party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
Population: 705,156 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 109,156; female 105,017)
15-64 years: 65% (male 230,624; female 227,677)
65 years and over: 5% (male 14,684; female 17,998) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.32% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 18.23 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 9.04 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -12.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 48.64 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.82 years
male: 59.15 years
female: 64.61 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.09 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese
Ethnic groups: East Indian 49%, black 32%, mixed 12%, Amerindian
6%, white and Chinese 1%
Religions: Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%
Languages: English, Amerindian dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.1%
male: 98.6%
female: 97.5% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana
Data code: GY
Government 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: President Janet JAGAN (since NA December 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA December
1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president,
responsible to the legislature
elections: president elected by the majority party in the National
Assembly after legislative elections, which must be held within five
years; legislative elections last held 15 December 1997 (next to be
held NA 2000; this date was part of a negotiated settlement between
the two main political parties following a dispute over the December
elections); prime minister appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats, 53
popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 15 December 1997 (next to be held by March
2000; this date was negotiated following a dispute over the December
elections)
election results: percent of vote by party--PPP 54%, PNC 41%, AFG 1%,
TUF 1%; seats by party--PPP 36, PNC 25, AFG 2, TUF 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
Political parties and leaders: People's Progressive Party or PPP
Political pressure groups and leaders: Trades Union Congress or
TUC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Civil Liberties
Action Committee or CLAC
note: the latter two organizations are small and active but not well
organized
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC,
CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,
IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC (observer), OPANAL,
OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MACK
embassy: 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
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
Economy
Economy--overview: In 1997, Guyana, one of the poorest countries
in the Western Hemisphere, posted its sixth straight year of
economic growth of 5% or better, with the advance led by gold and
bauxite mining and by sugar growing. Favorable growth factors have
included expansion in the key agricultural and mining sectors, a
more favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more realistic
exchange rate, a moderate inflation rate, and the continued support
of international organizations. However, a severe drought and
political turmoil following the 1997 elections contributed to a
negative growth rate for 1998. Serious underlying economic problems
will continue. Electricity has been in short supply and constitutes
a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government
must persist in efforts to manage its sizable external debt and
extend its privatization program.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: -1.8% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,500 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 37%
industry: 22%
services: 41% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1998)
Labor force: 245,492 (1992)
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture, hunting and forestry
30.2%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 11% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 12% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $253.7 million
expenditures: $304.1 million, including capital expenditures of
$108.8 million (1997 est.)
Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing
(shrimp), textiles, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate: 7.1% (1997 est.)
Electricity--production: 325 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.46%
hydro: 1.54%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 339 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 14 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef,
pork, poultry, dairy products; forest and fishery potential not
exploited
Exports: $593.4 million (1997 est.)
Exports--commodities: sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp,
molasses
Exports--partners: Canada 25.9%, US 20.4%, UK 22.7%, Netherlands
Antilles 8.4%, Germany 4.3% (1996)
Imports: $641.6 million (1997 est.)
Imports--commodities: manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Imports--partners: US 27.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 17.7%,
Netherlands Antilles 12.1%, UK 10.7%, Japan 4.2% (1996)
Debt--external: $1.5 billion (1997)
Economic aid--recipient: $84 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1--163.7 (December
1998), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997), 140.4 (1996), 142.0 (1995), 138.3
(1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 33,000 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: fair system for long-distance calling
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
international: tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth
station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 1
Radios: 398,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1 public station; two private
stations relay US satellite services (1997)
Televisions: 32,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 88 km (all dedicated to ore transport)
standard gauge: 40 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge
Highways:
total: 7,970 km
paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (1996 est.)
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 and harbors: Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam,
Parika
Merchant marine:
total: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,340 GRT/4,530
DWT (1998 est.)
Airports: 48 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 44
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 35 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Guyana Defense Force (GDF; includes Ground
Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Guyana People's Militia (GPM),
Guyana National Service (GNS), Guyana Police Force
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 202,509 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 152,839 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $7 million (1994)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.7% (1994)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: all of the area west of the Essequibo
River claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper
of the Courantyne)
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics from South
America--primarily Venezuela--to Europe and the US; producer of
cannabis
======================================================================
@Haiti
-----
Geography
Location: Caribbean, western one-third of the island of
Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,
west of the Dominican Republic
Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N, 72 25 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 275 km
border countries: 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
Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade
winds
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
Natural resources: none
Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 5%
other: 44% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 750 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and
subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding
and earthquakes; periodic droughts
Environment--current issues: extensive deforestation (much of the
remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as
fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography--note: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican
Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the
Dominican Republic)
People
Population: 6,884,264 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 1,464,529; female 1,420,772)
15-64 years: 54% (male 1,783,884; female 1,932,240)
65 years and over: 4% (male 140,932; female 141,907) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.53% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 32.55 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 13.97 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 97.64 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.65 years
male: 49.53 years
female: 53.88 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.59 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian
Ethnic groups: black 95%, mulatto plus white 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%,
Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
note: roughly one-half of the population also practices Voodoo
Languages: French (official) 20%, Creole
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 45%
male: 48%
female: 42.2% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti
local short form: Haiti
Data code: HA
Government type: republic
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Administrative divisions: 9 departments, (departements,
singular--departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord,
Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
Constitution: approved March 1987; suspended June 1988, with most
articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed
to be observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule,
October 1994
Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Rene Garcia PREVAL (since 7 February 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Rosny SMARTH resigned June 1997;
currently no prime minister; ratification of a new prime minister
held up in political gridlock stemming from controversy over the 6
April 1997 elections
cabinet: Cabinet; chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held by December
2000); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the
Congress
election results: Rene Garcia PREVAL elected president; percent of
vote--Rene Garcia PREVAL 88%, Leon JEUNE 2.5%, Victor BENOIT 2.3%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
Nationale consists of the Senate (27 seats; members serve six-year
terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of
Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Senate--last held 25 June 1995, with reruns on 13 August
and runoffs on 17 September (election held for nine seats 6 April
1997; results disputed and runoffs postponed indefinitely); Chamber
of Deputies--last held 25 June 1995, with reruns on 13 August and
runoffs on 17 September (next Senate and Chamber of Deputies
elections due November 1998 but delayed indefinitely)
election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--OPL 7, FL-leaning 7, independents 3, vacant 10; Chamber of
Deputies--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--OPL 32,
antineoliberal bloc 24, minor parties and independents 22, vacant 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour de Cassation)
Political parties and leaders: Lavalas Family or FL
ROUMAIN]; Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or
Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church;
Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade
Unions or FOS; Autonomous Haitian Workers or CATH; National Popular
Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP; Popular
Organizations Gathering Power or PROP
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, Caricom
(observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Louis
Harold JOSEPH
chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan
(Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy Michael CARNEY
embassy: 5 Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince
mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and
red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which
contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll
bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
Economy
Economy--overview: About 75% of the population lives in abject
poverty. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture
sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and
employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The
country has experienced little job creation since President PREVAL
took office in February 1996, although the informal economy is
growing. Failure to reach agreements with international sponsors
have denied Haiti badly needed budget and development assistance.
Meeting aid conditions in 1999 will be especially challenging in the
face of mounting popular criticism of reforms.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$8.9 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,300 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 42%
industry: 14%
services: 44% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: 75% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 3.6 million (1995)
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1998)
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 66%, services 25%,
industry 9%
Unemployment rate: 60% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $323 million
expenditures: $363 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY97/98 est.)
Industries: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement,
tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts
Industrial production growth rate: 0.6% (1997 est.)
Electricity--production: 415 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 60.24%
hydro: 39.76%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 415 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn,
sorghum; wood
Exports: $110 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities: light manufactures 80.5%, coffee 7.6%, other
agriculture 7.2%
Exports--partners: US 76%, EU 19% (1997)
Imports: $486 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Imports--commodities: machines and manufactures 50%, food and
beverages 39%, petroleum products 2%, chemicals 5%, fats and oils 4%
Imports--partners: US 60%, EU 12% (1997)
Debt--external: $1 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $730.6 million (1995)
Currency: 1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: gourdes (G) per US$1--16.778 (January 1999),
16.205 (1998), 17.311 (1997), 15.093 (1996), 16.160 (1995), 12.947
(1994)
Fiscal year: 1 October--30 September
Communications
Telephones: 50,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: domestic facilities barely adequate;
international facilities slightly better
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 33, FM 0, shortwave 2
Radios: 320,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (in addition, there is a cable
TV station) (1997)
Televisions: 32,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 40 km (single track; privately owned industrial line)--closed
in early 1990s
narrow gauge: 40 km 0.760-m gauge
Highways:
total: 4,160 km
paved: 1,011 km
unpaved: 3,149 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: NEGL; less than 100 km navigable
Ports and harbors: Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Les
Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 13 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 5 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Haitian National Police (HNP)
note: the regular Haitian Army, Navy, and Air Force have been
demobilized but still exist on paper until/unless constitutionally
abolished
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 1,541,402 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 835,578 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 80,158 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $NA; note?mainly for police
and security activities
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%
Military--note: the Haitian Armed Forces have been demobilized and
replaced by the Haitian National Police
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: claims US-administered Navassa Island
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana en
route to the US and Europe
======================================================================
@Heard Island and McDonald Islands
---------------------------------
Geography
Location: Southern Africa, islands in the Indian Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica
Geographic coordinates: 53 06 S, 72 31 E
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area:
total: 412 sq km
land: 412 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly more than 2 times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 101.9 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: antarctic
Terrain: Heard Island--bleak and mountainous, with a quiescent
volcano; McDonald Islands--small and rocky
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Big Ben 2,745 m
Natural resources: none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: Heard Island is dominated by a dormant volcano
called Big Ben
Environment--current issues: NA
Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: primarily used for research stations
People
Population: uninhabited
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald
Islands
conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Data code: HM
Dependency status: territory of Australia; administered from
Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories
Legal system: NA
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of
Australia)
Flag description: the flag of Australia is used
Economy
Economy--overview: no economic activity
Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of Australia
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
======================================================================
@Holy See (Vatican City)
-----------------------
Introduction