Page last updated on January 28, 2014
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. The resulting 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. Donald RAMOTAR was elected president in 2011.
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
total: 214,969 sq km
country comparison to the world: 85
land: 196,849 sq km
water: 18,120 sq km
slightly smaller than Idaho
total: 2,949 km
border countries: Brazil 1,606 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
arable land: 1.95%
permanent crops: 0.13%
other: 97.92% (2011)
total: 1.64 cu km/yr (4%/1%/94%)
per capita: 2,222 cu m/yr (2010)
flash flood threat during rainy seasons
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
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
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
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese
East Indian 43.5%, black (African) 30.2%, mixed 16.7%, Amerindian 9.1%, other 0.5% (2002 census)
English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu
Protestant 30.5% (Pentecostal 16.9%, Anglican 6.9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Methodist 1.7%), Hindu 28.4%, Roman Catholic 8.1%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, Muslim 7.2%, other Christian 17.7%, other 4.3%, none 4.3% (2002 census)
Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and shares cultural and historical bonds with the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana's two largest ethnic groups are the Afro-Guyanese (descendants of African slaves) and the Indo-Guyanese (descendants of Indian indentured laborers), which together comprise about three quarters of Guyana's population. Tensions periodically have boiled over between the two groups, which back ethnically based political parties and vote along ethnic lines. Poverty reduction has stagnated since the late 1990s. About one-third of the Guyanese population lives below the poverty line; indigenous people are disproportionately affected. Although Guyana's literacy rate is reported to be among the highest in the Western Hemisphere, the level of functional literacy is considerably lower, which has been attributed to poor education quality, teacher training, and infrastructure.
739,903 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
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
0-14 years: 30.2% (male 113,724/female 109,643)
15-24 years: 20.7% (male 78,798/female 74,202)
25-54 years: 36.9% (male 138,167/female 134,695)
55-64 years: 7.2% (male 22,772/female 30,358)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 15,276/female 22,268) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 65.3 %
youth dependency ratio: 59.6 %
elderly dependency ratio: 5.7 %
potential support ratio: 17.7 (2013)
total: 24.5 years
male: 23.7 years
female: 25.3 years (2013 est.)
-0.21% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214
16.31 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
7.18 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
-11.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214
urban population: 29% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
GEORGETOWN (capital) 132,000 (2009)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.75 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
20.8
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)
280 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 42
total: 34.45 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 66
male: 38.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 30.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 67.68 years
country comparison to the world: 162
male: 63.83 years
female: 71.72 years (2013 est.)
2.21 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
5.9% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 114
0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
2 beds/1,000 population (2009)
1.2% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
5,900 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria (2013)
17.2% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 113
11.1% (2009)
country comparison to the world: 66
3.6% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 123
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 91.8%
male: 92%
female: 91.6% (2002 Census)
total: 11 years
male: 10 years
female: 11 years (2011)
total number: 30,255
percentage: 16 % (2006 est.)
total: 46.05%
country comparison to the world: 8
male: 43.59%
female: 50% (2011)
conventional long form: Cooperative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana
name: Georgetown
geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 09 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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
26 May 1966 (from the UK)
Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
several previous; latest promulgated 6 October 1980; amended many times, last in 2007 (2013)
common law system, based on the English model, with some Roman-Dutch civil law influence
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Donald RAMOTAR (since 03 December 2011);
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
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 November 2011 (next to be called by December 2016); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Donald RAMOTAR elected president, percent of vote 48.6%
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 November 2011 (next to be held by November 2016)
election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 48.6%, APNU 40%, AFC 10.3%, other 1.1%; seats by party - PPP/C 32, APNU 26, AFC 7
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with a chief justice and 3 justices, and the High Court with a chief justice and 10 justices organized into 3- or 5-judge panels)
judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president; other judges of both courts appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a body appointed by the president; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 65
subordinate courts: Land Court; magistrates' courts
Alliance for Change or AFC [Khemraj RAMJATTAN]
Amerindian People's Association
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN (since 4 December 2003)
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900
FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297
consulate(s) general: New York
chief of mission: Ambassador D. Brent HARDT (since 19 August 2011)
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
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
Canje pheasant (hoatzin); jaguar
name: "Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains"
lyrics/music: Archibald Leonard LUKERL/Robert Cyril Gladstone POTTER
note: adopted 1966
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. Guyana has experienced positive growth almost every year over the past decade. Inflation has been kept under control. Recent years have seen the government''s stock of debt reduced significantly - with external debt now less than half of what it was in the early 1990s. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. Despite recent improvements, the government is still 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 21% 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 as a result of the world recession, but picked up in 2010-11, before slowing again in 2012, as a result of a second recession, this focused mainly in Europe. The slowdown in the domestic economy and lower import costs has helped to narrow the country''s current account deficit, despite generally lower earnings from exports.
$6.175 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$2.79 billion (2012 est.)
4.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
$8,000 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
8.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
household consumption: 84.2%
government consumption: 15.8%
investment in fixed capital: 22.2%
investment in inventories: -5.9%
exports of goods and services: 60.2%
imports of goods and services: -76.5%
agriculture: 21.1%
industry: 35.5%
services: 43.4% (2012 est.)
sugarcane, rice, edible oils; beef, pork, poultry; shrimp, fish
bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
14.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
313,100 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
11% (2007)
country comparison to the world: 117
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 33.8% (1999)
44.6 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 44
revenues: $699.1 million
expenditures: $838.5 million (2012 est.)
25.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
-5% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
59.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
2.4% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
5.5% (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
13.86% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
$550.4 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
$1.696 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
$1.223 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
$440.4 million (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 111
$-394.8 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
$1.396 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
sugar, gold, bauxite, alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
US 30.8%, Canada 28.9%, UK 6.2% (2012)
$1.978 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
US 22.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 21.9%, China 12.3%, Cuba 6.1%, Suriname 4% (2012)
$864 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
$1.846 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Guyanese dollars (GYD) per US dollar -
700 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
512 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
362,500 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
96% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
0.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
3.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 140
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
10,910 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
10,780 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 147
1.673 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
154,200 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 136
547,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 167
general assessment: fair system for long-distance service; microwave radio relay network for trunk lines; many areas still lack fixed-line telephone services
domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity about 70 per 100 persons in 2011
international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)
government-dominated broadcast media; the National Communications Network (NCN) TV is state-owned; a few private TV stations relay satellite services; the state owns and operates 2 radio stations broadcasting on multiple frequencies capable of reaching the entire country; government limits on licensing of new private radio stations continue to constrain competition in broadcast media (2007)
24,936 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 112
189,600 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 142
117 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 50
total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 8 (2013)
total: 106
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m:
total: 7,970 km
country comparison to the world: 141
paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (2000)
330 km (the Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively) (2012)
country comparison to the world: 92
total: 10
country comparison to the world: 114
by type: cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1
registered in other countries: 3 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, unknown 1) (2010)
major seaport(s): Georgetown
Guyana Defense Force: Army (includes Air Corps, Coast Guard) (2012)
16 years of age or younger for voluntary military service; no conscription (2013)
males age 16-49: 189,840 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 133,239
females age 16-49: 147,719 (2010 est.)
male: 8,849
female: 8,460 (2010 est.)
1.09% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 267
all of the area west of the Essequibo River is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UNCLOS to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
current situation: Guyana is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Guyanese and foreign women and girls are forced into prostitution in Guyana; experts are concerned that Guyanese children are subjected to exploitive labor practices in the mining, agriculture, and forestry sectors; Indonesian workers are victims of forced labor on Guyanese-flagged fishing boats
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Guyana does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; despite some progress in identifying and assisting some trafficking victims, the government has failed to increase its efforts to hold trafficking offenders accountable with jail time, creating an enabling environment for human trafficking; public comments from the government downplaying the scope of Guyana's trafficking problem diminishes the potential impact of its awareness campaigns; authorities operate a hotline for trafficking victims and conduct several awareness and sensitization sessions that target vulnerable communities (2013)
