Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, UpperDemerara-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 JAGAN
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA 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 NA); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats, 53
elected by popular vote, 10 elected by the ten Regional Democratic
Councils, and 2 elected by the National Congress of Local Democratic
Organs; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA 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 ROOPNARINE]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [leader NA]; Guyana
Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC
[Hugh Desmond HOYTE]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Janet
JAGEN]; Rise, Organize and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United
Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA
[Rupert ROOPARNINE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Civil Liberties Action
Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO;
Rise, Organize and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; 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, CCC, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC,
ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265–6900
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Ronald D. GODARD
embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
telephone: [592] (2) 54900 through 54909, 57960 through 57969
FAX: [592] (2) 58497
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
Guyana Economy
Economy - overview: Severe drought and political turmoil contributed to Guyana's negative growth of −1.8% for 1998 following six straight years of growth of 5% or better. Growth came back to a positive 1.8% in 1999 and 3% in 2000. Underlying growth factors have included expansion in the key agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more realistic exchange rate, a moderate inflation rate, and continued support by international organizations. President JAGDEO, the former finance minister, is taking steps to reform the economy, including drafting an investment code and restructuring the inefficient and unresponsive public sector. Problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government must persist in efforts to manage its sizable external debt and attract new investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.4 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 34.7%
industry: 32.5%
services: 32.8% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.9% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 245,492 (1992)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services
NA%
Unemployment rate: 12% (1992 est.)
Budget: revenues: $220.1 million
expenditures: $286.4 million, including capital expenditures of $86.6 million (1998)
Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold
