The 2001 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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 mining
Industrial production growth rate: 7.1% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: 455 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 98.9%
hydro: 1.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 423.2 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest and fishery potential not exploited
Exports: $570 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
Exports - partners: US 22%, Canada 22%, UK 18%, Netherlands Antilles 11%, Jamaica (1999)
Imports: $660 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Imports - partners: US 29%, Trinidad and Tobago 18%, Netherlands
Antilles 16%, UK 7%, Japan (1999)
Debt - external: $1.1 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor
Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)
Currency: Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Currency code: GYD
Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 184.1 (November 2000), 182.2 (2000), 178.0 (1999), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997), 140.4 (1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Guyana Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 70,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 6,100 (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: fair system for long-distance calling
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
international: tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 420,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)
Televisions: 46,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .gy
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)
Internet users: 3,000 (2000)
Guyana Transportation
Railways: total: 187 km (all dedicated to ore transport)
standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge
Highways: total: 7,970 km
paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (1996)
Waterways: 5,900 km (total length of navigable waterways)
note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively
Ports and harbors: Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,929
GRT/4,507 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2 (2000 est.)
Airports: 51 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 45
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 36 (2000 est.)
Guyana Military
Military branches: Guyana Defense Force (GDF; includes Ground
Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Guyana People's Militia (GPM),
Guyana National Service (GNS), Guyana Police Force
Military manpower - availability: males age 15–49: 204,938 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15–49: 154,259 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $7 million (FY94)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.7% (FY94)
Guyana Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari [Koetari] rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis
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