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: 214,970 sq km land: 196,850 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:
770,794 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 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 25.9% (male 101,712/female 97,907) 15–64 years: 68.7% (male 267,239/female 262,188) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 17,610/female 24,138) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.2 years male: 27.7 years female: 28.7 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.211% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
17.85 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
8.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
−7.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 30.43 deaths/1,000 live births male: 33.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 26.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.43 years male: 63.81 years female: 69.18 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.03 children born/woman (2008 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.)
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 (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural) adjective: Guyanese
