*Guinea-Bissau, Defense Forces

Branches:
People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; including Army, Navy, Air Force),
paramilitary force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 235,931; fit for military service 134,675 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $9.3 million, 5%-6% of GDP (1987)

*Guyana, Geography

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Suriname
and Venezuela
Map references:
South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
214,970 km2
land area:
196,850 km2
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries:
total 2,462 km, Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline:
459 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200 nm or the outer edge of continental margin
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
all of the area west of the Essequibo River claimed by Venezuela; Suriname
claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Koetari Rivers
(all headwaters of the Courantyne)
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
Natural resources:
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
6%
forest and woodland:
83%
other:
8%
Irrigated land:
1,300 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution

*Guyana, People

Population:
734,640 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.68% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
20.47 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
7.39 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-19.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
49.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
64.7 years
male:
61.46 years
female:
68.1 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.35 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Guyanese
Ethnic divisions:
East Indian 51%, black and mixed 43%, Amerindian 4%, European and Chinese 2%
Religions:
Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%
Languages:
English, Amerindian dialects
Literacy:
age 15 and over having ever attended scool (1990)
total population:
95%
male:
98%
female:
96%
Labor force:
268,000
by occupation:
industry and commerce 44.5%, agriculture 33.8%, services 21.7%
note:
public-sector employment amounts to 60-80% of the total labor force (1985)

*Guyana, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form:
Guyana
former:
British Guiana
Digraph:
GY
Type:
republic
Capital:
Georgetown
Administrative divisions:
10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East
Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice,
Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper
Takutu-Upper Essequibo
Independence:
26 May 1966 (from UK)
Constitution:
6 October 1980
Legal system:
based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
Political parties and leaders: People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE; People's
Progressive
Party (PPP), Cheddi JAGAN; Working People's Alliance (WPA), Eusi KWAYANA,
Rupert ROOPNARINE; Democratic Labor Movement (DLM), Paul TENNASSEE; People's
Democratic Movement (PDM), Llewellyn JOHN; National Democratic Front (NDF),
Joseph BACCHUS; The United Force (TUF), Manzoor NADIR; United Republican
Party (URP), Leslie RAMSAMMY; National Republican Party (NRP), Robert
GANGADEEN; Guyana Labor Party (GLP), Nanda GOPAUL
Other political or pressure groups:
Trades Union Congress (TUC); Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO);
Civil Liberties Action Committee (CLAC)
note:
the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Elections:
Executive President:
last held on 5 October 1992; results - Cheddi JAGAN was elected president
since he was leader of the party with the most votes in the National
Assembly elections
National Assembly:
last held on 5 October 1992 (next to be held in 1997); results - PPP 53.4%,
PNC 42.3%, WPA 2%, TUF 1.2%; seats - (65 total, 53 elected) PPP 36, PNC 26,
WPA 2, TUF 1
Executive branch:
executive president, first vice president, prime minister, first deputy
prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature

*Guyana, Government

Leaders:
Chief of State:
Executive President Cheddi JAGAN (since 5 October 1992); First Vice
President Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Sam HINDS (since 5 October 1992)
Member of:
ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Dr. Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery:
2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 265-6900
consulate general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador George Jones
embassy:
99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Georgetown
mailing address:
P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown
telephone:
[592] (2) 54900 through 54909 and 57960 through 57969
FAX:
[592] (2) 58497
Flag:
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