Islamic countries

Islamic countries

CO-OPERATIVE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA

General Information

Total Land Area:	196,850 km²
Land boundaries:	2,462 km
Coastline:	459 km
Capital:	Georgetown
Other Large Cities:	Bartica, Linden, New Amsterdam
Official Language:	English
National Currency Unit:	Guyanese Dollar (GYD)
National Day:	February 23

Location and Geography

Guyana is situated on the North-eastern coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the North, Suriname in the East, Brazil in the South and South-west and Venezuela in the North-west. About 35 percent of the country lies in the Amazon Basin. The name Guyana is derived from an American aboriginal word meaning ‘land of many waters’. The word aptly describes the country with its extensive network of rivers, waterfalls and creeks. The terrain is covered mostly with rolling highlands. Low coastal plains and savanna lie to the South. Forests and woodlands cover 83 percent of the area. The mountains include the Pakaraima Range which lies along the Western boundary between the Waini and Rupununi Rivers near the Brazilian Border. Since it is situated in the tropics, Guyana has an equatorial climate.

Demography

Population:	0.76 million (2001)
Crude Birth Rate:	24 per thousand people (1998)
Crude Death Rate:	8 per thousand people (1998)
Infant Mortality Rate:	54 per thousand (2001)
Life Expectancy:	Male: 59 years, Female: 68 years (1999)
Urban Population:	37.6 percent (1999)
Adult Literacy:	98.60 percent (2001)

Economy

Guyana’s economy is mainly dominated by agriculture and mining. Major agricultural products are sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils, dairy products, products of forestry and fish. The country is well endowed with natural resources, including a range of minerals, vast stretches of tropical hardwood forests, numerous rivers and waterfalls with considerable hydroelectric potential. Bauxite, gold, sugar and rice are the principal sources of foreign exchange earnings. Manufacturing is devoted to bauxite processing and to production of foodstuffs, beverages and construction materials.

GDP at Current Market Prices:	618 million US$ (2002)
Per Capita GDP:	789 US$ (2001)
Share of Sectors in GDP:	31.0% Agriculture, 28.0% Industry, 41.0% Services, (2001)
Total Exports:	548 million US$ (2002)
Total Imports:	562 million US$ (2002)
Major Exports Items:	Sugar, rice, bauxite, timber, beverages and furniture
Major Imports Items:	Manufactured goods, machinery, petroleum and foodstuffs
Major Trading Partners:	US, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Netherlands and UK