y 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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

@Guyana:People

Population: 707,954 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 112,339; female 108,095)
15-64 years: 64% (male 228,719; female 226,309)
65 years and over: 5% (male 14,652; female 17,840) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.47% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 18.49 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 8.72 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -14.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 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 (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 48.67 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.34 years
male: 59.5 years
female: 65.32 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.12 children born/woman (1998 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.)

@Guyana:Government

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

Data code: GY

Government type: republic

National capital: Georgetown

Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni,
Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo