GUYANA
|
| Motto:
|
One
People, One Nation, One Destiny |
|
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|
Coat
of Arms |
National
Flower (Victoria Regia Lily)
|
Flag |
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| Location: |
On the northern coast of the South American continent
bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the north, Brazil
to the southwest, Suriname to the east and Venezuela
to the northwest. |
| History: |
Guyana was originally inhabited by Amerindians.
It was settled by the Dutch in the 16th century
and changed hands between the Dutch, British and
French from the late 16th to 19th century and
was finally ceded to Britain in 1814. Independence
was achieved in 1966 and the Cooperative Republic
of Guyana declared in 1970. |
| Elections: |
Last elections 2001. Next elections due 2006 |
| Ruling
Party: |
People's Progressive Party/Civic |
| Major
Political Parties: |
People's
Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/Civic),. People's
National Congress (PNC), Working People's Alliance
(WPA), The United Force (TUF) |
| Head
of Government: |
|
| |
H.E.
Bharrat Jagdeo
President
DATE
OF BIRTH: 23 January 1964
MARITAL
STATUS: Married
EDUCATION:
- 1984
- M.S (Economics), Friendship University,
Moscow
PROFESSIONAL/POLITICAL
CAREER:
- 1977
- Member, Progress Youth Organisation (PYO),
youth arm of the People's Progressive Party
(PPP)
- 1980
- Member of the PPP. Served in leadership
positions on District and Regional Committees
- 1990
- Economist, State Planning Secretariat
- 1992
- Special Advisor to Minister of Finance in
the PPP/Civic Government
- 1993
- Junior Minister of Finance; Member of the
PPP Central and Executive Committees
- 1995
- Senior Minister of Finance. Acted as Prime
Minister on several occasions
- 1999
(August) - Appointed President
- 2001
- Elected President
|
| Economic
Summary: |
Over
1994-1997 agriculture, forestry and fishing
sectors grew by an average of 8% per year; mining
and quarrying grew by 6.4%; manufacturing by
5.9% and construction by 14.2%.
Agriculture
is the main sector with a share of 34.7% of
GDP in 1998, slightly lower than the average
of 38.1% in 1994-1997. Sugar and rice, the two
main crops, have been seriously affected by
adverse weather conditions. In 1998 sugar accounted
for 10.4% of GDP from an output of 255,655 tonnes
(notwithstanding adverse weather conditions).
Forestry
has become more significant, and is a potential
growth sector.
The
mining sector accounted for 16% of GDP in 1998
and is estimated to employ about 4% of the workforce.
The sector grew by an impressive 9.5% between
1990-96, but slowed between 1997-98 due to soft
world prices. The two main sub-sectors, gold
and bauxite, have experienced growth in output
during the 1990s but at differing rates influenced
mainly by world prices.
Manufacturing
contributed about 11% to GDP over the 1994-1998
period. The main activities are processing and
refining of agricultural products such as sugar
and rice.
|
| Airport: |
Cheddi Jagan International |
| Status: |
Cooperative Republic. Independence Day - 26 May
1966; Republic Day - 23 February 1970 |
| Capital: |
Georgetown |
| Population: |
772,759
(mid-1999) |
| Area: |
214,970
km2 (83,000 miles2) |
| Currency: |
Guyana Dollar |
| GDP
Per Capita (at current prices): |
EC$2,373.1
(1999)
|
| Total
Exports: |
EC$1,450.1m (1998) |
| Total
Imports: |
EC$1,501.3m (1998) |
| Intra-Regional
Exports: |
EC$72.8m
(1994)
|
| Intra-Regional
Imports: |
EC$178.9m (1994) |
| Business
Hours: |
Commercial:
08:00-16:00 hrs Monday to Friday; 08:00-12:30
hrs Saturday
Government: 08:00-16:00 hrs Monday
to Thursday; 08:00-08:15:30 hrs Friday
rs. |
| National
Holidays: |
New
Year's Day (01 January); Republic Day (23 February),
Good Friday (as decreed), Easter Monday (as decreed),
Labour Day (01 May), Phagwah (as decreed), Eid-ul-Azah
(as decreed), Youman Nabi (as decreed), CARICOM
Day (first Monday in July), Freedom Day (01 August),
Diwali (as decreed), Christmas Day (25 December),
Boxing Day (26 December) |
| National
Anthem: |
Dear
Land of Guyana
Dear land of Guyana, of rivers and plains
Made rich by the sunshine, and lush by the rains,
Set gem-like and fair between mountains and
sea -
Your children salute you, dear land of the free.
Green
land of Guyana, our heroes of yore
Both bondsmen and free, laid their bones on
your shore;
This
soil so they hallowed, and from them are we,
All sons of one mother, Guyana the free.
Great
land of Guyana, diverse though our strains,
We are born of their sacrifice, heirs of their
pains,
And ours is the glory their eyes did not see
-
One land of six peoples, united and free.
Dear
land of Guyana, to you will we give
Our homage, our service, each day that we live;
God guard you, great Mother, and make us to
be
More worthy our heritage - land of the free.
(Words
by A.L. Luker, music by R.C.G. Potter)
|
| Highest
National Award: |
Order of Excellence |
| Favourite
Dish: |
Guyana
Pepperpot; Guyana Cook-up; Curry and roti |
| Date
of CARICOM Membership: |
1 August 1973 |
| Government
web page: |
http://www.guyana.org |
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