Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession.

The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations.

This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics.

Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments.

In 1992, Cheddi Jagan was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence.

After his death five years later, his wife, Janet Jagan, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health.

Her successor, Bharrat Jagdeo, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 769,095 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 26.1% (male 102,111/female 98,325) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 266,288/female 261,620) 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 17,308/female 23,443) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 27.8 years male: 27.3 years female: 28.3 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 0.234% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 18.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: -7.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.039 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.018 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.738 male(s)/female total population: 1.006 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 31.35 deaths/1,000 live births male: 34.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.17 years male: 63.52 years female: 68.95 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 2.04 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.5% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 11,000 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,100 (2003 est.)

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

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Ethnic groups: East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%

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Religions: Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%

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Languages: English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98.8% male: 99.1% female: 98.5% (2003 est.)

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. 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 Inter-American Development Bank in November 2006 canceled Guyana's nearly $400 million debt with the Bank. The bauxite mining sector should benefit in the near term from restructuring and partial privatization. Export earnings from agriculture and mining have fallen sharply, while the import bill has risen, driven by higher energy prices. Guyana's entrance into the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) in January 2006 will broaden the country's export market, primarily in the raw materials sector.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.711 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $836.7 million (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 4.5% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,800 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35.5% industry: 19.3% services: 45.2% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 418,000 (2001 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

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Unemployment rate: 9.1% (understated) (2000)

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Population below poverty line: NA%

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

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 31.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $359.9 million expenditures: $430.3 million; including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2006 est.)

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

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

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Industrial production growth rate: NA%

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Electricity - production: 818.8 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 761.5 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 11,200 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: -$84.3 million (2006 est.)

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Exports: $621.6 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

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Exports - partners: US 18.7%, Canada 16.3%, UK 8.6%, Portugal 6.5%, Jamaica 6.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.9%, Netherlands 4.3%, Belgium 4.3% (2006)

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Imports: $706.9 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food

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Imports - partners: Trinidad and Tobago 23%, US 21.3%, China 9.7%, Cuba 6.3%, UK 4.5% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $294.9 million (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $1.2 billion (2002)

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Economic aid - recipient: $84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997)

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Currency (code): Guyanese dollar (GYD)

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Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 200.28 (2006), 200.79 (2005), 198.31 (2004), 193.88 (2003), 190.67 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year