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.29 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Guyanese
Ethnic divisions:
East Indian 51%, black and mixed 43%, Amerindian 4%, European and
Chinese 2%
Religions:
Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%
Languages:
English, Amerindian dialects
Literacy:
age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)
total population:
95%
male:
98%
female:
96%
Labor force:
268,000
by occupation:
industry and commerce 44.5%, agriculture 33.8%, services 21.7%
note:
public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor force
(1985)
@Guyana, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form:
Guyana
former:
British Guiana
Digraph:
GY
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:
Executive President Cheddi JAGAN (since 5 October 1992); First Vice
President Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992); election last held on 5
October 1992; results - Cheddi JAGAN was elected president since he
was leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly
elections
head of government:
Prime Minister Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992)
cabinet:
Cabinet of Ministers; appointed by the president, responsible to the
legislature
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly:
elections last held on 5 October 1992 (next to be held in 1997);
results - PPP 53.4%, PNC 42.3%, WPA 2%, TUF 1.2%; seats - (65 total,
53 elected) PPP 36, PNC 26, WPA 2, TUF 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature
Political parties and leaders:
People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi JAGAN; People's National
Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE;; People's National Congress (PNC),
Hugh Desmond HOYTE; Working People's Alliance (WPA), Eusi KWAYANA,
Rupert ROOPNARINE; Democratic Labor Movement (DLM), Paul TENNASSEE;
People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Llewellyn JOHN; National
Democratic Front (NDF), Joseph BACCHUS; The United Force (TUF),
Manzoor NADIR; United Republican Party (URP), Leslie RAMSAMMY;
National Republican Party (NRP), Robert GANGADEEN; Guyana Labor Party
(GLP), Nanda GOPAUL
Other political or pressure groups:
Trades Union Congress (TUC); Guyana Council of Indian Organizations
(GCIO); Civil Liberties Action Committee (CLAC)
note:
the latter two organizations are small and active but not well
organized
Member of:
ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user),
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery:
2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 265-6900 through 6903
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador George F. Jones
embassy:
99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingstown, Georgetown
mailing address:
P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
telephone:
[592] (2) 54900 through 54909 and 57960 through 57969
FAX:
[592] (2) 58497
Flag:
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
@Guyana, Economy
Overview:
Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, has
pushed ahead strongly in 1991-93, at 7% average annual growth rate.
Favorable factors include recovery in the key agricultural and mining
sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more
realistic exchange rate, a sharp drop in the inflation rate, and the
continued support of international organizations. Serious underlying
economic problems will continue. Electric power has been in short
supply and constitutes a major barrier to future gains in national
output. The government will have to persist in efforts to control
external debt and inflation and to extend the privatization program.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.4 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
8.3% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$1,900 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (1993
Unemployment rate:
12% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$121 million
expenditures:
$225 million, including capital expenditures of $50 million (1990
est.)
Exports:
$400 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
sugar, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses
partners:
UK 33%, US 31%, Canada 9%, France 5%, Japan 3%, (1992)
Imports:
$520 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
commodities:
manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
partners:
US 37%, Trinidad and Tobago 13%, UK 11%, Italy 8%, Japan 5% (1992)
External debt:
$1.9 billion including arrears (1992 est)
Industrial production:
growth rate 11% (1991 est.); accounts for about 11% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
253,500 kW
production:
276 million kWh
consumption per capita:
370 kWh (1992)
Industries:
bauxite mining, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp),
textiles, gold mining
Agriculture:
most important sector, accounting for 25% of GDP and about half of
exports; sugar and rice are key crops; development potential exists
for fishing and forestry; not self-sufficient in food, especially
wheat, vegetable oils, and animal products
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $116 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $325
million; Communist countries 1970-89, $242 million
Currency:
1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 130.7 (January 1994), 126.7 (1993),
125.0 (1992), 111.8 (1991), 39.533 (1990), 27.159 (1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Guyana, Communications
Railroads:
no public railroads; about 100 km of narrow gauge industrial railroads
to transport minerals, including bauxite
Highways:
total:
7,665 km
paved:
550 km
unpaved:
gravel 5,000 km; earth 2,115 km
Inland 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:
Georgetown, New Amsterdam
Merchant marine:
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,317 GRT/2,558 DWT
Airports:
total:
53
usable:
48
with permanent-surface runways:
5
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
12
Telecommunications:
fair system with radio relay network; over 27,000 telephones;
tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 3
FM, no TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
@Guyana, Defense Forces
Branches:
Guyana Defense Force (GDF; including the Ground Forces, Coast Guard
and Air Corps), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National Service
(GNS)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 197,802; fit for military service 150,072
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
@Haiti, Geography
Location:
Caribbean, in the northern Caribbean Sea, about 90 km southeast of
Cuba
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
27,750 sq km
land area:
27,560 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total 275 km, Dominican Republic 275 km
Coastline:
1,771 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
claims US-administered Navassa Island
Climate:
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain:
mostly rough and mountainous
Natural resources:
bauxite
Land use:
arable land:
20%
permanent crops:
13%
meadows and pastures:
18%
forest and woodland:
4%
other:
45%
Irrigated land:
750 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion
natural hazards:
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms
from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes
international agreements:
party to - Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation; signed, but not
ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Note:
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third
is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
@Haiti, People
Population:
6,491,450 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.63% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
39.72 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
18.78 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
108.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
45.11 years
male:
43.45 years
female:
46.85 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.94 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Haitian(s)
adjective:
Haitian
Ethnic divisions:
black 95%, mulatto and European 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 80% (of which an overwhelming majority also practice
Voodoo), Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%,
other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
Languages:
French (official) 10%, Creole
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
53%
male:
59%
female:
47%
Labor force:
2.3 million
by occupation:
agriculture 66%, services 25%, industry 9%
note:
shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)
@Haiti, Government