Guyana

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Guyana

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Cooperative Republic of Guyana Area 214,969 sq km/82,999 sq mi Capital Georgetown (and chief port) Language English (official), Hindi, American Indian languages Religion Christian 57%, Hindu 34%, Sunni Muslim 9% Time difference GMT -3 Major holidays 1 January, 23 February, 1 May, 1 August, 25–26 December; variable: Eid-ul-Adha, Diwali, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Prophet's Birthday, Phagwah (March), Caribbean (July)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Linden, New Amsterdam, Bartica, Corriverton Major ports New Amsterdam Physical features coastal plain rises into rolling highlands with savannah in south; mostly tropical rainforest; Mount Roraima; Kaietur National Park, including Kaietur Falls on the Potaro (tributary of Essequibo) 250 m/821 ft Airports one international airport and over 90 airstrips; total passengers carried: 48,000 (2001 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 7,970 km/4,952 mi, of which 7.4% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 14.9 per 1,000 people (1998)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Bharrat Jagdeo from 1999 Head of government Samuel Hinds from 1999 Political system liberal democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions ten regions Political parties People's National Congress (PNC), Afro-Guyanan, nationalist socialist; People's Progressive Party (PPP), Indian-based, left wing Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 1,100; plus 670 reservists and paramilitary forces of 1,500 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 0.7 (2004 est) Education spend (% GDP) 8.4 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 4 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Guyanese dollar GDP (US$) 783 million (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 3.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 759 million (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 4,230 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 7.5% (2006 est) Unemployment 9% (2001) Labour force 16.7% agriculture, 40% industry, 43.3% services (2003) Foreign debt (US$) 1.3 billion (2004 est) Major trading partners USA, Canada, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, Cuba Resources gold, diamonds, bauxite, copper, tungsten, iron, nickel, quartz, molybdenum Industries agro-processing (sugar, rice, coconuts, and timber), mining, rum, pharmaceuticals, textiles Exports gold, sugar, bauxite, alumina, rice, rum, timber, molasses, shrimp. Principal market: USA 22.2% (2005) Imports mineral fuels and lubricants, machinery, capital goods, consumer goods. Principal source: USA 26.4% (2005) Arable land 2.2% (2006 est) Agricultural products sugar cane, rice, coffee, cocoa, coconuts, copra, tobacco, fruit and vegetables; forestry (timber production; approximately 77% of total land area was forested in 1995)


POPULATION

Population 751,900 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.2% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 4 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 39 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 29%, 15–59 63%, 60+ 8% (2005 est) Ethnic groups about 51% descended from settlers from the subcontinent of India; about 43% Afro-Indian; small minorities of American Indians, Chinese, Europeans, and people of mixed race Life expectancy 62 (men); 68 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 64 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 99% (men); 98% (women) (2003 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 4.8 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 3.9 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 2.4 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 1,200 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 91 (urban); 83 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 15 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 37.5 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 468 (1999 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 167 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 3.9 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 21.3 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1498 The explorer Christopher Columbus sighted Guyana, whose name, ‘land of many waters’, was derived from a local American Indian word. c. 1620 Settled by Dutch West India Company, who established armed bases and brought in slaves from Africa. 1814 After a period of French rule, Britain occupied Guyana during the Napoleonic Wars and purchased Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo. 1831 Became British colony under name of British Guiana. 1834 Slavery was abolished, resulting in an influx of indentured labourers from India and China to work on sugar plantations. 1860 Settlement of the Rupununi Savannah commenced. 1860s Gold was discovered. 1899 International arbitration tribunal found in favour of British Guiana in a long-running dispute with Venezuela over lands west of Essequibo River. 1953 Assembly elections won by left-wing People's Progressive Party (PPP), drawing most support from the Indian community; Britain suspended constitution and installed interim administration, fearing communist takeover. 1961 Internal self-government granted; Cheddi Jagan (PPP) became prime minister. 1964 Racial violence between the Asian- and African-descended communities. 1966 Independence achieved from Britain as Guyana, with PNC leader Forbes Burnham as prime minister. 1970 Became a republic within the Commonwealth, with Raymond Arthur Chung as president; Burnham remained as prime minister. 1980 Burnham became first executive president under new constitution, which ended three-year boycott of parliament by the PPP. 1992 PPP had decisive victory in the first completely free assembly elections for 20 years; privatization programme launched. 1997 Cheddi Jagan died; his wife, Janet Jagan, elected president. 1998 Violent antigovernment protests. Government and opposition agreed to an independent audit of elections. 1999 Constitutional reform commission appointed. Bharrat Jagdeo replaced Janet Jagan as president. 2001 1997 elections declared void; new elections called; President Jagdeo re-elected. 2002–04 Television presenter Mark Benschop charged with treason for encouraging storming of presidential complex in 1998 protest; jury at 2004 trial failed to reach unanimous verdict. 2003 Amid rising crime wave, US embassy employee kidnapped; released after ransom paid; murder rate quadrupled. 2004 In attempt to resolve long-standing maritime dispute between Guyana and Suriname, United Nations (UN) set up special tribunal. 2005 Severe flooding killed more than 30 people; UN estimated economic loss at $500 million. 2006 Gun crime rate continued to rise; Agriculture Minister killed; President Jagdeo won another term in office. 2007 Former member of parliament Abdul Kadir arrested in Trinidad on suspicion of involvement in plot to attack New York's JFK airport; judge ordered his extradition, and that of two others, to USA.


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