Country
Guyana Latvia
Leader
Population
741,908 2,191,580
Life Expectancy
67.390 years 72.930 years
Capital City
Georgetown Riga
Largest city
Georgetown (population: 235,017) Riga (population: 742,572)
Human Development Index
0.725 0.863 GDP per capita $7,600 US $15,900 US
Literacy Rate
98.8% 99.7%
Corruption Perception Index
2.6 5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
29% 20% Wealthiest Citizens Unemployment Rate 11.000% 15.400%
Death Penalty
Legal Abolished except for special circumstances
Political System
republic parliamentary democracy
Independence date
26 May 1966 (from UK) 18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia) Religions Hindu 28.4%, Pentecostal 16.9%, Roman Catholic 8.1%, Anglican 6.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 5%, Methodist 1.7%, Jehovah Witness 1.1%, other Christian 17.7%, Muslim 7.2%, other 4.3%, none 4.3% (2002 census) Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006) Languages English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census) Exports sugar, gold, bauxite, alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs External Debt $1,234,000,000 $ $38,370,000,000 US Exchange Rate Guyanese dollars (GYD) per US dollar - 203.86 (2008 est.), 201.89 (2007), 200.28 (2006), 200.79 (2005), 198.31 (2004) lati (LVL) per US dollar - 0.4701 (2008 est.), 0.5162 (2007), 0.5597 (2006), 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004) Military Budget as percentage of GDP 1.800% 1.100% Beijing Olympics Medal Count 0 3 Location Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania Area 214,969 km sq 64,589 km sq Coastline 459 km 498 km Climate tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January) maritime; wet, moderate winters
