expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.8% (FY96)
Guinea-Bissau Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
======================================================================
@Guyana
Guyana Introduction
Background: Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966 and became a republic in 1970. In 1989 Guyana launched an Economic Recovery Program, which marked a dramatic reversal from a state-controlled, socialist economy towards a more open, free market system. Results through the first decade have proven encouraging.
Guyana Geography
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: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline: 459 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-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%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,300 sq km (1993 est.)
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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Guyana People
Population: 697,181
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: 28.19% (male 100,194; female 96,309)
15–64 years: 66.89% (male 234,976; female 231,360)
65 years and over: 4.92% (male 15,324; female 19,018) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.07% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 17.92 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 8.87 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: −8.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 38.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.31 years
male: 60.52 years
female: 66.24 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 15,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 900 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese
Ethnic groups: East Indian 49%, black 32%, mixed 12%, Amerindian 6%, white and Chinese 1%
Religions: Christian 50%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 8%
Languages: English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.1%
male: 98.6%
female: 97.5% (1995 est.)
Guyana Government
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
