Exact population: 767,245 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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Literacy: Total population: 98.8%; male: 99.1%; female: 98.5%

Ethnicities: East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%

Area: Total: 214,970 sq km; land: 196,850 sq km; water: 18,120 sq km

Land boundaries: Total: 2,462 km; border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km

Terrain: Mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

Extremes: Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m

Imports: Trinidad and Tobago 24.8%, US 24.5%, Cuba 6.8%, UK 5.4% (2004)

Exports: Canada 23.2%, US 19.2%, UK 10.9%, Portugal 9%, Belgium 6.4%, Jamaica 5.2% (2004)

Industries: Bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining

Source: CIA World Factbook