Chapter V (19)

Flag description: territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red
border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed,
vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with
sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red
letters; US flag is the national flag

Economy

Economy--overview: The economy depends mainly on US military
spending and on tourist revenue. Over the past 20 years, the tourist
industry has grown rapidly, creating a construction boom for new
hotels and the expansion of older ones. More than 1 million tourists
visit Guam each year. The industry suffered a setback in 1998
because of the continuing Japanese recession; the Japanese normally
make up almost 90% of the tourists. Most food and industrial goods
are imported. Guam faces the problem of building up the civilian
economic sector to offset the impact of military downsizing.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$3 billion (1996 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: NA%

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$19,000 (1996 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1992 est.)

Labor force: 65,660 (1995)

Labor force--by occupation: federal and territorial government
31%, private 69% (trade 21%, services 33%, construction 12%, other
3%) (1995)

Unemployment rate: 2% (1992 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $524.3 million
expenditures: $361.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995)

Industries: US military, tourism, construction, transshipment
services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food
processing, textiles

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity--production: 800 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 800 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork,
poultry, beef

Exports: $86.1 million (f.o.b., 1992)

Exports--commodities: mostly transshipments of refined petroleum
products, construction materials, fish, food and beverage products

Exports--partners: US 25%

Imports: $202.4 million (c.i.f., 1992)

Imports--commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, food,
manufactured goods

Imports--partners: US 23%, Japan 19%, other 58%

Debt--external: $NA

Economic aid--recipient: $NA; note?although Guam receives no
foreign aid, it does receive large transfer payments from the
general revenues of the US Federal Treasury into which Guamanians
pay no income or excise taxes; under the provisions of a special law
of Congress, the Guam Treasury, rather than the US Treasury,
receives federal income taxes paid by military and civilian Federal
employees stationed in Guam

Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Fiscal year: 1 October--30 September

Communications

Telephones: 74,317 (March 1997)

Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);
submarine cables to US and Japan

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios: 206,000 (1994)

Television broadcast stations: 5 (1997)

Televisions: 97,000 (1994 est.)

Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 885 km
paved: 675 km
unpaved: 210 km
note: there is another 685 km of roads classified non-public,
including roads located on federal government installations

Ports and harbors: Apra Harbor

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 5 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Military

Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

======================================================================

@Guatemala ---------

Geography

Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
El Salvador and Mexico

Geographic coordinates: 15 30 N, 90 15 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
water: 460 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Tennessee

Land boundaries:
total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256
km, Mexico 962 km

Coastline: 400 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
limestone plateau (Peten)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

Natural resources: petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle

Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 54%
other: 5% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,250 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional
violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other
tropical storms

Environment--current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water
pollution; Hurricane Mitch damage

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertication, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography--note: no natural harbors on west coast

People

Population: 12,335,580 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 2,688,402; female 2,578,934)
15-64 years: 54% (male 3,312,360; female 3,314,102)
65 years and over: 3% (male 207,014; female 234,768) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.68% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 35.57 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 6.8 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 46.15 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.45 years
male: 63.78 years
female: 69.24 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.74 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish--in local Spanish
called Ladino) 56%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 44%

Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, traditional Mayan

Languages: Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 Amerindian
languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 55.6%
male: 62.5%
female: 48.6% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form: Guatemala
local long form: Republica de Guatemala
local short form: Guatemala

Data code: GT

Government type: republic

Capital: Guatemala

Administrative divisions: 22 departments (departamentos,
singular--departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango,
Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango,
Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu,
Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez,
Totonicapan, Zacapa

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986
note: suspended 25 May 1993 by President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June
1993 following ouster of president

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative
acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen (since 14
January 1996); Vice President Luis Alberto FLORES Asturias (since 14
January 1996); note--the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen (since 14
January 1996); Vice President Luis Alberto FLORES Asturias (since 14
January 1996); note--the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 12 November 1995; runoff held 7 January 1996
(next to be held NA November 1999)
election results: Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen elected president;
percent of vote--Alvaro Enrique ARZU Irigoyen (PAN) 51.2%, Jorge
PORTILLO Cabrera (FRG) 48.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral Congress of the Republic or
Congreso de la Republica (80 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 12 November 1995 (next to be held in
November 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--PAN
43, FRG 21, FDNG 6, DCG 4, UCN 3, UD 2, MLN 1
note: on 11 November 1993 the congress approved a procedure that
reduced its number from 116 seats to 80; the procedure provided for
a special election in mid-1994 to elect an interim congress of 80
members to serve until replaced in the November 1995 general
election; the plan was approved in a general referendum in January
1994 and the special election was held on 14 August 1994

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de
Justicia); additionally the Court of Constitutionality is presided
over by the president of the Supreme Court, judges are elected for a
five-year term by Congress

Political parties and leaders: National Centrist Union or UCN
ARRIAGA Martinez]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union or URNG

Political pressure groups and leaders: Coordinating Committee of
Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or
CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM; Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO;
Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Alliance Against Impunity or
AAI

International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC,
FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William STIXRUD
chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald J. PLANTY
embassy: 7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
mailing address: APO AA 34024

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist
side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the
white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the
national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE
SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain)
all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed
swords and framed by a wreath

Economy

Economy--overview: The agricultural sector accounts for one-fourth
of GDP and two-thirds of exports and employs more than half of the
labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products.
Manufacturing and construction account for one-fifth of GDP. Since
assuming office in January 1996, President ARZU has worked to
implement a program of economic liberalization and political
modernization. The signing of the peace accords in December 1996,
which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to
foreign investment. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused relatively
little damage to Guatemala compared to its neighbors. Nevertheless,
growth will be somewhat smaller due to the storm. Remaining
challenges include increasing government revenues, and negotiating a
program with the IMF.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$45.7 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 5% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$3,800 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 24%
industry: 21%
services: 55% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.6%
highest 10%: 46.6% (1989)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.4% (1998)

Labor force: 3.32 million (1997 est.)

Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 58%, services 14%,
manufacturing 14%, commerce 7%, construction 4%, transport 2.6%,
utilities 0.3%, mining 0.1% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 5.2% (1997 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA

Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals,
petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (1996)

Electricity--production: 3.1 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 29.03%
hydro: 70.97%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 3.1 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans,
cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens

Exports: $2.9 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Exports--commodities: coffee, sugar, bananas, cardamom, petroleum

Exports--partners: US 37%, El Salvador 13%, Honduras 7%, Costa
Rica 5%, Germany 5%

Imports: $3.3 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.)

Imports--commodities: fuel and petroleum products, machinery,
grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles

Imports--partners: US 44%, Mexico 10%, Venezuela 4.6%, Japan,
Germany

Debt--external: $3.38 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid--recipient: $211.9 million (1995)

Currency: 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates: quetzales (Q) per US$1--6.7284 (January 1999),
6.3947 (1998), 6.0653 (1997), 6.0495 (1996), 5.8103 (1995), 5.7512
(1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 210,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system: fairly modern network centered in the city of
Guatemala
domestic: NA
international: connected to Central American Microwave System;
satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 91, FM 0, shortwave 15

Radios: 400,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 6 (in addition, there are 17
repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 475,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 884 km (102 km privately owned)
narrow gauge: 884 km 0.914-m gauge (single track)

Highways:
total: 13,100 km
paved: 3,616 km (including 140 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,484 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km
navigable during high-water season

Pipelines: crude oil 275 km

Ports and harbors: Champerico, Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal,
San Jose, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 478 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 466
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 124
under 914 m: 332 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 2,915,169 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,903,382 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 134,964 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $124 million (1998)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 0.7% (1998)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: border with Belize in dispute

Illicit drugs: transit country for cocaine shipments; minor
producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for the international
drug trade; active eradication program of cannabis crop effectively
eliminated in 1996

======================================================================

@Guernsey --------

Geography

Location: Western Europe, islands in the English Channel,
northwest of France

Geographic coordinates: 49 28 N, 2 35 W

Map references: Europe

Area:
total: 194 sq km
land: 194 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other
smaller islands

Area--comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 50 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50%
of days are overcast

Terrain: mostly level with low hills in southwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m

Natural resources: cropland

Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: NA

Environment--current issues: NA

Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography--note: large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

People

Population: 65,386 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 6,012; female 5,875)
15-64 years: 66% (male 21,287; female 22,165)
65 years and over: 16% (male 4,069; female 5,978) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.27% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 14.16 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9.44 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 8.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.72 years
male: 75.78 years
female: 81.77 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander

Ethnic groups: UK and Norman-French descent

Religions: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist,
Congregational, Methodist

Languages: English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in
country districts

Literacy: NA

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey

Data code: GK

Dependency status: British crown dependency

Government type: NA

Capital: Saint Peter Port

Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)

Independence: none (British crown dependency)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and
practice

Legal system: English law and local statute; justice is
administered by the Royal Court

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor Sir John COWARD (since NA
1994) and Bailiff Sir Graham Martyn DOREY (since NA February 1992)
cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of
the States
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor
appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the States (60
seats--33 elected by popular vote; members serve six-year terms)
elections: last held 20 April 1994 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results: percent of vote--NA; seats--all independents

Judicial branch: Royal Court

Political parties and leaders: none; all independents

International organization participation: none

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (British crown
dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (British crown
dependency)

Flag description: white with the red cross of Saint George
(patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag

Economy

Economy--overview: Financial services?banking, fund management,
insurance, etc.--account for about 55% of total income in this tiny
Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture,
mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and
death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving
economic integration of the EU nations is changing the rules of the
game under which Guernsey operates.

GDP: $NA

GDP--real growth rate: NA%

GDP--per capita: $NA

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1988)

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: 3%-4% (1994 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $277.9 million
expenditures: $248.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995 est.)

Industries: tourism, banking

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity--production: NA kWh

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA%

Electricity--consumption: NA kWh

Electricity--exports: NA kWh

Electricity--imports: NA kWh

Agriculture--products: tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet
peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle

Exports: $NA

Exports--commodities: tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers,
eggplant, other vegetables

Exports--partners: UK (regarded as internal trade)

Imports: $NA

Imports--commodities: coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment

Imports--partners: UK (regarded as internal trade)

Debt--external: $NA

Economic aid--recipient: $NA

Currency: 1 Guernsey (LG) pound = 100 pence

Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds (LG) per US$1--0.6057 (January
1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995),
0.6529 (1994); note--the Guernsey pound is at par with the British
pound

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 41,850 (1983 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)

Televisions: NA

Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km

Ports and harbors: Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 2 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Military

Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

======================================================================

@Guinea ------

Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone

Geographic coordinates: 11 00 N, 10 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 245,860 sq km
land: 245,860 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:
total: 3,399 km
border countries: Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 610 km,
Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

Coastline: 320 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season
(June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to
May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Terrain: generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous
interior

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m

Natural resources: bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium,
hydropower, fish

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 22%
forests and woodland: 59%
other: 17% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 930 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce
visibility during dry season

Environment--current issues: deforestation; inadequate supplies of
potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion;
overfishing, overpopulation in forest region

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

People

Population: 7,538,953 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 1,640,158; female 1,653,184)
15-64 years: 54% (male 1,974,849; female 2,068,221)
65 years and over: 2% (male 83,859; female 118,682) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.82% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 40.62 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 17.3 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -15.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
note: over the years Guinea has received up to several hundred
thousand refugees from the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone,
some of whom are now returning to their own countries

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 126.32 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.5 years
male: 44.02 years
female: 49.06 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.53 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean

Ethnic groups: Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller
tribes 10%

Religions: Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%

Languages: French (official), each tribe has its own language

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.9%
male: 49.9%
female: 21.9% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
conventional short form: Guinea
local long form: Republique de Guinee
local short form: Guinee
former: French Guinea

Data code: GV

Government type: republic

Capital: Conakry

Administrative divisions: 4 administrative regions (regions
administrative, singular--region administrative) and 1 special zone
(zone speciale)*; Conakry*, Guinee, Guinee-Forestiere, Haute-Guinee,
Moyen-Guinee

Independence: 2 October 1958 (from France)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April
(1984)

Constitution: 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Legal system: based on French civil law system, customary law,
and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lansana CONTE (head of military government
since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Lamine SIDIME (since 8 March 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected
president; election last held 14 December 1998 (next to be held NA
December 2003); the prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of
vote--Lansana CONTE (PUP) 56%, Alpha CONDE (RPG) 16%, Mamadou Boye BA
(UNR-PRP) 24%

Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly or
Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by
direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 11 June 1995 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--PUP
71, RPG 19, PRP 9, UNR 9, UPG 2, PDG 1, UNP 1, PDG-RDA 1, other 1

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders: political parties were legalized
on 1 April 1992; of the more than 40 with legal status, the
following won seats in the legislature in the 11 June 1995 elections
other: Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer),
ISO (correspondent), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Aly THIAM
chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tibor P. NAGY, Jr.
embassy: Rue Ka 038, Conakry
mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side),
yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia;
similar to the flag of Rwanda, which has a large black letter R
centered in the yellow band

Economy

Economy--overview: Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and
agricultural resources, yet remains a poor underdeveloped nation.
The agricultural sector employs 80% of the work force. Guinea
possesses over 25% of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second
largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for about 75%
of exports in 1998. Long-run improvements in government fiscal
arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the
country is to move out of poverty. The government made encouraging
progress in budget management in 1997-98. Except in the mining
industry, foreign investment remains minimal but is expected to pick
up in 1999.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$8.8 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 4.9% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,180 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 24%
industry: 31%
services: 45% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 2.4 million (1983)

Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and commerce
11%, services 5.4%, civil service 3.6%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $553 million
expenditures: $652 million, including capital expenditures of $317
million (1995 est.)

Industries: bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light
manufacturing and agricultural processing industries

Industrial production growth rate: 3.2% (1994)

Electricity--production: 525 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 63.81%
hydro: 36.19%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 525 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels,
cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats;
timber

Exports: $695 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports--commodities: bauxite, alumina, diamonds, gold, coffee,
fish, agricultural products

Exports--partners: Russia, US, Belgium, Ukraine, Ireland, Spain
(1997)

Imports: $560 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports--commodities: petroleum products, metals, machinery,
transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs (1997)

Imports--partners: France, Cote d'Ivoire, US, Belgium, Hong Kong
(1997)

Debt--external: $3.15 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid--recipient: $433.6 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: Guinean francs (FG) per US$1--1,292.5 (January
1999), 1,095.3 (1997), 1,004.0 (1996), 991.4 (1995), 976.6 (1994)
note: the official exchange rate of the Guinean franc was set and
quoted weekly against the US dollar until the end of October 1993;
since 1 November 1994, the exchange rate is determined in the
interbank market for foreign exchange

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 18,000 (1994 est.)

Telephone system: poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small
radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay
system
domestic: microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication
international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios: 257,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 6 (1997)

Televisions: 65,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 1,086 km
standard gauge: 279 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 807 km 1.000-m gauge (includes 662 km in common
carrier service from Kankan to Conakry)

Highways:
total: 30,500 km
paved: 5,033 km
unpaved: 25,467 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Ports and harbors: Boke, Conakry, Kamsar

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 15 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Republican Guard,
Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National
Police Force (Surete National)

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 1,726,933 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 871,615 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $56 million (1996)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.4% (1996)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

======================================================================

@Guinea-Bissau -------------

Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Guinea and Senegal

Geographic coordinates: 12 00 N, 15 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 36,120 sq km
land: 28,000 sq km
water: 8,120 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly less than three times the size of
Connecticut

Land boundaries:
total: 724 km
border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km

Coastline: 350 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy
season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season
(December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the
country 300 m

Natural resources: fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited
deposits of petroleum

Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 38%
forests and woodland: 38%
other: 12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 17 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce
visibility during dry season; brush fires

Environment--current issues: deforestation; soil erosion;
overgrazing; overfishing

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

People

Population: 1,234,555 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 260,821; female 259,520)
15-64 years: 55% (male 322,607; female 356,513)
65 years and over: 3% (male 16,233; female 18,861) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.31% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 38.23 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 15.13 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 109.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.57 years
male: 47.91 years
female: 51.28 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.09 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guinean (s)
adjective: Guinean

Ethnic groups: African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%,
Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%

Languages: Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 53.9%
male: 67.1%
female: 40.7% (1997 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau
local short form: Guine-Bissau
former: Portuguese Guinea

Data code: PU

Government type: republic, multiparty since mid-1991

Capital: Bissau

Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular--regiao);
Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali
note: Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos

Independence: 24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by
Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

Constitution: 16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991,
26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and 1996

Legal system: NA

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (initially assumed
power 14 November 1980 in a coup d'etat)
head of government: Prime Minister Francisco FADUL (since NA
November 1998); note--named in an agreement between President VIEIRA
and a military-led junta which rebelled against the President
FADUL's administration in June 1998
cabinet: none; an interim National Unity Government was provided for
in the agreement between President VIEIRA and the military junta and
was scheduled be inaugurated in February 1999
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held NA July
1999); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation
with party leaders in the legislature
election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of
vote--Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52%, Koumba YALLA 48%

Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly or
Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve a maximum of four years)
elections: last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held by NA)
election results: percent of vote by party--PAIGC 46.0%, RGB-MB
19.2%, PRS 10.3%, UM 12.8%, FLING 2.5%, PCD 5.3%, PUSD 2.9%, FCG
0.2%, others 0.8%; seats by party--PAIGC 62, RGB 19, PRS 12, UM 6,
FLING 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica,
consists of 9 justices who are appointed by the president and serve
at his pleasure, final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases;
Regional Courts, one in each of nine regions, first court of appeals
for sectoral court decisions, hear all felony cases and civil cases
valued at over $1,000; 24 Sectoral Courts, judges are not
necessarily trained lawyers, hear civil cases under $1,000 and
misdemeanor criminal cases

Political parties and leaders: African Party for the Independence
secretary general]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of
president]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP
president, Dr. Anne SAAD, secretary general]; United Social

International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP,
AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henrique
Adriano DA SILVA
chancery: Suite 519, 1511 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US Embassy suspended
operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between
forces loyal to President VIEIRA and military-led junta

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and
green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black
five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular
pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy

Economy--overview: One of the 20 poorest countries in the world,
Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops
have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks
sixth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood
along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice
is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting
between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta
destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread
damage to the economy in 1998. Before the war, trade reform and
price liberalization were the most successful part of the country's
structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The tightening
of monetary policy and the development of the private sector had
also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Inflation dropped sharply in
the first quarter of 1997. Membership in the WAMU (West African
Monetary Union), begun in May 1997, was expected to support 5%
annual growth and contribute to fiscal discipline. Because of high
costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral
resources was not a near-term prospect.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.2 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 3.5% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,000 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 54%
industry: 11%
services: 35% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: 48.8% (1991 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25.6% (1997)

Labor force: 480,000

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: $NA

Industries: agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate: 2.6% (1997 est.)

Electricity--production: 40 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 40 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca),
cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish

Exports: $25.8 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)

Exports--commodities: cashews 95%, fish, peanuts, palm kernels,
sawn lumber (1994)

Exports--partners: Spain 35%, India 30%, Thailand 10%, Italy 10%
(1995)

Imports: $63 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)

Imports--commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, petroleum
products, machinery and equipment (1994)

Imports--partners: Portugal 29.2%, Thailand 8.4%, Netherlands
8.4%, US 7.5% (1996)

Debt--external: $953 million (1996 est.)

Economic aid--recipient: $115.4 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100
centimes; note--on 1 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau adopted as its currency
the CFA franc following its membership into the BCEAO

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per
US$1--566.65 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997);
Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1-- 26,373 (1996), 18,073 (1995),
12,892 (1994)
note: as of 2 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau has adopted the CFA franc as
the national currency following its membership in BCEAO

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 13,120 (1997 est.)

Telephone system: small system
domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone, and cellular communications
international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios: 40,000 (1994 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)

Televisions: NA

Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 4,400 km
paved: 453 km
unpaved: 3,947 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: several rivers are accessible to coastal shipping

Ports and harbors: Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 30 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 22 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP;
includes Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary force

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 284,998 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 162,485 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $8 million (1996)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2.8% (1996)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

======================================================================

@Guyana ------

Geography

Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic
Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela

Geographic coordinates: 5 00 N, 59 00 W

Map references: South America

Area:
total: 214,970 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km
water: 18,120 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Idaho

Land boundaries:
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

Coastline: 459 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
margin
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade
winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to
mid-January)

Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in
south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m

Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber,
shrimp, fish

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,300 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy
seasons

Environment--current issues: water pollution from sewage and
agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

People

Population: 705,156 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 109,156; female 105,017)
15-64 years: 65% (male 230,624; female 227,677)
65 years and over: 5% (male 14,684; female 17,998) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.32% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 18.23 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9.04 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -12.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 48.64 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.82 years
male: 59.15 years
female: 64.61 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.09 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese

Ethnic groups: East Indian 49%, black 32%, mixed 12%, Amerindian
6%, white and Chinese 1%

Religions: Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%

Languages: English, Amerindian dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.1%
male: 98.6%
female: 97.5% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana

Data code: GY

Government type: republic

Capital: Georgetown

Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Barima-Waini,
Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo
Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam,
Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Independence: 26 May 1966 (from UK)

National holiday: Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

Constitution: 6 October 1980

Legal system: based on English common law with certain admixtures
of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Janet JAGAN (since NA December 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA December
1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president,
responsible to the legislature
elections: president elected by the majority party in the National
Assembly after legislative elections, which must be held within five
years; legislative elections last held 15 December 1997 (next to be
held NA 2000; this date was part of a negotiated settlement between
the two main political parties following a dispute over the December
elections); prime minister appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats, 53
popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 15 December 1997 (next to be held by March
2000; this date was negotiated following a dispute over the December
elections)
election results: percent of vote by party--PPP 54%, PNC 41%, AFG 1%,
TUF 1%; seats by party--PPP 36, PNC 25, AFG 2, TUF 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature

Political parties and leaders: People's Progressive Party or PPP

Political pressure groups and leaders: Trades Union Congress or
TUC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Civil Liberties
Action Committee or CLAC
note: the latter two organizations are small and active but not well
organized

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC,
CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,
IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC (observer), OPANAL,
OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MACK
embassy: 99-100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown

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

Economy--overview: In 1997, Guyana, one of the poorest countries
in the Western Hemisphere, posted its sixth straight year of
economic growth of 5% or better, with the advance led by gold and
bauxite mining and by sugar growing. Favorable growth factors have
included expansion in the key agricultural and mining sectors, a
more favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more realistic
exchange rate, a moderate inflation rate, and the continued support
of international organizations. However, a severe drought and
political turmoil following the 1997 elections contributed to a
negative growth rate for 1998. Serious underlying economic problems
will continue. Electricity has been in short supply and constitutes
a major barrier to future gains in national output. The government
must persist in efforts to manage its sizable external debt and
extend its privatization program.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.8 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: -1.8% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$2,500 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 37%
industry: 22%
services: 41% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1998)

Labor force: 245,492 (1992)

Labor force--by occupation: agriculture, hunting and forestry
30.2%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 11% (1992)

Unemployment rate: 12% (1992 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $253.7 million
expenditures: $304.1 million, including capital expenditures of
$108.8 million (1997 est.)

Industries: bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing
(shrimp), textiles, gold mining

Industrial production growth rate: 7.1% (1997 est.)

Electricity--production: 325 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.46%
hydro: 1.54%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 339 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 14 million kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef,
pork, poultry, dairy products; forest and fishery potential not
exploited

Exports: $593.4 million (1997 est.)

Exports--commodities: sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp,
molasses

Exports--partners: Canada 25.9%, US 20.4%, UK 22.7%, Netherlands
Antilles 8.4%, Germany 4.3% (1996)

Imports: $641.6 million (1997 est.)

Imports--commodities: manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

Imports--partners: US 27.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 17.7%,
Netherlands Antilles 12.1%, UK 10.7%, Japan 4.2% (1996)

Debt--external: $1.5 billion (1997)

Economic aid--recipient: $84 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1--163.7 (December
1998), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997), 140.4 (1996), 142.0 (1995), 138.3
(1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 33,000 (1987 est.)

Telephone system: 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 4, FM 3, shortwave 1

Radios: 398,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 1 public station; two private
stations relay US satellite services (1997)

Televisions: 32,000 (1992 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 88 km (all dedicated to ore transport)
standard gauge: 40 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge

Highways:
total: 7,970 km
paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 6,000 km total of navigable waterways; 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 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,340 GRT/4,530
DWT (1998 est.)

Airports: 48 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 44
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 35 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: Guyana Defense Force (GDF; includes Ground
Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Guyana People's Militia (GPM),
Guyana National Service (GNS), Guyana Police Force

Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 202,509 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 152,839 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $7 million (1994)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.7% (1994)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: all of the area west of the Essequibo
River claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper
of the Courantyne)

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics from South
America--primarily Venezuela--to Europe and the US; producer of
cannabis

======================================================================

@Haiti -----

Geography

Location: Caribbean, western one-third of the island of
Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,
west of the Dominican Republic

Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N, 72 25 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 275 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 275 km

Coastline: 1,771 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade
winds

Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

Natural resources: none

Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 5%
other: 44% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 750 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and
subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding
and earthquakes; periodic droughts

Environment--current issues: extensive deforestation (much of the
remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as
fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography--note: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican
Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the
Dominican Republic)

People

Population: 6,884,264 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 1,464,529; female 1,420,772)
15-64 years: 54% (male 1,783,884; female 1,932,240)
65 years and over: 4% (male 140,932; female 141,907) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.53% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 32.55 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 13.97 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 97.64 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.65 years
male: 49.53 years
female: 53.88 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.59 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian

Ethnic groups: black 95%, mulatto plus white 5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%,
Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
note: roughly one-half of the population also practices Voodoo

Languages: French (official) 20%, Creole

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 45%
male: 48%
female: 42.2% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti
local short form: Haiti

Data code: HA

Government type: republic

Capital: Port-au-Prince

Administrative divisions: 9 departments, (departements,
singular--departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord,
Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est

Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

Constitution: approved March 1987; suspended June 1988, with most
articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed
to be observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule,
October 1994

Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Rene Garcia PREVAL (since 7 February 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Rosny SMARTH resigned June 1997;
currently no prime minister; ratification of a new prime minister
held up in political gridlock stemming from controversy over the 6
April 1997 elections
cabinet: Cabinet; chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held by December
2000); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the
Congress
election results: Rene Garcia PREVAL elected president; percent of
vote--Rene Garcia PREVAL 88%, Leon JEUNE 2.5%, Victor BENOIT 2.3%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
Nationale consists of the Senate (27 seats; members serve six-year
terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of
Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Senate--last held 25 June 1995, with reruns on 13 August
and runoffs on 17 September (election held for nine seats 6 April
1997; results disputed and runoffs postponed indefinitely); Chamber
of Deputies--last held 25 June 1995, with reruns on 13 August and
runoffs on 17 September (next Senate and Chamber of Deputies
elections due November 1998 but delayed indefinitely)
election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--OPL 7, FL-leaning 7, independents 3, vacant 10; Chamber of
Deputies--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--OPL 32,
antineoliberal bloc 24, minor parties and independents 22, vacant 5

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders: Lavalas Family or FL
ROUMAIN]; Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or

Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church;
Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade
Unions or FOS; Autonomous Haitian Workers or CATH; National Popular
Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP; Popular
Organizations Gathering Power or PROP

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, Caricom
(observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Louis
Harold JOSEPH
chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan
(Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy Michael CARNEY
embassy: 5 Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince
mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and
red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which
contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll
bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)

Economy

Economy--overview: About 75% of the population lives in abject
poverty. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture
sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and
employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The
country has experienced little job creation since President PREVAL
took office in February 1996, although the informal economy is
growing. Failure to reach agreements with international sponsors
have denied Haiti badly needed budget and development assistance.
Meeting aid conditions in 1999 will be especially challenging in the
face of mounting popular criticism of reforms.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$8.9 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,300 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 42%
industry: 14%
services: 44% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: 75% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 3.6 million (1995)
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1998)

Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 66%, services 25%,
industry 9%

Unemployment rate: 60% (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $323 million
expenditures: $363 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY97/98 est.)

Industries: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement,
tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts

Industrial production growth rate: 0.6% (1997 est.)

Electricity--production: 415 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 60.24%
hydro: 39.76%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 415 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture--products: coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn,
sorghum; wood

Exports: $110 million (f.o.b., 1997)