The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

BULLEN

       embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown

       mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown

       telephone: [592] 225–4900 through 4909

       FAX: [592] 225–8497

      Flag description:

       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

      Economy Guyana

      Economy - overview:

       The Guyanese economy 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. Growth then slowed in 2003. 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 - $2.797 billion (2003 est.)

      GDP - real growth rate:

       0.5% (2003 est.)

      GDP - per capita:

       purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2003 est.)

      GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 37.2% industry: 22.7% services: 40.1% (2003 est.)

      Investment (gross fixed):

       38.5% of GDP (2003)

      Population below poverty line:

       NA

      Household income or consumption by percentage share:

       lowest 10%: NA

       highest 10%: NA

      Inflation rate (consumer prices):

       5.7% (2003 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: $263.4 million

       expenditures: $326.7 million, including capital expenditures of

       $93.4 million (2003)

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

      Industries:

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

      Industrial production growth rate:

       7.1% (1997 est.)

      Electricity - production:

       852 million kWh (2001)

      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)

      Current account balance:

       $-158 million (2003)

      Exports:

       $512 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

      Exports - commodities:

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

      Exports - partners:

       Canada 23.2%, US 21.8%, UK 13.5%, Portugal 6.7%, Belgium 6.5%,

       Jamaica 6.1% (2003)

      Imports:

       $612 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

      Imports - commodities:

       manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

      Imports - partners:

       US 22.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 19.2%, Italy 11.2%, UK 7.2%, Cuba

       5.2% (2003)

      Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:

       $257 million (2003)

      Debt - external:

       $1.2 billion (2002)

      Economic aid - recipient:

       $84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC)

       $253 million (1997) (2000 est.)

      Currency:

       Guyanese dollar (GYD)

      Currency code:

       GYD

      Exchange rates:

       Guyanese dollars per US dollar - NA (2003), 190.665 (2002), 187.321

       (2001), 182.43 (2000), 177.995 (1999)

      Fiscal year:

       calendar year

      Communications Guyana

      Telephones - main lines in use:

       80,400 (2002)

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

       87,300 (2002)

      Telephone system:

       general assessment: fair system for long-distance calling

       domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines

       international: country code - 592; 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 hosts:

       613 (2003)

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

       3 (2000)

      Internet users:

       125,000 (2002)

      Transportation Guyana

      Railways:

       total: 187 km

       standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge

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

       narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge