| Background: |
Independent from
France since 1958, Guinea did not hold democratic elections
until 1993 when Gen. Lansana CONTE (head of the military
government) was elected president of the civilian
government. He was reelected in 1998. Unrest in Sierra Leone
has spilled over into Guinea, threatening stability and
creating a humanitarian emergency. |
| Location: |
Western Africa,
bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau
and Sierra Leone |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
11 00 N, 10 00 W |
| Area: |
total:
245,857 sq km
land: 245,857 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than Oregon |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
3,399 km
border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km,
Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal
330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
generally hot and
humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with
southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with
northeasterly harmattan winds |
| Terrain: |
generally flat
coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m |
| Natural
resources: |
bauxite, iron
ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 22%
forests and woodland: 59%
other: 17% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
930 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
hot, dry, dusty
harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation;
inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil
contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in
forest region |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Population: |
7,613,870 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
43.12% (male 1,637,000; female 1,645,786)
15-64 years: 54.19% (male 2,015,199; female
2,110,745)
65 years and over: 2.69% (male 84,586; female
120,554) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.96% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
39.78
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
17.53
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-2.63 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.)
note: as a result of civil war in neighboring
countries, Guinea is host to almost half a million Liberian
and Sierra Leonean refugees |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
129.03
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 45.91 years
male: 43.49 years
female: 48.42 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
5.39 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
1.54% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
55,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
5,600 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Peuhl 40%,
Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10% |
| Religions: |
Muslim 85%,
Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% |
| Languages: |
French
(official), each ethnic group has its own language |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.9%
male: 49.9%
female: 21.9% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Guinea
conventional short form: Guinea
local long form: Republique de Guinee
local short form: Guinee
former: French Guinea |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
33 prefectures
and 1 special zone (zone special)*; Beyla, Boffa, Boke,
Conakry*, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka,
Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan,
Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koubia, Koundara, Kouroussa,
Labe, Lelouma, Lola, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Mandiana,
Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou |
| Independence: |
2 October 1958
(from France) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
2 October (1958) |
| Constitution: |
23 December 1990
(Loi Fundamentale) |
| Legal
system: |
based on French
civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes
currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President Lansana CONTE (head of military
government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December
1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Lamine
SIDIME (since 8 March 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; candidate must receive a majority of
the votes cast to be elected president; election last held
14 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2003); the
prime minister is appointed by the president
election results: Lansana CONTE reelected
president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE (PUP) 56.1%,
Mamadou Boye BA (UNR-PRP) 24.6%, Alpha CONDE (RPG) 16.6%, |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire
(114 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 11 June 1995 (next
scheduled for 26 November 2000 postponed indefinitely due to
border fighting with rebels from Sierra Leone and Liberia)
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - PUP 71, RPG 19, PRP 9, UNR 9, UPG 2,
PDG-AST 1, UNP 1, PDG-RDA 1, other 1 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Court of Appeal
or Cour d'Appel |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Democratic Party
of Guinea or PDG-AST [Marcel CROS]; Democratic Party of
Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael
Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; National Union for Progress or UNP
[Paul Louis FABER]; Party for Unity and Progress or PUP [Lansana
CONTE] - the governing party; Party for Renewal and Progress
or PRP [Siradiou DIALLO]; Rally for the Guinean People or
RPG [Alpha CONDE]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG
[Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general]; Union for the New
Republic or UNR [Mamadou Boye BA]; Union of Republican
Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB,
CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC,
OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Mohamed Aly THIAM
chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-9420
FAX: [1] (202) 483-8688 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Charge d'Affaires Timberlake FOSTER
embassy: Rue Ka 038, Conakry
mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry
telephone: [224] 41 15 20, 41 15 21, 41 15 23
FAX: [224] 41 15 22 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal
vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses
the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the
flag of Rwanda, which has a large black letter R centered in
the yellow band |
| Economy
- overview: |
Guinea possesses
major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet
remains a poor underdeveloped nation. The country possesses
over 30% of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second
largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for
about 75% of exports in 1999. Long-run improvements in
government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal
framework are needed if the country is to move out of
poverty. The government made encouraging progress in budget
management in 1997-99, and reform progress was praised in
the World Bank/IMF October 2000 assessment. However,
escalating fighting along the Sierra Leonean and Liberian
borders will cause major economic disruptions. In addition
to direct defense costs, the violence has led to a sharp
decline in investor confidence. Foreign mining companies
have reduced expatriate staff, while panic buying has
created food shortages and inflation in local markets. Real
GDP growth is expected to fall to 2% in 2001. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $10 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $1,300 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
22.3%
industry: 35.3%
services: 42.4% (1998 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
40% (1994 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
2.6%
highest 10%: 32% (1994) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
6% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
3 million (1999) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 80%,
industry and services 20% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$NA
expenditures: $417.7 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA million (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
bauxite, gold,
diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and
agricultural processing industries |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
3.2% (1994) |
| Electricity
- production: |
750 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
46.67%
hydro: 53.33%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
697.5 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
rice, coffee,
pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet
potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber |
| Exports: |
$820 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
bauxite, alumina,
gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products |
| Exports
- partners: |
US, Benelux,
Ukraine, Ireland (1999) |
| Imports: |
$634 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
petroleum
products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles,
grain and other foodstuffs |
| Imports
- partners: |
France, Belgium,
US, Cote d'Ivoire (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$3.6 billion
(1999 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$359.2 million
(1998) |
| Currency: |
Guinean franc (GNF) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Guinean francs
per US dollar - 1,855.0 (October 2000), 1,572.0 (2000),
1,387.4 (1999), 1,236.8 (1998), 1,095.3 (1997), 1,004.0
(1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
20,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
2,868 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: poor to fair system of open-wire
lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new
microwave radio relay system
domestic: microwave radio relay and
radiotelephone communication
international: satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 4, FM 8,
shortwave 3 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
6 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
85,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.gn |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
5,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
1,086 km
standard gauge: 279 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 807 km 1.000-m gauge (includes
662 km in common carrier service from Kankan to Conakry) |
| Highways: |
total:
30,500 km
paved: 5,033 km
unpaved: 25,467 km (1996) |
| Waterways: |
1,295 km
(navigable by shallow-draft native craft) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Boke, Conakry,
Kamsar |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force, Republican Guard, Presidential Guard, paramilitary
National Gendarmerie, National Police Force (Surete
National) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 1,764,912 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 891,166 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$56 million
(FY96) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.4% (FY96) |
| Disputes
- international: |
border incursions
by Revolutionary United Front combatants from Sierra Leone;
civil war in that country has engendered a massive flow of
refugees to southern Guinea and Liberia |
|
