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Background:
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 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 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. |
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Location:
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Western Africa,
bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and
Sierra Leone |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total:
245,857 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 245,857 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller
than Oregon |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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320 km |
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Climate:
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generally hot and
humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with
southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with
northeasterly harmattan winds |
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Terrain:
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generally flat
coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m |
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Natural resources:
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bauxite, iron
ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish |
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Land use:
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arable land:
3.6%
permanent crops: 2.44%
other: 93.96% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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950 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dusty
harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation;
inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil
contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in
forest region; poor mining practices have led to environmental
damage |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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the Niger and its
important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean
highlands |
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Population:
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9,246,462 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
44.4% (male 2,075,652; female 2,032,936)
15-64 years: 52.4% (male 2,417,440; female 2,428,085)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 127,654; female 164,695)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
17.7 years
male: 17.4 years
female: 17.9 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.37% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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42.26
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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15.53
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-3.06 migrant(s)/1,000
population
note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries,
Guinea is host to approximately 150,000 Liberian and Sierra
Leonean refugees (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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 (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
91.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 86.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 97.3 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 49.7 years
male: 48.45 years
female: 50.99 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.54% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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55,000 (1999
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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9,000 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean |
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Ethnic groups:
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Peuhl 40%,
Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 85%,
Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% |
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Languages:
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French
(official), each ethnic group has its own language |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.9%
male: 49.9%
female: 21.9% (1995 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Guinea
conventional short form: Guinea
local short form: Guinee
former: French Guinea
local long form: Republique de Guinee |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Conakry |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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2 October 1958
(from France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
2 October (1958) |
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Constitution:
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23 December 1990
(Loi Fundamentale) |
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Legal system:
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based on French
civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes
currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Lansana CONTE (head of military
government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December
1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Francois Lonseny
FALL (since 23 February 2004)
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 21 December
2003 (next to be held NA December 2008); 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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 NA
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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of Appeal
or Cour d'Appel |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 for Progress and Renewal or UPR [Siradiou DIALLO];
Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE,
secretary-general]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya
TOURE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Rafiou Alpha Oumar BARRY
FAX: [1] (202) 478-3010
telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300
chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
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 |
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Economy - overview:
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Guinea possesses
major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet
remains an 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. Fighting along the
Sierra Leonean and Liberian borders, as well as refugee
movements, have caused major economic disruptions, including a
loss in investor confidence. Foreign mining companies have
reduced expatriate staff, while panic buying has created food
shortages and inflation in local markets. Guinea is not
receiving multilateral aid. The IMF and World Bank cut off
most assistance in 2003. Growth should strengthen in 2004,
however, because of a slowly improving security situation and
increased investor confidence. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $18.87 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.2% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $2,100 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
25%
industry: 37%
services: 38% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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40% (2003 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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8% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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3 million (1999) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 80%,
industry and services 20% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% (2002 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$395.7 million
expenditures: $472.4 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA million (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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bauxite, gold,
diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and
agricultural processing industries |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3.2% (1994) |
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Electricity - production:
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790.6 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
45.5%
hydro: 54.5%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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735.2 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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8,600 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rice, coffee,
pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet
potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber |
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Exports:
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$726 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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bauxite, alumina,
gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products |
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Exports - partners:
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South Korea 17%,
Spain 9.7%, Cameroon 9.3%, Belgium 9.2%, US 8.9%, Ireland
8.2%, France 6.8%, Russia 6.4%, Ukraine 6.3%, Germany 4.8%
(2002) |
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Imports:
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$646 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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petroleum
products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles,
grain and other foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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France 17.9%,
Cote d'Ivoire 10.6%, Italy 8.5%, US 7.8%, Belgium 7.2%, China
5.4%, UK 5% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$3.25 billion
(2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$359.2 million
(1998) |
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Currency:
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Guinean franc (GNF) |
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Currency code:
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GNF |
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Exchange rates:
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Guinean francs
per US dollar - NA (2003), 1,975.84 (2002), 1,950.56 (2001),
1,746.87 (2000), 1,387.4 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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26,000 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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90,800 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 4 (one station
is inactive), FM 1 (plus 7 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2001) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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6 low-power
stations (2001) |
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Internet country code:
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.gn |
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Internet hosts:
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251 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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35,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
1,115 km
standard gauge: 311 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 804 km 1.000-m gauge (2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
30,500 km
paved: 5,033 km
unpaved: 25,467 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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1,295 km
(navigable by shallow-draft native craft) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Boke, Conakry,
Kamsar |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 3
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,344 GRT/5,003 DWT
by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off
1
foreign-owned: Iraq 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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16 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy, Air
Force, Republican Guard, Presidential Guard, National
Gendarmerie, General Directorate of National Police |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 2,108,948 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 1,064,965 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$58.5 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.7% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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domestic fighting
among disparate rebel groups in Guinea, domestic fighting
among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in
Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have created insurgencies,
street violence, looting, arms trafficking, ethnic conflicts
skirmishes, deaths, and refugees in border areas; in 2003,
Guinea and Sierra Leone established a boundary commission to
resolve a dispute over the town of Yenga |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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