fish
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,300 sq km (1993 est.)
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, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Guyana:People
Population: 697,286
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 and death rates, lower population
and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age
and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (male 102,463; female 98,492)
15-64 years: 66% (male 232,857; female 229,598)
65 years and over: 5% (male 15,170; female 18,706) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.1% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 17.94 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 8.42 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -10.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 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: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 39.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.04 years
male: 61.08 years
female: 67.15 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.11 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese
Ethnic groups: East Indian 51%, black 30%, mixed 14%, Amerindian 4%,
white and Chinese 1%
Religions: Christian 50%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 8%
Languages: English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.1%
male: 98.6%
female: 97.5% (1995 est.)
@Guyana:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana
Data code: GY
Government type: republic within the Commonwealth
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 Bharrat JAGDEO (since NA August 1999); note
- assumed presidency after resignation of President JAGAN
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 following legislative elections, which must be held at least
every five years; elections last held 15 December 1997 (next to be
held by January 2001); prime minister appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats, 53
popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 15 December 1997 (next to be held by January
2001; this date was part of a negotiated settlement between the two
main political parties 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 29, PNC 22, AFG 1, TUF 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of
Appeal; High Court
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Guyana or AFG [Rupert
ROOPNARINE]; Democratic Labor Movement or DLM ; For a
Good and Green Guyana or GGG ; Guyana Democratic Party
or GDP ; Guyana Labor Party or GLP ; Guyanese
Organization for Liberty and Democracy Party or GOLD [Anthony
MEKDECI]; National Democratic Front or NDF ; National
Republican Party or NRP ; People's Democratic
Movement or PDM ; People's National Congress or PNC
; People's Progressive Party or PPP ;
The United Force or TUF ; Working People's Alliance or
WPA
Political pressure groups and leaders: Civil Liberties Action
Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO;
Trades Union Congress or TUC
note: the GCIO and the CLAC 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, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, 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
telephone: (202) 265-6900
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
telephone: (2) 54900 through 54909, 57960 through 57969
FAX: (2) 59497
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
@Guyana:Economy
Economy - overview: Severe drought and political turmoil contributed
to Guyana's negative growth of -1.8% for 1998 following six straight
years of growth of 5% or better. Growth came back to a positive 1.8%
in 1999. Underlying 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 continued support by international organizations.
President JAGDEO, the former finance minister, is taking steps to
reform the economy, including drafting an investment code and
restructuring the inefficient and unresponsive public sector. Problems
include a shortage of skilled labor and an inadequate and poorly
maintained transportation system. Also, electricity has been in short
supply; the privatization of the sector in August 1999 is expected to
improve prospects. The government must persist in efforts to manage
its sizable external debt and extend its privatization program.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.86 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.8% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 34.7%
industry: 32.5%
services: 32.8% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 245,492 (1992)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services
NA%
Unemployment rate: 12% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $220.1 million
expenditures: $286.4 million, including capital expenditures of $86.6
million (1998)
Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp),
textiles, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate: 7.1% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: 325 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.46%
hydro: 1.54%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 302 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef,
pork, poultry, dairy products; forest and fishery potential not
exploited
Exports: $574 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp,
molasses, rum, timber
Exports - partners: US 25%, Canada 24%, UK 19%, Netherlands Antilles
11%, Jamaica 5% (1998)
Imports: $620 million (c.i.f., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Imports - partners: US 28%, Trinidad and Tobago 21%, Netherlands
Antilles 14%, UK 7%, Japan 5% (1998)
Debt - external: $1.4 billion (1998)
Economic aid - recipient: $84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor
Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)
Currency: 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1 - 180.4 (December
1999), 178.0 (1999), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997), 140.4 (1996), 142.0
(1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Guyana:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 45,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,243 (1995)
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 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 420,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (one public station; two private
stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)
Televisions: 46,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (1999)
@Guyana:Transportation
Railways:
total: 187 km (all dedicated to ore transport)
standard gauge: 139 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: 5,900 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: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,023 GRT/1,972 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (1999 est.)
Airports: 51 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 46
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 37 (1999 est.)
@Guyana: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: 203,742 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 153,530 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $7 million (FY94)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.7% (FY94)
@Guyana:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: 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)
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics from South America -
primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis
______________________________________________________________________
HAITI
@Haiti:Introduction
Background: One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere,
Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history.
Over three decades of dictatorship followed by military rule ended in
1990 when Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE was elected president. Most of his
term was usurped by a military takeover, but he was able to return to
office in 1994 and oversee the installation of a close associate to
the presidency in 1996.
@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: bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble,
hydropower
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)
@Haiti:People
Population: 6,867,995
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 and death rates, lower population
and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age
and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41% (male 1,430,018; female 1,393,665)
15-64 years: 55% (male 1,814,964; female 1,945,165)
65 years and over: 4% (male 138,533; female 145,650) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.39% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 31.97 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 15.13 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 97.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.21 years
male: 47.46 years
female: 51.06 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.5 children born/woman (2000 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), Creole (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 45%
male: 48%
female: 42.2% (1995 est.)
@Haiti: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: elected government
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 Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS (since NA
March 1999); ALEXIS was appointed by President PREVAL, filling the
post that had been vacant since the resignation of Rosny SMARTH in
June 1997
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, and an election for nine seats 6 April
1997 but results were disputed; next election for two-thirds of Senate
postponed until May 2000; 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 postponed until May 2000)
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 or Cour de Cassation
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for the Liberation and
Advancement of Haiti or ALAH ; Assembly of
Progressive National Democrats or RDNP ; Confederation
for Democratic Unity or KID ; Democratic Consultation
Group coalition or ESPACE composed of the following
parties: Confederation for Democratic Unity KONAKOM, PANPRA,
Generation 2004, and Haiti Can or Ayiti Kapab; Generation 2004 [Claude
ROUMAIN]; Haiti Can or Ayiti Kapab ; Haitian Christian
Democratic Party or PDCH ; Haitian Democratic Party or
PADEMH ; Lavalas Family or FL ;
Mobilization for National Development or MDN ;
Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN ; Movement
for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH ;
Movement for the Organization of the Country or MOP [Gesner COMEAU and
Jean MOLIERE]; National Alliance for Democracy and Progress [leader
NA]; National Congress of Democratic Movements or KONAKOM [Victor
BENOIT]; National Front for Change and Democracy or FNCD [Evans PAUL
and Turneb DELPE]; National Progressive Revolutionary Party or PANPRA
; Open the Gate Party or PLB ;
Struggling People's Organization or OPL ; Union
of Patriotic Democrats or UPD
Political pressure groups and leaders: Autonomous Haitian Workers or
CATH; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers
Trade Unions or FOS; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants
Movement or MPP; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman
Catholic Church
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
telephone: (202) 332-4090
FAX: (202) 745-7215
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan
(Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Les ALEXANDER
to be temporary chief of mission until new ambassador is confirmed
embassy: 5 Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince
mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince
telephone: 22-0354, 22-0368, 22-0200, 22-0612
FAX: 23-1641
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)
@Haiti:Economy
Economy - overview: About 80% 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
2000 will be especially challenging in the face of mounting popular
criticism of reforms.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,340 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 32%
industry: 20%
services: 48% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: 80% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1999 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: 70%; widespread underemployment; more than
two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (1999)
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: 728 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 55.63%
hydro: 41.62%
nuclear: 0%
other: 2.75% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 677 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn,
sorghum; wood
Exports: $322 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities: manufactures, coffee, oils, mangoes
Exports - partners: US 86%, EU 11% (1998)
Imports: $762 million (c.i.f., 1999)
Imports - commodities: food, machinery and transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners: US 60%, EU 12% (1998)
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 - 18.262 (January 2000), 17.965
(1999), 16.505 (1998), 17.311 (1997), 15.093 (1996), 16.160 (1995)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
@Haiti:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 60,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995)
Telephone system: domestic facilities barely adequate; international
facilities slightly better
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999)
Radios: 415,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)
Televisions: 38,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (1999)