Total fertility rate:
2.05 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
11,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese
Ethnic groups:
East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and
mixed 7%
Religions:
Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%
Languages:
English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.1%
female: 98.5% (2003 est.)
Government Guyana
Country name:
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana
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 11 August 1999);
note - assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since 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%
Legislative branch:
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 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
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
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 [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]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert
ROOPNARAINE]
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, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA,
RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, 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 Roland BULLEN
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
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
Economy Guyana
Economy - overview:
The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001–02,
based on 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. Growth then slowed in 2003 and came
back gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export earnings.
Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient
infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt