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:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
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:
NA%
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:
$NA
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, between
Suriname and Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
5 00 N, 59 00 W
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, 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 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 Herman
Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat
JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United
Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN]; Vision
Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert
ROOPNARAINE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Bar Association; Guyana
Citizens Initiative; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana Public
Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades Union
Congress
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
FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297
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
FAX: [592] 225-8497
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:
NA%
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)