1989 Edition

Administrative divisions

2 provinces (provincias, singular — provincia); Bioko, Rio Muni; note — there may now be 6 provinces named Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Literal, Wele Nzas

Capital

Malabo

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoon-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)

Coastline

885 km

320 km

350 km

54,716 km

209 km

Communists

no significant number but some sympathizers

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Colorado

slightly smaller than Oregon

slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

slightly less than three times the size of Texas

slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Constitution

15 August 1982

Contiguous zone

24 nm

Continental shelf

to depth of exploitation

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Damaso OBIANG NDONG; Chancery at 801 Second Avenue, Suite 1403, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 5991523; US— Ambassador Chester E. NORRIS, Jr.; Embassy at Calle de Los Ministros, Malabo (mailing address is P. O. Box 597, Malabo); telephone 2406 or

Disputes

maritime boundary with Equatorial Guinea

the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rendered its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary (in favor of Senegal) — that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau

East Timor question with Portugal

Elections

President — last held 25 June 1989 (next to be held 25 June 1996); results— President Brig. Gen. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo was reelected without opposition; Chamber of Deputies — last held 10 July 1988 (next to be held 10 July 1993); results— PDEG is the only party; seats — (41 total) PDEG 41

Environment

deforestation

hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; deforestation

hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season

archipelago of 1 3,500 islands (6,000 inhabited); occasional floods, severe droughts, and tsunamis; deforestation

deforestation; soil erosion

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Executive branch

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Extended economic zone

200 nm

200 nm

200 nm Territorial sea: 1 2 nm

200 nm

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow sixpointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD. PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)

Independence

12 October 1968 (from Spain; formerly Spanish Guinea)

Judicial branch

Supreme Tribunal

Land boundaries

2,551 km total; Cameroon 298 km, Congo 1 ,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km

3,399 km total; GuineaBissau 386 km. Ivory Coast 610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

724 km total; Guinea 386, Senegal 338 km

2,602 km total; Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km

none

Land use

1% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 78% forest and woodland; 2% other

6% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 1 2% meadows and pastures; 42% forest and woodland; 40% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

1 1% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 43% meadows and pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 7% other

8% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 67% forest and woodland; 1 5% other; includes 3% irrigated

1% arable land; 20% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 75% forest and woodland; 3% other

Leaders

Chief of State — President Brig. Gen. Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979); Head of Government — Prime Minister Cristino SERICHE Bioko Malabo (since 15 August 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Isidore Eyi Monsuy Andeme (since 1 5 August 1989) Political parties and leaders: only party — Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea (PDEG), Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, party leader

Legal system

in transition; partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of People's Representatives (Camara de Representantes del Pueblo)

Maritime claims

(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)

(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)

Member of

ACP, AfDB, Conference of East and Central African States, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 October (1968)

Natural resources

crude oil, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore

bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish

unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite, phosphates; fish, timber

crude oil, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver

fish

Note

straddles Equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

located south of Nigeria and west of Gabon near the Equator in the North Atlantic Ocean

Suffrage

universal adult at age NA

Terrain

narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south

generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains

volcanic, mountainous

Territorial sea

12 nm

1 2 nm

1 2 nm

1 2 nm

Total area

267,670 km2; land area: 257,670 km2

245,860 km2; land area: 245,860 km2

36,120 km2; land area: 28,000 km2

1,919,440 km2; land area: 1,826,440km2

960 km2; land area: 960 km2

Total area

200km CONAKRY* North Atlantic Ocean SccrtfionilmipVII

vei^/ 1J-3AO TOME llha de Sao Tome llhtu Gago Coulinho ; Set regional map VII Crui

Type

republic

Birth rate

28 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

47 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

43 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

27 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

38 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

15 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

22 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

19 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

9 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

8 deaths/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

about 40 Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke); about 1 00,000 expatriate Africans and Europeans, including 27,000 French

Fulani, Malinke, Sousou, 1 5 smaller tribes

about 99% African (30% Balanta, 20% Fula, 14% Manjaca, 13% Mandinga, 7% Papel); less than 1% European and mulatto

majority of Malay stock comprising 45.0% Javanese, 14.0% Sundanese, 7.5% Madurese, 7.5% coastal Malays, 26.0% other

mestico, angolares (descendents of Angolan slaves), forros (descendents of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), and Europeans (primarily Portuguese)

Infant mortality rate

106 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

147 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

127 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

75 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

61 deaths/ 1, 000 live births (1990)

Labor force

2,400,000 (1983); 82.0% agriculture, 1 1 .0% industry and commerce, 5.4% services; 88,1 12 civil servants (1987); 52% of population of working age (1985)

403,000 (est.); 90% agriculture, 5% industry, services, and commerce, 5% government; 53% of population of working age (1983) Organized labor only one trade union — the National Union of Workers of Guinea-Bissau (UNTG)

67,000,000; 55% agriculture, 10% manufacturing, 4% construction, 3% transport and communications (1985 est.)

2 1 ,096 ( 1 98 1 ); most of population engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; labor shortages on plantations and of skilled workers; 56% of population of working age (1983)

Language

French (official); each tribe has its own language

Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages

Bahasa Indonesia (modified form of Malay; official); English and Dutch leading foreign languages; local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese

Portuguese (official)

Life expectancy at birth

50 years male, 56 years female (1990)

40 years male, 44 years female (1990)

44 years male, 48 years female (1990)

58 years male, 63 years female (1990)

64 years male, 67 years female (1990)

Literacy

20% in French; 48% in local languages

34% (1986)

62%

50% (est.)

Nationality

noun — Gabonese (sing., pi.); adjective— Gabonese

noun — Guinean(s); adjective — Guinean

noun — GuineaBissauan(s); adjective — Guinea-Bissauan

noun — Indonesian(s); adjective— Indonesian

noun — Sao Tomean(s); adjective— Sao Tomean

Net migration rate

— 6 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

0 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

0 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

0 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

0 migrants/ 1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

virtually 100% of wage earners loosely affiliated with the National Confederation of Guinean Workers

3,000,000 members (claimed); about 5% of labor force

NA

Population

1,068,240 (July 1990), growth rate 0.8% (1990)

7,269,240 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)

998,963 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)

190,136,221 (July 1990), growth rate 1.8% (1990)

124,765 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)

Religion

85% Muslim, 5% indigenous beliefs, 1.5% Christian

65% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 5% Christian

88% Muslim, 6% Protestant, 3% Roman Catholic, 2% Hindu, 1% other

Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist

Total fertility rate

4.0 children born/ woman (1990)

6.1 children born/ woman (1990)

5.9 children born/ woman (1990)

3.1 children born/ woman (1990)

5.4 children born/ woman (1990)

Administrative divisions

29 administrative regions (regions administratives, singular— region administrative); Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koundara, Kquroussa, Labe, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou

24 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular — propinsi), 2 special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular — daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Bengkulu, Irian Jaya, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Lampung, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Riau, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Timor Timur, Yogyakarta*

Capital

Conakry

Jakarta

Communists

no Communist party, although there are some sympathizers

Communist Party (PKI) was officially banned in March 1966; current strength about 1,000-3,000, with less than 10% engaged in organized activity; preOctober 1965 hardcore membership about 1.5 million

Constitution

14 May 1982, suspended after coup of 3 April 1984

August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Kekoura CAMARA; Chancery at 21 12 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-9420; US— Ambassador Samuel E. LUPO; Embassy at 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry (mailing address is B. P. 603, Conakry); telephone 44-15-20 through 24

Ambassador Abdul Rachman RAMLY; Chancery at 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 7755200; there are Indonesian Consulates General in Houston, New York, and Los Angeles, and Consulates in Chicago and San Francisco; US — Ambassador John C. MONJO; Embassy at Medan Merdeka Selatan 5, Jakarta (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96356); telephone [62] (21) 360-360; there are US Consulates in Medan and Surabaya

Elections

none

House of Representatives — last held on 23 April 1987 (next to be held 23 April 1992); results— Golkar 73%, UDP 16%, PDI 1 1%; seats— (500 total-^tOO elected, 100 appointed) Golkar 299, UDP 61, PDI 40

Executive branch

president, Military Committee for National Recovery (Comite Militaire de Redressement National or CMRN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)

president, vice president. Cabinet

Flag

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

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red

Independence

2 October 1958 (from France; formerly French Guinea)

17 August 1945 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands or Dutch East Indies)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel)

Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung)

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government— Gen. Lansana CONTE (since 5 April 1984) Political parties and leaders: none; following the 3 April 1984 coup all political activity was banned

Chief of State and Head of Government— President Gen. (Ret.) SOEHARTO (since 27 March 1968); Vice President Lt. Gen. (Ret.) SUDHARMONO (since 11 March 1983) Political parties and leaders: GOLKAR (quasi-official party based on functional groups), Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Wahono, general chairman; Indonesia Democracy Party (PDI — federation of former Nationalist and Christian Parties), Soeryadi, chairman; Development Unity Party (PPP, federation of former Islamic parties), Ismail Hasan Metareum, chairman

Legal system

based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire) was dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup

unicameral House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or DPR); note — the People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) includes the DPR plus 500 indirectly elected members who meet every five years to elect the president and vice president and, theoretically, to determine national policy

Long-form name

Republic of Guinea

Republic of

Republic of Indonesia

Democratic Republic of

Member of

ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, Mano River Union, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, Association of Tin Producing Countries, CCC, CIPEC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB — Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, NAM, QIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)

Independence Day, 17 August (1945)

Suffrage

none

universal at age 1 7 and married persons regardless of age

Type

republic

republic

Agriculture

cash crops — timber and coffee from Rio Muni, cocoa from Bioko; food crops — rice, yams, cassava, bananas, oil palm nuts, manioc, livestock

accounts for 40% of GDP (includes fishing and forestry); mostly subsistence farming; principal products — rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava, Guinea-Bissau bananas, sweet potatoes, timber; livestock — cattle, sheep and goats; not self-sufficient in food grains

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY81-88), $11 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $100 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $55 million

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $203 million; Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $882 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $446 million

Budget

revenues $23 million; expenditures $3 1 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)

revenues $357 million; expenditures $480 million, including capital expenditures of $229 million (1988 est.)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural — francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Guinean franc (plural — francs); 1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes

Electricity

23,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 1 70 kWh per capita (1989)

113,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 — 287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985) Fiscal yean 1 April-31 March

Guinean francs (FG) per US$1— 505.00 (October 1988), 440.00 (January 1988), 440.00 (1987), 235.63 (1986), 22.47 (1985) Fiscal yean calendar year

Exports

$30 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities — coffee, timber, cocoa beans; partners— Spain 44%, FRG 19%, Italy 12%, Netherlands 11% (1987)

$553 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities — alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels; partners — US 33%, EC 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada

External debt

$191 million (December 1988)

$1.6 billion (December 1988)

GDP

$2.5 billion, per capita $350; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)

GNP

$103 million, per capita $293; real growth rate NA%( 1987)

Imports

$50 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities — petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery; partners — Spain 34%, Italy 16%, France 14%, Netherlands 8% (1987)

$509 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities — petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles and other grain; partners — US 16%, France, Brazil

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

growth rate NA%

Industries

fishing, sawmilling

bauxite mining, alumina, diamond mining, light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

—6.0% (1988 est.)

27.0% (1988)

Overview

The economy, destroyed during the regime of former President Macias Nguema, is now based on agriculture, forestry, and fishing, which account for about 60% of GNP and nearly all exports. Subsistence agriculture predominates, with cocoa, coffee, and wood products providing income, foreign exchange, and government revenues. There is little industry. Commerce accounts for about 10% of GNP, and the construction, public works, and service sectors for about 34%. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Oil exploration is taking place under concessions offered to US, French, and Spanish firms.

Although possessing many natural resources and considerable potential for agricultural development, Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world. The agricultural sector contributes about 40% to GDP and employs more than 80% of the work force, while industry accounts for about 25% of GDP. Guinea possesses over 25% of the world's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for more than 80% of total exports in 1986.

Unemployment rate

NA%

NA%

Airports

4 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

16 total, 16 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Army, Navy, and possibly Air Force

Army (ground forces), Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie

Civil air

1 major transport aircraft

2 major transport aircraft

Defense expenditures

1 1% of GNP (FY81 est.)

3.1% of GDP (1984) V'»4 *" , o Arquipelago * dos Bi/agos North Atlantic Ocean Scf region!) mip VII

Highways

Rio Muni — 1,024 km; Bioko — 216km

30,100 km total; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite (of which barely 4,500 km are currently allweather roads), 16,000 km unimproved earth (1987)

Inland waterways

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Merchant marine

2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,413 GRT/6,699 DWT; includes 1 cargo and 1 passenger-cargo

Military manpower

males 15-49, 77,363; 39,174 fit for military service

males 15-49, 1,657,787; 834,777 fit for military service

Ports

Malabo, Bata

Conakry, Kamsar

Railroads

1,045 km; 806 km 1.000-meter gauge, 239 km 1.435-meter standard gauge

Telecommunications

poor system with adequate government services; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; 2,000 telephones; stations — 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station Defense Forces

fair system of openwire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system; 10,000 telephones; stations — 3 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 12,000 TV sets; 125,000 radio receivers; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station Defense Forces