Geography

• Area: 214,970 sq.  km.  (83,000 sq.  mi.); about the size of Idaho.
• Cities: Capital-Georgetown (pop.  250,000).  Other cities-Linden (29,000) and New Amsterdam (18,000).
• Terrain: Low coastal plain, hilly sand and clay region, forested highlands, interior savanna.
• Climate: Tropical.

People

• Nationality: Noun and adjective-Guyanese (sing.  and pl.).
• Population: (761,400 (UN, 2010)
• Ethnic groups: East Indian origin 43%, African origin 30%, mixed 17%, Amerindian 9%.
• Religions: Christian 57%, Hindu 28%, Muslim 10%, other 5%.
• Languages: English, Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (primarily Carib and Arawak).
• Education (2007): Years compulsory-ages 5-1/2 to 14-1/2.  Attendance-primary 93.6%, secondary 93%.  Literacy-98.8% of adults who have attended school.
• Health: Infant mortality rate-30/1,000.  Life expectancy-men 64 yrs., women 69 yrs.
• Work force (2007 Bank of Guyana estimates): 333,900.  Industry and commerce-36.4%; agriculture-30.2%; services-30.2%; other-3.2%.

Government

• Type: Republic within the Commonwealth.
• Independence: May 26, 1966; Republic, February 23, 1970.
• Constitution: 1980.
• Branches: Executive-president (chief of state and head of government), prime minister.  Legislative-unicameral National Assembly of 65 deputies.  The ten administrative regions of the country elect 25 members, 40 are elected from party lists by proportion of the national vote.  Judicial-Judicial Court of Appeal, High Court.
• Subdivisions: 10 regions.
• Suffrage: Universal at 18.
• Membership of international groups/organisations including: CARICOM, WTO, OAS, ACS, UNASUR, ECLAC, United Nations, the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP group), the Commonwealth, the Group of 77, the Organisation of Islamic Conference, Non-Aligned Movement, the Rio Group.

Economy

• Nominal GDP: $999.4 million.
• Real annual growth rate: 2.3%.
• Per capita GDP (PPP): $3,800.
• Per capita GDP: $1,298.
• Agriculture: Products-sugar, rice, shrimp, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables.
  Natural resources: Gold, bauxite, diamonds, timber.
• Industry: Types-mining (gold, bauxite, diamonds), agriculture (sugar, rice, livestock, fresh fruits and vegetables), forestry, fisheries, manufacturing (beverage, foodstuff processing, apparel, footwear assembly, pharmaceuticals), engineering and construction, and services (distribution, financial, transport and communication).
• Merchandise trade: Exports-$768.2 million: gold, sugar, rice, bauxite, timber, fish and shrimp, prepared food, diamonds, and molasses.  Major export markets- Canada, U.K., U.S., Ukraine, Jamaica, Netherlands, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Belgium.  Imports-$1.2 billion: fuel and lubricants, veterinary medicine, plant equipment, motor cars, iron and steel, electric power machines, cement and fertilizer.  Major suppliers-U.S., Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Suriname, China, United Kingdom, Japan, Finland, Canada, Netherlands.
• Monetary unit: 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents

Principal Government Officials

• Executive President: Bharrat Jagdeo
• Prime Minister: Samuel Hinds

Description of electoral system

• Election Type: Parliamentary
• Parliament name: National Assembly
• Structure of parliament: Unicameral
• Constituencies: 10 regions
• Voting system: Proportional Representation
• Last Parliamentary Election: 28 August 2006

Main Political Parties (represented in National Assembly)

• People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) 36
• People's National Congress (PNC) 22
• Alliance for Change (AFC) 5
• Guyana Action Party/Rise Organize and Rebuild (GAP/ROAR) 1
• The United Force (TUF) 1

Sources:

• http://www.state.gov/p/wha/ci/gy/
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1211325.stm
• http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/country-profile/south-america/guyana