1995 Edition

Area

total area: 245,860 sq km land area: 245,860 sq km 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

current issues: deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

240 sq km (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

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 44% (female 1,450,501; male 1,448,164) 15-64 years: 53% (female 1,784,420; male 1,691,502) 65 years and over: 3% (female 102,735; male 72,014) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

43.43 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

19.13 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller tribes 10%

Infant mortality rate

136.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

2.4 million (1983) by occupation: agriculture 80.0%, industry and commerce 11.0%, services 5.4%, civil servants 3.6%

Languages

French (official); each tribe has its own language

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 44.6 years male: 42.31 years female: 46.95 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 24% male: 35% female: 13%

Nationality

noun: Guinean(s) adjective: Guinean

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) note: Guinea has received about 400,000 refugees from the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone; the continued fighting in Sierra Leone will likely drive more refugees into Guinea in 1995; on the other hand, peace may be achieved in Liberia and permit Liberian refugees to return home

Population

6,549,336 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

2.43% (1995 est.)

Religions

Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%

Total fertility rate

5.79 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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

Constitution

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Digraph

GV

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Elhadj Boubacar BARRY chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-9420

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: President Lansana CONTE, elected in the first multi-party election 19 December 1993; prior to the election he had ruled as head of military government since 5 April 1984 cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

FAX

[1] (202) 483-8688

[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

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, 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)

People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire)

the People's National Assembly was dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup; framework established in December 1991 for a new National Assembly with 114 seats; legislative elections, tentatively scheduled for 1994, were not held and are now rescheduled for 11 June 1995

Political parties and leaders

political parties were legalized on 1 April 1992 pro-government: Party for Unity and Progress (PUP) other: Rally for the Guinean People (RPG), Alpha CONDE; Union for a New Republic (UNR), Mamadou BAH; Party for Renewal and Progress (PRP), Siradiou DIALLO; Movement of Patriotic Democrats (MDP), Ahmed Tidiane CISSE

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph A. SALOOM III embassy: 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry telephone: [224] 44 15 20 through 44 15 23

Agriculture

accounts for over 45% of GDP, nearly 100% of exports, and 90% of employment; rice is the staple food; other crops include corn, beans, cassava, cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and cotton; not self-sufficient in food; fishing and forestry potential not fully exploited

Budget

revenues: $33.6 million expenditures: $44.8 million, including capital expenditures of $570,000 (1991 est.)

Currency

1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $49 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $615 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $41 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $68 million

Electricity

capacity: 22,000 kW production: 40 million kWh consumption per capita: 37 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1 - 14,482 (December 1994), 12,892 (1994), 10,082 (1993), 6,934 (1992), 3,659 (1991), 2,185 (1990)

Exports

$19 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: cashews, fish, peanuts, palm kernels partners: Portugal, Spain, Senegal, India, Nigeria

External debt

$462 million (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$56 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, petroleum products, machinery and equipment partners: Portugal, Netherlands, China, Germany, Senegal

Industrial production

growth rate NA (1991 est.); accounts for 8% of GDP

Industries

agricultural processing, beer, soft drinks

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

55% (1991 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $900 million (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$840 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

2.9% (1993 est.)

Overview

Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world. Agriculture and fishing are the main economic activities. Cashew nuts, peanuts, and palm kernels are the primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of development. With IMF support the country is committed to an economic reform program emphasizing monetary stability and private sector growth. This process will continue at a slow pace because of a heavy foreign debt burden and internal constraints.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0 radios: 200,000

Telephone system

15,000 telephones; poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system local: NA intercity: microwave radio relay and radio communication stations international: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Television

broadcast stations: 1 televisions: 65,000

Airports

total: 15 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 7 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3

Highways

total: 30,100 km paved: 1,145 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone 12,955 km (of which barely 4,500 are currently all-weather roads); unimproved earth 16,000 km (1987)

Inland waterways

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Merchant marine

none

Ports

Boke, Conakry, Kamsar

Railroads

total: 1,048 km standard gauge: 241 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 807 km 1.000-m gauge

Branches

Army, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, Republican Guard, Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National Police Force (Surete National)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $50 million, 1.6% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________ GUINEA-BISSAU

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 1,478,653; males fit for military service 745,990 (1995 est.)