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| Guinea |

Introduction | Guinea

Background:

Guinea has had only two presidents since gaining its independence from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the military seized the government after the death of the first president, Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military government) was elected president of the civilian government. He was reelected in 1998 and again in 2003. Unrest in Sierra Leone and Liberia has spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over the past decade, threatening stability and creating humanitarian emergencies.

Geography | Guinea

Location: | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinates: | 11 00 N, 10 00 W
Map references: | Africa
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
Coastline: | 320 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 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, salt
Land use: | arable land: 4.47% permanent crops: 2.64% other: 92.89% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 950 sq km (1998 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; poor mining practices have led to environmental damage
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
Geography - note: | the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands

People | Guinea

Population: | 9,690,222 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 44.4% (male 2,171,733/female 2,128,027) 15-64 years: 52.5% (male 2,541,140/female 2,542,847) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 134,239/female 172,236) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 17.7 years male: 17.4 years female: 17.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.63% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 41.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 15.48 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is host to approximately 141,500 refugees from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 90 deaths/1,000 live births male: 95.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 84.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 49.5 years male: 48.34 years female: 50.7 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 5.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 3.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 140,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 9,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2005)
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); note - 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.)

Government | Guinea

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
Capital: | Conakry
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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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 Cellou Dalein DIALLO (since 4 December 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected president; election last held 21 December 2003 (next to be held December 2010); the prime minister is appointed by the president
election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE (PUP) 95.3%, Mamadou Boye BARRY (UPR) 4.6%

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 30 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%, other 11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9
Judicial branch: | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders:

Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; National Union for Progress or UPN [Mamadou Bhoye BARRY]; Party for Unity and Progress or PUP [Lansana CONTE] - the governing party; People's Party of Guinea or PPG [Pascal TOLNO]; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE]; Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Mamadou BA]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general]; Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR [Ousmane BAH]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | Student and teacher unions
International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Rafiou Alpha Oumar BARRY chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300 FAX: [1] (202) 986-8800
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Jackson MCDONALD 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

Economy | Guinea

Economy - overview:

Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country possesses almost half of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for over 70% of exports in 2004. Long-run improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Fighting along the Sierra Leonean and Liberian borders, as well as refugee movements, have caused major economic disruptions, aggravating a loss in investor confidence. Panic buying has created food shortages and inflation and caused riots in local markets. Guinea is not receiving multilateral aid; the IMF and World Bank cut off most assistance in 2003. Growth rose slightly in 2005, primarily due to increases in global demand and commodity prices on world markets.

GDP (purchasing power parity): | $20.78 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $3.694 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 2% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $2,200 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 23.7% industry: 36.2% services: 40.1% (2005 est.)
Labor force: | 3 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: | NA%
Population below poverty line: | 40% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 32% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 40.3 (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 25% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 17.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $305.6 million expenditures: $590.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products: | rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber
Industries: | bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries
Industrial production growth rate: | 3.2% (1994)
Electricity - production: | 775 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 45.5% hydro: 54.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 720.8 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 8,400 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance: | $-268.4 million (2005 est.)
Exports: | $612.1 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: | bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products
Exports - partners: | France 17.7%, Belgium 14.7%, UK 14.7%, Switzerland 12.8%, Ukraine 4.2% (2004)
Imports: | $680 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: | petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs
Imports - partners: | Cote d'Ivoire 15.1%, France 8.7%, Belgium 5.9%, China 5.9%, South Africa 4.6% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $69.83 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external: | $3.46 billion (2003 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | $237.5 million (2003)
Currency (code): | Guinean franc (GNF)
Currency code: | GNF
Exchange rates: | Guinean francs per US dollar - 2,550 (2005), 2,225 (2004), 1,984.9 (2003), 1,975.8 (2002), 1,950.6 (2001)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Guinea

Telephones - main lines in use: | 26,200 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 111,500 (2003)
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: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 4 (one station is inactive), FM 1 (plus 7 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2001)
Radios: | 357,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 6 low-power stations (2001)
Televisions: | 85,000 (1997)
Internet country code: | .gn
Internet hosts: | 364 (2005)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 4 (2001)
Internet users: | 46,000 (2005)

Transportation | Guinea

Airports: | 16 (2005)
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 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2005)
Railways: | total: 837 km standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Roadways: | total: 44,348 km paved: 4,342 km unpaved: 40,006 km (2003)
Waterways: | 1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2005)
Ports and terminals: | Kamsar

Military | Guinea

Military branches: | Army (includes Presidential Guard, Republican Guard), Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, General Directorate of National Police
Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 1,853,316 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 1,038,036 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $119.7 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.9% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues | Guinea

Disputes - international: | conflicts among rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in neighboring states have spilled over into Guinea, resulting in domestic instability; Sierra Leone has pressured Guinea to remove its forces from the town of Yenga, occupied since 1998
Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 127,256 (Liberia) 7,165 (Sierra Leone) 7,064 (Cote d'Ivoire) IDPs: 82,000 (cross-border incursions from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire) (2005)

This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006