rica, 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, Endangered Species, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Tropical Timber 94

@Guyana:People

Population: 706,116 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 115,120; female 110,741)
15-64 years: 63% (male 225,199; female 222,793)
65 years and over : 5% (male 14,563; female 17,700) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.78% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 18.71 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 10.02 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -16.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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 (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 51.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.27 years
male : 56.93 years
female: 61.74 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.16 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guyanese (singular and plura