South America > Guyana > Government

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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
Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador	Mikko Pyhälä
Capital city	Georgetown
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	6 48 N, 58 10 W
Capital city > Name	Georgetown
Capital city > Time difference UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Commonwealth Heads of Government > Current Heads > Head of Government	Bharrat Jagdeo
Commonwealth Heads of Government > Current Heads > Title	President
Constitution	6 October 1980
Copyright > Reference	Copyright Act 1956
Corruption	2.5		[119th of 160]
countries' copyright length > Usual term of copyright protection	50 pma
CPIA equity of public resource use rating	3.5		[31st of 75]
CPIA quality of public administration rating	2.5		[54th of 75]
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission Ambassador John Melvin JONES
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy US Embassy, 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX	[592] 225-8497
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown; US Embassy, 3170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone [592] 225-4900 through 4909
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
Diplomatic representation in the US > Consulate(s) general	New York
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX	[1] (202) 232-1297
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone	[1] (202) 265-6900
Elections > Head of state	Election by parliament
embassies and high commissions in Ottawa > Address	151 Slater St, Suite 309
embassies and high commissions in Ottawa > Neighbourhood Downtown
Executive branch > Cabinet Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature
Executive branch > Chief of state President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN and was reelected in 2001, and again in 2006
Executive branch > Election results President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of vote 54.6%
Executive branch > Elections president elected by popular vote as leader of a party list in parliamentary elections, which must be held at least every five years (no term limits); elections last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
Executive branch > Head of government Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since October 1992, except for a period as chief of state after the death of President Cheddi JAGAN on 6 March 1997)
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
Flag modification	26		[39th of 197]
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	June 22, 1994
Foreign relations of Western Sahara > States recognizing the SADR > Date of recognition	September 1, 1979
General government final consumption expenditure > annual % growth	2.67 %		[73rd of 147]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$	188,477,000 constant 2000 US$		[124th of 145]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$ (per capita)	252.148 constant 2000 US$ per c		[77th of 146]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU	1626420000
General government final consumption expenditure > current LCU	49391000000
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$	244,995,000 $		[128th of 169]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per $ GDP)	0.311 $ per $1 of GDP		[5th of 184]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita)	326.13 $ per capita		[74th of 184]
Government type	republic
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom	Fraser Wheeler
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom > Resident Heads of Missions > Type	High Commission
Independence	26 May 1966 (from UK)
Independence Day > Date	May 26
International organization participation ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the High Court and the Judicial Court of Appeal, with right of final appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice
Legal system based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly (65 seats; members elected by popular vote, also not more than 4 non-elected non-voting ministers and 2 non-elected non-voting parliamentary secretaries appointed by the president; to serve five-year terms)
Legislative branch > Election results percent of vote by party - PPP/C 54.6%, PNC/R 34%, AFC 8.1%, other 3.3%; seats by party - PPP/C 36, PNC/R 22, AFC 5, other 2
Legislative branch > Elections last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011)
Management time dealing with officials > % of management time	2.3 %		[6th of 38]
Mother of the Nation > Name	Janet Jagan
National holiday	Republic Day, 23 February
Parliamentary seats > Female	18%		[25th of 143]
Policy uncertainty > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint	9.82 %		[8th of 38]
political parties > Two party	•
Political parties and leaders Alliance for Change or AFC [Raphael TROTMAN and Khemraj RAMJATTAN]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Justice for All Party [C.N. SHARMA]; People's National Congress/Reform or PNC/R [Robert Herman Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN]; Vision Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]
Political pressure groups and leaders 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
Prime minister	Sam Hinds
Procedures to build a warehouse > number	17		[75th of 168]
Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita)	22.63 per 1 million people		[26th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number	30		[100th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita)	39.935 per 1 million people		[27th of 171]
Procedures to register property > number	6		[68th of 167]
Procedures to register property > number (per capita)	7,987.029 per 1 billion people		[23rd of 167]
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > %	29 %		[24th of 174]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number	8		[106th of 171]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number (per capita)	10.649 per 1 million people		[28th of 171]
Status democracy
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal
Time required to build a warehouse > days	202 days		[71st of 168]
Time required to enforce a contract > days	661 days		[41st of 171]
Time required to register property > days	27 days		[122nd of 167]
Time required to start a business > days	46 days		[56th of 171]
Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours	288 hours		[65th of 169]
Time to resolve insolvency > years	2 years		[106th of 151]
Trademarks, nonresidents	129		[74th of 99]
Trademarks, nonresidents (per capita)	176.941 per 1 million people		[86th of 146]
Trademarks, residents	13		[71st of 98]
Trademarks, residents (per capita)	17.831 per 1 million people		[107th of 142]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International 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 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 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
UN membership date	20 Sep. 1966
United Nations mission http://www.sdnp.org.gy/minfor/
Washington, D.C. embassies > Neighborhood	Kalorama Heights

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