Background: Guyana gained independence in 1966 (a British colony until 1966) and became a republic in 1970. more open free market economy. The results achieved in the first decade are encouraging. Geography

Geography

Location: northern part of South America, Atlantic coast, between Suriname and Venezuela.
Geographical coordinates: 5° 00′ N. latitude, 59° 00′ W
Reference map: South America.
Area: total: 214,970 km2; land surface area: 196,850 km2; water surface area: 18,120 km2
Comparative area: somewhat smaller than Idaho.
Land borders: total: 2,462 km; with neighboring states: with Brazil 1,119 km, with Suriname 600 km, with Venezuela 743 km.
Coastline: 459 km.
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 nautical miles or to the outer limits of the continent; zone of exclusive right to fish: 200 nautical miles; territorial waters: 12 nautical miles.
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (from May to mid-August, from mid-November to mid-January).
Terrain: mostly hilly uplands (savannah); low coastal plain.
Maximum and minimum heights: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m.
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood, shrimp, fish.
Land use: arable land: 2%; cultivated land: 0%; pastures: 6%; forests and plantations: 84%; others: 8% (1993 est.).
Irrigated land: 1,300 km2 (1993 est.).
Natural Hazards: Floods are a constant threat during the rainy season.
Actual environmental problems: water pollution by sewage and agricultural effluents and chemical industry products; reduction in forest area.
International environmental conventions: member: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 1983, Tropical Timber 1994; signed but not ratified: no.
Note to the section “Geography”:

Population

Population: 697,181; note: estimates for this country take into account rising AIDS deaths; due to the spread of AIDS, life expectancy, population size and population growth may actually be lower, and child mortality and overall mortality rates correspondingly higher; there may also be changes in age structure and sex ratios (July 2001 est.).
Age structure: under 14: 28.19% (male 100,194; female 96,309); 15 to 64 years old: 66.89% (men 234,976; women 231,360); over 65: 4.92% (male 15,324; female 19,018) (2001 est.).
Population growth: 0.07% (2001 est.).
Birth rate: 17.92 newborns / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Mortality: 8.87 deaths / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Migration: -8.38 people /1000 people (2001 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male/female; under 15: 1.04 male/female; 15 to 64 years old: 1.02 male/female; over 65: 0.81 male/female; for the general population: 1.01 male/female (2001 est.);
Child mortality: 38.72 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.).
Life expectancy: for the general population: 63.31 years; men: 60.52 years; women: 66.24 years (2001 est.).
General birth rate: 2.1 children/wives. (2001 est.).
Proportion of adults infected with HIV: 3.01% (1999 est.).
Number of people infected with HIV: 15,000 (1999 est.).
AIDS deaths: 900 (1999 est.).
Nationality: noun: resident of Guyana; adjective: Guyanese.
Ethnic groups: East Indian 49%, black 32%, mixed ancestry 12%, Indian 6%, white and Chinese 1%.
Believers: Christian 50%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 8%.
Language(s): English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu.
Literacy: Definition: Persons aged 15 or over who have ever attended school; for the general population: 98.1%; men: 98.6%; women: 97.5% (1995 est.). State Name:

Politics

Conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana;
conventional short form: Guyana; former: British Guiana.
State structure: republic within the British Commonwealth of Nations. See a2zgov.com to know more about Guyana government and politics.
Capital: Georgetown.
Administrative division: 10 districts: Bari-ma-Waini, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, East Berbice-Korantein, Demerara-Mahaika, Kayuni-Mazaru-ni, Mahaika-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Essequibo Islands – West Demerara.
Independence: since May 26, 1966 (until 1966 – a colony of Great Britain).
National holiday: Republic Day, 23 February (1970).
Constitution: adopted October 6, 1980
Legal system: based on English common law with elements of Roman Dutch law; does not accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.
Suffrage: from 18 years old; universal.
chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since August 1999); note – assumed the presidency after the resignation of President JAGAN (JAGAN);
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since December 1997);
Government: the cabinet of ministers is appointed by the president and is responsible to the legislature; elections: the president is elected by a majority of the National Assembly after elections to the legislature, which must be held at least once every five years; elections last held 19 March 2001 (next date not available); the prime minister is appointed by the president; election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO re-elected, percentage of legislators’ votes – NA.
Legislature: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats, 53 elected by popular vote, 10 elected by regional democratic councils and 2 by the National Congress of Democratic Bodies; term of office is five years); elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held in March 2006); election results: distribution of votes between parties: no data; distribution of seats among parties: РРР/С 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1.TUF1.
Judiciary: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court.
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Guyana (AFG), includes Guyana Workers’ Party (GLP) and Working People’s Alliance (WPA) (Rupert ROOPNARINE); Guyana Action Party (GAP) (leader – NA); Guyana Labor Party (GLP) (leader – NA); People’s National Congress (PNC) (Hugh Desmond HOYTE); People’s Progressive Party (PPP) (Janet JAGEN); <Grow, organize and rebuild> (ROAR) (Ravi DEV [Ravi DEV]); United Force (TUF) (Man-zoor NADIR); Working People’s Alliance (WPA) (Rupert ROUPARINE).
Political pressure groups and their leaders: Civil Liberation Action Committee (CLAC); Guyanese Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO); Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Participation in international organizations: 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 USA: head of mission: Ambassador Ali Odeen ISHMAEL (Dr Ali Odeen ISHMAEL); office: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008; phone: [1] (202) 265-6900; consulates general: New York.
US Mission: Chief of Mission: Ambassador Ronald D. GODARD; embassy: 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown; mailing address: R. O. Box 10507, Georgetown; phone: [592] (2) from 54900 to 54909, from 57960 to 57969; fax: [592] (2) 58497.
Description of the flag: green with a red isosceles triangle (the base of which is the left side of the flag), the continuation of which is a long yellow quadrilateral in the form of an arrowhead, whose tip reaches the right side of the flag; the red and yellow fields are separated from each other by a black stripe, and a thin white stripe runs between the yellow and green fields.