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South America :: GUYANA
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GUYANA
  • Introduction :: GUYANA

  • Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to settlement of urban areas by former slaves and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. The resulting 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. Early elections held in May 2015 resulted in the replacement of President Donald RAMOTAR by David GRANGER.
  • Geography :: GUYANA

  • Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
    5 00 N, 59 00 W
    South America
    total: 214,969 sq km
    land: 196,849 sq km
    water: 18,120 sq km
    country comparison to the world: 85
    slightly smaller than Idaho
    total: 2,933 km
    border countries (3): Brazil 1,308 km, Suriname 836 km, Venezuela 789 km
    459 km
    territorial sea: 12 nm
    exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
    continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
    tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)
    mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
    mean elevation: 207 m
    elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
    highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
    bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
    agricultural land: 8.4%
    arable land 2.1%; permanent crops 0.1%; permanent pasture 6.2%
    forest: 77.4%
    other: 14.2% (2011 est.)
    1,430 sq km (2012)
    population is heavily concentrated in the northeast in and around Georgetown, with noteable concentrations along the Berbice River to the east; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
    flash flood threat during rainy seasons
    water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation
    party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
    signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
    the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively
  • People and Society :: GUYANA

  • 735,909
    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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 167
    noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
    adjective: Guyanese
    East Indian 43.5%, black (African) 30.2%, mixed 16.7%, Amerindian 9.1%, other 0.5% (includes Portuguese, Chinese, white) (2002 est.)
    English (official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (including Caribbean and Arawak languages), Indian languages (including Caribbean Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi), Chinese (2014 est.)
    Protestant 30.5% (Pentecostal 16.9%, Anglican 6.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 5%, Methodist 1.7%), Hindu 28.4%, Roman Catholic 8.1%, Muslim 7.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other Christian 17.7%, other 1.9%, none 4.3%, unspecified 0.9% (2002 est.)
    Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and shares cultural and historical bonds with the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana's two largest ethnic groups are the Afro-Guyanese (descendants of African slaves) and the Indo-Guyanese (descendants of Indian indentured laborers), which together comprise about three quarters of Guyana's population. Tensions periodically have boiled over between the two groups, which back ethnically based political parties and vote along ethnic lines. Poverty reduction has stagnated since the late 1990s. About one-third of the Guyanese population lives below the poverty line; indigenous people are disproportionately affected. Although Guyana's literacy rate is reported to be among the highest in the Western Hemisphere, the level of functional literacy is considerably lower, which has been attributed to poor education quality, teacher training, and infrastructure.
    Guyana's emigration rate is among the highest in the world - more than 55% of its citizens reside abroad - and it is one of the largest recipients of remittances relative to GDP among Latin American and Caribbean counties. Although remittances are a vital source of income for most citizens, the pervasive emigration of skilled workers deprives Guyana of professionals in healthcare and other key sectors. More than 80% of Guyanese nationals with tertiary level educations have emigrated. Brain drain and the concentration of limited medical resources in Georgetown hamper Guyana's ability to meet the health needs of its predominantly rural population. Guyana has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the region and continues to rely on international support for its HIV treatment and prevention programs.
    0-14 years: 27.12% (male 101,637/female 97,970)
    15-24 years: 21.46% (male 81,017/female 76,912)
    25-54 years: 37.73% (male 145,003/female 132,640)
    55-64 years: 7.9% (male 26,195/female 31,924)
    65 years and over: 5.79% (male 17,585/female 25,026) (2016 est.)
    population pyramid:
    total dependency ratio: 51.1%
    youth dependency ratio: 43.5%
    elderly dependency ratio: 7.6%
    potential support ratio: 13.2% (2015 est.)
    total: 25.8 years
    male: 25.5 years
    female: 26.2 years (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 150
    0.17% (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 190
    15.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 125
    7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 116
    -6.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 203
    population is heavily concentrated in the northeast in and around Georgetown, with noteable concentrations along the Berbice River to the east; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
    urban population: 28.6% of total population (2015)
    rate of urbanization: 0.76% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
    GEORGETOWN (capital) 124,000 (2014)
    at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
    0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
    15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
    25-54 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
    55-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female
    65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
    total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
    20.8
    note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)
    229 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 43
    total: 31.5 deaths/1,000 live births
    male: 35.4 deaths/1,000 live births
    female: 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 64
    total population: 68.4 years
    male: 65.4 years
    female: 71.5 years (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 165
    2.04 children born/woman (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 113
    42.5% (2009)
    5.2% of GDP (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 93
    0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
    2 beds/1,000 population (2009)
    improved:
    urban: 98.2% of population
    rural: 98.3% of population
    total: 98.3% of population
    unimproved:
    urban: 1.8% of population
    rural: 1.7% of population
    total: 1.7% of population (2015 est.)
    improved:
    urban: 87.9% of population
    rural: 82% of population
    total: 83.7% of population
    unimproved:
    urban: 12.1% of population
    rural: 18% of population
    total: 16.3% of population (2015 est.)
    1.5% (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 29
    7,800 (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 94
    100 (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 118
    degree of risk: very high
    food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
    vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
    note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)
    21.9% (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 113
    8.5% (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 67
    3.2% of GDP (2012)
    country comparison to the world: 136
    definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
    total population: 88.5%
    male: 87.2%
    female: 89.8% (2015 est.)
    total: 10 years
    male: 10 years
    female: 10 years (2012)
    total number: 30,255
    percentage: 16% (2006 est.)
  • Government :: GUYANA

  • conventional long form: Cooperative Republic of Guyana
    conventional short form: Guyana
    former: British Guiana
    etymology: the name is derived from Guiana, the original name for the region that included British Guiana, Dutch Guiana, and French Guiana; ultimately the word is derived from an indigenous Amerindian language and means "land of many waters" (referring to the area's multitude of rivers and streams)
    parliamentary republic
    name: Georgetown
    geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 09 W
    time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
    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
    26 May 1966 (from the UK)
    Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
    several previous; latest promulgated 6 October 1980; amended many times, last in 2009; note - in 2015, Guinea's High Court reversed the constitutional two-term presidential limit (2016)
    common law system, based on the English model, with some Roman-Dutch civil law influence
    has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
    citizenship by birth: yes
    citizenship by descent: yes
    dual citizenship recognized: no
    residency requirement for naturalization: na
    18 years of age; universal
    chief of state: President David GRANGER (since 16 May 2015)
    head of government: Prime Minister Moses NAGAMOOTOO (since 20 May 2015)
    cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly
    elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly from party lists to serve a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 11 May 2015 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister appointed by the president
    election results: David GRANGER (APNU-AFC) elected president by National Assembly; percent of vote - 50.3%
    description: unicameral National Assembly (65 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies and a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
    elections: last held on 11 May 2015 (next to be held by May 2020)
    election results: percent of vote by party - APNU 50.3%, PPP/C 49.19%, other 0.51%; seats by party - APNU 33, PPP/C 32
    highest court(s): Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with a chief justice and 3 justices, and the High Court with a chief justice and 10 justices organized into 3- or 5-judge panels); note - in 2009, Guyana ceased final appeals in civil and criminal cases to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London), replacing it with the Caribbean Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the Caribbean Community
    judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president; other judges of both courts appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a body appointed by the president; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 65
    subordinate courts: Land Court; magistrates' courts
    A Partnership for National Unity or APNU [David A. GRANGER]
    Alliance for Change or AFC [Khemraj RAMJATTAN]
    Justice for All Party [C.N. SHARMA]
    People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Donald RAMOTAR]
    Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]
    The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]
    The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN]
    Vision Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]
    Amerindian People's Association
    Guyana Bar Association
    Guyana Citizens Initiative
    Guyana Human Rights Association
    Guyana Public Service Union or GPSU
    Private Sector Commission
    Trades Union Congress
    ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
    chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lesley DOWRIDGE-COLLINS (since 22 July 2016)
    chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
    telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900
    FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297
    consulate(s) general: New York
    chief of mission: Ambassador Perry L. HOLLOWAY (since 2 October 2015)
    embassy: US Embassy, 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
    mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown; US Embassy, 3170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170
    telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909
    FAX: [592] 225-8497
    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; green represents forest and foliage; yellow stands for mineral resources and a bright future; white symbolizes Guyana's rivers; red signifies zeal and the sacrifice of the people; black indicates perseverance
    Canje pheasant (hoatzin), jaguar, Victoria Regia water lily; national colors: red, yellow, green, black, white
    name: "Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains"
    lyrics/music: Archibald Leonard LUKERL/Robert Cyril Gladstone POTTER
    note: adopted 1966
  • Economy :: GUYANA

  • The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in recent years and is based largely on agriculture and extractive industries. The economy is heavily dependent upon the export of six commodities - sugar, gold, bauxite, shrimp, timber, and rice - which represent nearly 60% of the country's GDP and are highly susceptible to adverse weather conditions and fluctuations in commodity prices. Much of Guyana's growth in recent years has come from a surge in gold production in response to global prices, although downward trends in gold prices may threaten future growth. In 2014, production of sugar dropped to a 24-year low.
    Guyana's entrance into the Caricom Single Market and Economy in January 2006 has broadened the country's export market, primarily in the raw materials sector. Guyana has experienced positive growth almost every year over the past decade. Inflation has been kept under control. Recent years have seen the government's stock of debt reduced significantly - with external debt now less than half of what it was in the early 1990s. Despite recent improvements, the government is still juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. In March 2007, the Inter-American Development Bank, Guyana's principal donor, canceled Guyana's nearly $470 million debt, equivalent to 21% of GDP, which along with other Highly Indebted Poor Country debt forgiveness, brought the debt-to-GDP ratio down from 183% in 2006 to 67% in 2015. Guyana had become heavily indebted as a result of the inward-looking, state-led development model pursued in the 1970s and 1980s.
    Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure.
    $6.093 billion (2016 est.)
    $5.857 billion (2015 est.)
    $5.675 billion (2014 est.)
    note: data are in 2016 dollars
    country comparison to the world: 169
    $3.456 billion (2015 est.)
    4% (2016 est.)
    3.2% (2015 est.)
    3.8% (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 60
    $7,900 (2016 est.)
    $7,600 (2015 est.)
    $7,400 (2014 est.)
    note: data are in 2016 dollars
    country comparison to the world: 152
    18.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
    8.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
    5.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 94
    household consumption: 82.2%
    government consumption: 19.7%
    investment in fixed capital: 25.9%
    investment in inventories: 0%
    exports of goods and services: 47.9%
    imports of goods and services: -75.7% (2016 est.)
    agriculture: 20.6%
    industry: 33.1%
    services: 46.3% (2016 est.)
    sugarcane, rice, edible oils; beef, pork, poultry; shrimp, fish
    bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
    12% (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 6
    313,800 (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 162
    agriculture: NA%
    industry: NA%
    services: NA%
    11.1% (2013)
    11.3% (2012)
    country comparison to the world: 126
    35% (2006 est.)
    lowest 10%: 1.3%
    highest 10%: 33.8% (1999)
    44.6 (2007)
    43.2 (1999)
    country comparison to the world: 45
    revenues: $899.8 million
    expenditures: $1.036 billion (2016 est.)
    26% of GDP (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 107
    -3.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 133
    53.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
    48.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 81
    calendar year
    0.8% (2016 est.)
    -0.9% (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 58
    5.5% (31 December 2011)
    4.25% (31 December 2010)
    country comparison to the world: 72
    13% (31 December 2016 est.)
    12.83% (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 58
    $677.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)
    $631 million (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 160
    $1.621 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    $1.62 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 162
    $1.566 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    $1.492 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 149
    $610.9 million (31 December 2012 est.)
    $440.4 million (31 December 2011 est.)
    $339.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 110
    $72 million (2016 est.)
    -$181 million (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 47
    $1.15 billion (2016 est.)
    $1.17 billion (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 152
    sugar, gold, bauxite, alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
    US 33.5%, Canada 17.9%, UK 6.7%, Ukraine 4.3%, Jamaica 4% (2015)
    $1.44 billion (2016 est.)
    $1.475 billion (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 171
    manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
    US 24.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 24.1%, China 10.8%, Suriname 9.5% (2015)
    $547.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)
    $600.9 million (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 146
    $2.303 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
    $1.974 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 149
    Guyanese dollars (GYD) per US dollar -
    206.6 (2016 est.)
    206.5 (2015 est.)
    206.5 (2014 est.)
    206.45 (2013 est.)
    204.36 (2012 est.)
  • Energy :: GUYANA

  • 1 billion kWh (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 150
    800 million kWh (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 162
    0 kWh (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 167
    0 kWh (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 175
    400,000 kW (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 152
    96.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 63
    0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 142
    0.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 149
    3.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 66
    0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 145
    0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 171
    0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 162
    0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
    country comparison to the world: 175
    0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 174
    13,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 154
    0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 181
    13,250 bbl/day (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 136
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 173
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 154
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 155
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 103
    0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
    country comparison to the world: 171
    1.7 million Mt (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 156
  • Communications :: GUYANA

  • total subscriptions: 154,057
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (July 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 134
    total: 543,000
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 74 (July 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 167
    general assessment: fair system for long-distance service; microwave radio relay network for trunk lines; many areas still lack fixed-line telephone services
    domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity about 75 per 100 persons
    international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2015)
    government-dominated broadcast media; the National Communications Network (NCN) TV is state-owned; a few private TV stations relay satellite services; the state owns and operates 2 radio stations broadcasting on multiple frequencies capable of reaching th (2007)
    .gy
    total: 281,000
    percent of population: 38.2% (July 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 149
  • Transportation :: GUYANA

  • number of registered air carriers: 2
    inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12
    annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 43,835
    annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)
    8R (2016)
    117 (2013)
    country comparison to the world: 50
    total: 11
    1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
    914 to 1,523 m: 1
    under 914 m: 8 (2013)
    total: 106
    1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
    914 to 1,523 m: 16
    under 914 m: 89 (2013)
    total: 7,970 km
    paved: 590 km
    unpaved: 7,380 km (2001)
    country comparison to the world: 141
    330 km (the Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively) (2012)
    country comparison to the world: 91
    total: 10
    by type: cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1
    registered in other countries: 3 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, unknown 1) (2010)
    country comparison to the world: 114
    major seaport(s): Georgetown
  • Military and Security :: GUYANA

  • Guyana Defense Force: Army (includes Air Corps, Coast Guard) (2012)
    18 years of age or older for voluntary military service; no conscription (2014)
    1.09% of GDP (2012)
    1.17% of GDP (2011)
    1.09% of GDP (2010)
    country comparison to the world: 93
  • Transnational Issues :: GUYANA

  • all of the area west of the Essequibo River is claimed by Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari Rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration under provisions of the UNCLOS to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
    current situation: Guyana is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor – children are particularly vulnerable; women and girls from Guyana, Venezuela, Suriname, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic are forced into prostitution in Guyana’s interior mining communities and urban areas; forced labor is reported in mining, agriculture, forestry, domestic service, and shops; Guyanese nationals are also trafficked to Suriname, Jamaica, and other Caribbean countries for sexual exploitation and forced labor
    tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Guyana does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, Guyana was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; the government released its anti-trafficking action plan in June 2014 but made uneven efforts to implement it; law enforcement was weak, investigating seven trafficking cases, prosecuting four alleged traffickers, and convicting one trafficker – a police officer – who was released on bail pending appeal; in 2014, as in previous years, Guyanese courts dismissed the majority of ongoing trafficking prosecutions; the government referred some victims to care services, which were provided by NGOs with little or no government support (2015)
    transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis; rising money laundering related to drug trafficking and human smuggling