The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

(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

      Economy Guyana

      Economy - overview:

       The Guyanese economy has exhibited moderate economic growth in

       2001–02, based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors,

       a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more

       realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued

       support of international organizations. Chronic problems include a

       shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The

       government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent

       need for expanded public investment. The bauxite mining sector

       should benefit in the near term by restructuring and partial

       privatization.

      GDP:

       purchasing power parity - $2.628 billion (2002 est.)

      GDP - real growth rate:

       1.1% (2002 est.)

      GDP - per capita:

       purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2002 est.)

      GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35% industry: 21% services: 44% (2002 est.)

      Population below poverty line:

       NA%

      Household income or consumption by percentage share:

       lowest 10%: NA%

       highest 10%: NA%

      Inflation rate (consumer prices):

       4.7% (2002 est.)

      Labor force:

       418,000 (2001 est.)

      Labor force - by occupation:

       agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

      Unemployment rate:

       9.1% (understated) (2000)

      Budget:

       revenues: $227 million

       expenditures: $235.2 million, including capital expenditures of

       $93.4 million (2000)

      Industries:

       bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining

      Industrial production growth rate:

       7.1% (1997 est.)

      Electricity - production:

       852 million kWh (2001)

      Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.4% hydro: 0.6% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%

      Electricity - consumption:

       792.4 million kWh (2001)

      Electricity - exports:

       0 kWh (2001)

      Electricity - imports:

       0 kWh (2001)

      Oil - production:

       0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

      Oil - consumption:

       11,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

      Oil - exports:

       NA (2001)

      Oil - imports:

       NA (2001)

      Agriculture - products: sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish (shrimp)

      Exports:

       $500 million f.o.b. (2002)

      Exports - commodities:

       sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber

      Exports - partners:

       Canada 21.1%, US 17.9%, Netherlands Antilles 12.9%, UK 10.4%,

       Jamaica 5.3%, Portugal 4.2% (2002)

      Imports:

       $575 million c.i.f. (2002)

      Imports - commodities:

       manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

      Imports - partners:

       US 23.7%, Netherlands Antilles 20.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.2%,

       Italy 6.3%, UK 5.1%, Cuba 4.2% (2002)

      Debt - external:

       $1.2 billion (2002)

      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 - NA (2002), 187.32 (2001), 182.43

       (2000), 178 (1999), 150.52 (1998)

      Fiscal year:

       calendar year

      Communications Guyana

      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:

       95,000 (2002)

      Transportation Guyana

      Railways:

       total: 187 km

       standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge

       narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge

       note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)

      Highways:

       total: 7,970 km

       paved: 590 km

       unpaved: 7,380 km (1999 est.)

      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) 2,929 GRT/4,507 DWT