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Guyana: Countries
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Guyana (pronounced [gaɪ'a.na], occasionally Anglicized as [gaɪ'æ.nə]) is located on the northern coast of South America, just north of the Equator. Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil and to the west by Venezuela. It is the third smallest country in South America and approximately the size of Great Britain. Guyana is the only South American country whose official language is English, and is one of only two remaining countries in the mainland Americas to drive on the left. The official name of Guyana is the Republic of Guyana. Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning Land of Many Waters.
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Guyana is governed under the constitution of 1980. The president, who is the head of state, is popularly elected for a five-year term. The president appoints the prime minister, who is the head of government, and the cabinet. The legislature is the unicameral National Assembly, whose 65 members are elected for five-year terms. Administratively, the country is divided into ten regions. Guyana is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
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As with many developing countries, Guyana is a heavily indebted poor country (HIPC). Reduction of the debt burden has been one of the administration's top priorities. In 2006 the government continued to pursue initiatives to bring the external debt stock and debt service to a sustainable level. At the end of 2006, these two indicators stood at U.S. $920 million and U.S. $22.6 million, respectively. In March 2007, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) provided 100% debt relief for Guyana's outstanding loan balance and interest as of December 31, 2004, amounting to U.S. $467 million. Immediately preceding the IADB write-off, both the IMF and World Bank ... granted $237 million in debt relief, bringing the total to U.S. $701 million.
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Immediately before independence in 1966, Guyana was in the early stages of developing its resources. The development continued under an economic plan drawn up by British, United States, and Canadian experts. Manufacturing, which was on a small scale in the late 1960s, was expanded in the 1970s, but in the early 2000s the economy of Guyana was dominated by agriculture, mining, and service industries. The country had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $787 million in 2005. The national budget in 1996 included revenue of $247 million and expenditure of $287 million.
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Guyana, a country of 214,970 square kilometers, borders Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname in northern South America. The country has four geographical areas (natural regions) and ten administrative regions. The four geographical areas are the low coastal plains, the forested highland region, the interior savannahs, and the hilly sand-and-clay region. The ten administrative regions are: Region One - Barima/Waini; Region Two - Pomeroon/Supenaam; Region Three - Essequibo Islands/West Demerara; Region Four - Demerara/Mahaica; Region Five - Mahaica/Berbice; Region Six - East Berbice/Corentyne; Region Seven - Cuyuni/Mazaruni; Region Eight - Potaro/Runi; Region Nine - Upper Takatu/Upper Esseqiubo; Region Ten - Upper Demerara/Berbice.
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Compared with other neighboring countries, Guyana ranks poorly in regard to basic health indicators. In 1998, life expectancy at birth was estimated at 66.0 years for Guyana, 71.6 for Suriname, 72.9 for Venezuela; 73.8 for Trinidad and Tobago, 74.7 for Jamaica, and 76.5 for Barbados. In Guyana, the infant mortality rate in 1998 was 24.2, in Barbados 14.9; in Trinidad and Tobago 16.2; in Venezuela 22; in Jamaica 24.5; and in Suriname 25.1.
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