1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 245,860 km2 land area: 245,860 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Climate
generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Coastline
320 km
Environment
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; deforestation
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
240 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 3,399 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km
Land use
arable land: 6% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 12% forest and woodland: 42% other: 40%
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
Map references
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish
Terrain
generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
People and Society
Birth rate
44.76 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
20.13 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Fulani 35%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, indigenous tribes 15%
Infant mortality rate
141.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
2.4 million (1983) by occupation: agriculture 82.0%, industry and commerce 11.0%, services 5.4% note: 88,112 civil servants (1987); 52% of population of working age (1985)
Languages
French (official); each tribe has its own language
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 43.68 years male: 41.49 years female: 45.93 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 24% male: 35% female: 13%
Nationality
noun: Guinean(s) adjective: Guinean
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
6,236,506 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
2.46% (1993 est.)
Religions
Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
Total fertility rate
5.9 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
33 administrative regions (regions administratives, singular - region administrative); Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, 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
Capital
Conakry
Chief of State and Head of Government
Gen. Lansana CONTE (since 5 April 1984)
Constitution
23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)
Digraph
GV
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Ansoumane CAMARA chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 483-9420
Elections
none
Executive branch
president, Transitional Committee for National Recovery (Comite Transitionale de Redressement National or CTRN) replaced the Military Committee for National Recovery (Comite Militaire de Redressement National or CMRN); Council of Ministers (cabinet)
FAX
(224) 44-15-22
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
Independence
2 October 1958 (from France)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel)
Legal system
based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire) was dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup; framework established in December 1991 for a new National Assembly with 114 seats
Member of
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea conventional short form: Guinea local long form: Republique de Guinee local short form: Guinee former: French Guinea
National holiday
Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)
Political parties and leaders
political parties were legalized on 1 April 1992 pro-government: Party for Unity and Progress (PUP), leader NA other: Rally for the Guinean People (RPG), Alpha CONDE; Union for a New Republic (UNR), Mamadon BAH; Party for Renewal and Progress (PRP), Siradion DIALLO
Suffrage
none
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Dane F. SMITH, Jr. embassy: 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry telephone: (224) 44-15-20 through 24
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 40% of GDP (includes fishing and forestry); mostly subsistence farming; principal products - rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, timber; livestock - cattle, sheep and goats; not self-sufficient in food grains
Budget
revenues $449 million; expenditures $708 million, including capital expenditures of $361 million (1990 est.)
Currency
1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $227 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1,465 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $446 million
Electricity
113,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Guinean francs (FG) per US$1 - 675 (1990), 618 (1989), 515 (1988), 440 (1987), 383 (1986)
Exports
$788 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels partners: US 33%, EC 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada
External debt
$2.6 billion (1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$692 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.) commodities: petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, and other grain partners: US 16%, France, Brazil
Industrial production
growth rate NA%; accounts for 27% of GDP
Industries
bauxite mining, alumina, gold, diamond mining, light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
19.6% (1990 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3 billion (1990 est.)
National product per capita
$410 (1990 est.)
National product real growth rate
4.3% (1990 est.)
Overview
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 27% of GDP. Guinea possesses over 25% of the world's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for about 70% of total exports in 1989.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
total: 15 usable: 15 with permanent-surface runways: 4 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 10
Highways
30,100 km total; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite (of which barely 4,500 km are currently all-weather roads), 16,000 km unimproved earth (1987)
Inland waterways
1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft
Ports
Conakry, Kamsar
Railroads
1,045 km; 806 km 1.000-meter gauge, 239 km 1.435-meter standard gauge
Telecommunications
poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system; 15,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM 1 FM, 1 TV; 65,000 TV sets; 200,000 radio receivers; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, Presidential Guard, Republican Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $29 million, 1.2% of GDP (1988)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 1,403,776; fit for military service 708,078 (1993 est.)