Guyana

G

Transport

Guyana has about 7,970 km (4,952 mi) of roads, most of which are near the coast. The 24,000 passenger cars gave a ratio of 22 people for every car. The country is served by only about 88 km (55 mi) of railway line. Guyana’s seaports are Georgetown, Linden, Parika, and New Amsterdam. The rivers provide an important means of access to the interior, providing 6,000 km (3,728 mi) of navigable waterways. The national airline is Guyana Airways, which provides domestic and international services. The main airport, Timehri International, is near Georgetown.

H

Communications

Guyana had some 30,300 telephones in the mid-1990s; radio-telephone links are frequently the only efficient means of communication with the interior. The government operates broadcasting services. In 2000 approximately 425,000 radios and 70,000 televisions were in use.

V

Government

Guyana is governed under a constitution adopted in 1980.

A

Executive and Legislature

The head of state and chief executive of Guyana is a president, elected to a five-year term of office by the National Assembly. The president appoints a Cabinet, headed by a prime minister.

Legislative power in Guyana is vested in the unicameral National Assembly, which is made up of 12 non-elected members and 53 members elected to five-year terms under a system of proportional representation.

B

Judiciary

The law of Guyana is based mostly on English common and statute law. The highest tribunal of the country is the Supreme Court of Judicature, which is divided into a court of appeal, a high court, and several courts of summary jurisdiction.