on the advice of the Premier, three after consultation with such persons as could speak for the differing political views of opposition groups in the Assembly, and two by the Governor in his discretion. The life of the legislature was to be for four years unless dissolved before. The Legislative Assembly was presided over by a Speaker who was not a member of the Assembly. The Senate was presided over by a President chosen by members from among their own number. The Council of Ministers consisted of a Premier and not more than nine other Ministers and the Governor was required to exercise all his powers in accordance with the advice of the Council except where otherwise expressly stated (the notable exception being defence and external affairs).

In the elections under the new constitution held on 21st August 1961, the People's Progressive Party under Dr Cheddi Jagan obtained twenty seats and formed a government.

In January 1962, Her Majesty's Government announced its willingness to hold a Constitutional Conference to discuss the date and arrangements to be made for the achievement of independence by British Guiana. The Conference was held in October but was unable to reach agreement and was adjourned to allow for further discussions between the parties in British Guiana. Since these discussions did not lead to agreement the Secretary of State reconvened the Conference in 1963.

At the resumed Conference the leaders of the three parties reported that they had failed to reach agreement between themselves on the terms of a constitution for independence and asked the British Government to settle on its own authority all the outstanding political issues. The then Secretary of State for the Colonies (the Right Honourable Duncan Sandys, MP) announced his decisions on 31st October 1963 at the closing session of the Conference. The most important item was that elections would be held on a new basis as soon as possible under a system of proportional representation.

In spite of renewed disturbances in the course of 1964 the elections were duly held under the proportional representation system in December 1964 as a result of which Mr L. F. S. Burnham, Leader of the People's National Congress (P.N.C.), formed a Government in coalition with the United Force (U.F.).

A final Constitutional Conference was held in London in November 1965 when agreement was reached on the outline of a Constitution under which British Guiana should become independent under the name of Guyana on 26th May 1966 (Cmnd. 2849, December 1965). The Leader of the People's Progressive Party (P.P.P.), Dr Cheddi Jagan declined to attend the Constitutional Conference or to be associated with its conclusions.

The British Parliament gave effect to the decisions of the Constitutional Conference in the Guyana Independence Act (1966 Ch. 14) of 12th May 1966. The Act gave power to provide a constitution for Guyana by Order in Council. An Order in Council was accordingly made on 16th May 1966 (S.I. 1966 No. 575) containing in a Schedule the Constitution of Guyana. The country became independent on 26th May 1966, and became a Republic within the Commonwealth on 23rd February 1970.

THE CONSTITUTION

The Constitution provides for a uni-cameral Legislature, which is referred to throughout the Constitution as the National Assembly but is now more usually

known simply as Parliament. Members of Parliament are elected under a system of proportional representation by which those qualified to vote may cast a single vote in favour of lists of candidates. The seats in Parliament are then allocated between the lists in proportion to the numbers of votes cast. There is universal adult suffrage.

The normal life of Parliament is five years. The Cabinet consists of the Prime Minister, who must be an elected Member of Parliament and such other Ministers as the President, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, may appoint. Provision is made for the appointment of up to four Ministers who have not been elected. Such Ministers become Members of Parliament but have no right to vote. There is an office of Leader of the Opposition to which appointments are made by the President. The Prime Minister is required to consult the Leader of the Opposition before advising the President on certain senior appointments.

The Independence Constitution provided for a Governor-General to be appointed by the Queen but also gave Parliament the power after 31st December 1968 to declare Guyana a Republic if Parliament by a simple majority of all elected members passed a resolution to that effect. The motion that Guyana should become a Republic was adopted by Parliament on 29th August 1969, and the Republic was inaugurated on 23rd February 1970. Mr Arthur Chung was elected first President on 17th March 1970 for a six-year term.

There is a Court of Appeal and High Court. The Judges of the Court of Appeal are the Chancellor, who is President, the Chief Justice and such number of Justices of Appeal as Parliament prescribes. The Judges of the High Court are the Chief Justice and such number of Puisne Judges as Parliament prescribes. The Constitution provides for an Ombudsman to investigate actions taken by Government departments or other authorities.

The Constitution also contains provisions relating to human rights, citizenship, the functions of the executive, Parliamentary procedure and elections, and procedures for appointments in the Judicature, Public Service and Police. Parliament has power to alter the Constitution but certain provisions are entrenched.

HISTORICAL LIST
GOVERNORS-GENERAL

Sir Richard Luyt, GCMG, KCVO, DCM, 26 May 1966 to 31st October 1966
Sir Kenneth Stoby, 1st November 1966 to 15 December 1966 (acting)

Sir David Rose, GCMG, CVO, MBE, 16th December 1966 to 10th November 1969
Sir Edward Luckhoo QC, 11th November 1969 to 22nd February 1970 (acting)

HEAD OF STATE

President: His Excellency Mr Arthur Chung
(Assumed office on 17th March 1970)

GOVERNMENT

At the elections on 16th July 1973, the People's National Congress (P.N.C.) won 37 seats thus gaining a two-thirds majority; the People's Progressive Party (P.P.P.) 14 seats and the Liberator Party (L.P.) two seats.

CABINET

Prime Minister, Minister of National Security and Public Service:
The Hon. L. F. S. Burnham, OE, SC

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Development:
Dr The Hon. P. A. Reid

Minister of Economic Development: The Hon. H. D. Hoyte, SG
Minister of Foreign Affairs & Justice: The Hon. S. S. Ramphal, sc
Minister of Co-operatives and National Mobilisation: The Hon. H. Green
Minister of Energy & Natural Resources: The Hon. H. O. Jack
Minister of Finance: The Hon. F. E. Hope

Minister of Works & Housing: The Hon S. Naraine

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Leader of the House: The Hon. B. Ramsaroop
Minister of Labour: The Hon. W. G. Carrington

Minister of Information & Culture: The Hon. Miss S. M. Field-Ridley
Minister of Education: The Hon. Miss C. L. Baird
Minister of Health: Dr The Hon. O. M. R. Harper
Minister of Trade & Consumer Protection: The Hon. G. A. King
Minister of Agriculture: G. B. Kennard, CCH
Minister of Home Affairs: The Hon. C. V. Mingo

Ministers of State (Regional):

0. E. Clark (Corentyne District); K. Bancroft (Mazaruni); A. Salim (East Demerara-West Coast Berbice District); P. P. Duncan (Rupununi District); M. Zaheerudeen (Pomeroon and Essequibo Coast Districts); F. U. A. Carmichael (North West District)

Minister of State for Agriculture: M. Kasim AA

Minister of State for Trade & Consumer Protection: W. Haynes
Minister of State, Office of the Prime Minister: C. A. Nascimento

PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARI ES

Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Housing Mr J. R. Thomas MP
Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Works & Communications:
C. E. Wrights, JP MP,

Parliamentary Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister and Government Chief Whip:
Miss M. M. Ackman, MP

Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture: Mr L. E. Ambrose, MP Parliamentary Secretary (Hinterland) Ministry of National Development, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education: Mr J. P. Chowritmootoo, MP

MINISTRIES AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

INDIA

NDIA is bounded to the north-west by Pakistan, to the north by Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, and to the north-east by Bangladesh, China and Burma; Sri Lanka lies off the south-east coast. India also includes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Laccadive Islands off the southwest coast. The mainland can be divided into three well-defined regions: (a) the mountain zone of the Himalayas; (b) the Indo-Gangetic Plain and (c) the Southern Peninsula. The main mountain ranges are the Himalayas in the north (over 29,000 ft), the Aravallis and Vindhyas (up to 4,000 ft) in central India, and the Western and Eastern Ghats (over 8,000 ft). The most important rivers are the Ganges, Jumna, Brahmaputra, Indus, Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi, Nerbudda and Cauvery which are all navigable in parts.

There are four distinct seasons: (i) the cold season (December-March); (ii) the hot season (April-May); (iii) the rainy season (June-September); and (iv) what is known as the season of the retreating S.W. monsoon (October-November). The mean temperatures range at Delhi from 50°F to 92°F, at Calcutta from 65°F to 86°F and at Madras from 75°F to 89°F. Maximum temperatures of about 100°F. and 115°F. are reached during May in Madras and Delhi respectively. Annual rainfall varies widely; as little as four inches falls in the Thar desert, but parts of Assam experience more than 300 inches.

India is the world's second most populous country. A census is taken every ten years and at the time of the 1961 census the population was estimated to be 439 million, an increase of 21.5 per cent during the previous decade. The preliminary estimate from the 1971 census (relating to 1st April) is 548 million, an increase of 24-8 per cent since 1961. The birth rate is about 39 per 1,000 (1969 figure), and the death rate about 19 per 1,000 (1969). The numbers of adherents to the main religions practised in India at the time of the 1971 census were: Hindus 453 million; Muslims 61 million; Christians 14 million; Sikhs 10 million; Buddhists 4 million and Jains 2.6 million. Primary education is free but not yet universal. About 30 per cent of the population was literate according to the 1971 census, but estimates for 1969-70 showed about 79 per cent enrolment of children aged 6-11 years in primary schools and 26 per cent of children aged 11-17 years in middle and secondary schools.

Information about the division of the country into States and about the various languages used in India will be found in the sections dealing with Constitutional Development and the Constitution below. New Delhi is the capital of the country with an estimated population of 4.2 million. Other principal cities are Calcutta (7·1 million), Greater Bombay (6.5 million) and Madras (2.5 million). The states with the largest population are Uttar Pradesh (about 90 million), Bihar (about 57 million) and Maharashtra (about 52 million).

Major ports, showing some of the available tonnage figures for the year 1972/3 are: Bombay 18.4 million, Calcutta 9.0 million, Madras 9.0 million, Cochin 7.7 million, Visakhapatnam, Kandla (Gujarat), Marmagoa and Paradip and Mangalore. The principal shipping lines are: Shipping Corporation of India and Scindia Steamship Navigation Company. The main airports are Palam (Delhi),

For further information about India see India, a Reference Annual, published by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. An outline of the history and constitutional development of the Indian sub-continent prior to August 1947 may be found in the Commonwealth Office Year Book, 1967.