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NAVIGATION
Co-operative Republic of Guyana
former: British Guiana
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana former: British Guiana |
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Government type:
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republic within the Commonwealth |
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Capital:
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Georgetown |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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26 May 1966 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Republic Day, 23 February (1970) |
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Constitution:
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6 October 1980 |
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Legal system:
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based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 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 19 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected by popular vote, 1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2 nonvoting members appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond HOYTE]; 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]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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 |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: New York FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald D. GODARD
embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909 FAX: [592] 225-8497 |
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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The Guyanese economy has exhibited moderate economic growth since 1999, based on an expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. 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. Low prices for key mining and agricultural commodities combined with troubles in the bauxite and sugar industries threaten the government's already tenuous fiscal position and dim prospects for 2002. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.8% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 36%
industry: 32% services: 32% (2000) (2000) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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6% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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418,000 (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
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Unemployment rate:
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9.1% (2000) (understated) (2000) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $227 million
expenditures: $235.2 million, including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2000) (2000) |
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Industries:
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bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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7.1% (1997 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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505 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 1% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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469.65 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish (shrimp) |
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Exports:
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$505 million f.o.b. (2000) |
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Exports - commodities:
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sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber |
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Exports - partners:
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Canada 22%, US 22%, UK 18%, Netherlands Antilles 11% (1999) |
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Imports:
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$585 million c.i.f. (2000) |
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Imports - commodities:
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manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food |
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Imports - partners:
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US 29%, Trinidad and Tobago 18%, Netherlands Antilles 16%, UK 7% (1999) |
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Debt - external:
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$1.1 billion (2000) (2000) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997) |
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Currency:
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Guyanese dollar (GYD) |
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Currency code:
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GYD |
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Exchange rates:
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Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 189.5 (December 2001), 187.3 (2001), 182.4 (2000), 178.0 (1999), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |