1998 Edition

Area

total: 245,860 sq km land: 245,860 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area-comparative

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m

Environment-current issues

deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region

Environment-international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

11 00 N, 10 00 W

Irrigated land

930 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 3,399 km border countries: 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: 2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 22% forests and woodland: 59% other: 17% (1993 est.)

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 hazards

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

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% (male 1,634,344; female 1,644,863) 15-64 years: 53% (male 1,952,442; female 2,044,363) 65 years and over: 3% (male 83,616; female 117,482) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

41.28 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

17.76 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

128.92 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

French (official), each tribe has its own language

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 46.01 years male: 43.58 years female: 48.52 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 35.9% male: 49.9% female: 21.9% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Guinean(s) adjective: Guinean

Net migration rate

-15.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.) note: in prior years Guinea received several hundred thousand refugees from the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, some of whom are now returning to their own countries

Population

7,477,110 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

0.83% (1998 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.59 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Administrative divisions

33 prefectures (prefectures, singular-prefecture) and 1 national capital* (capitale d'etat); 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 note: the 33 prefectures may have been reorganized into four new first-order administrative divisions called administrative regions (regions administrative, singular-region administrative) named Guinee-Forestiere, Guinee-Maritime, Haute-Guinee, and Moyenne-Guinee

Constitution

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

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

Data code

GV

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 Sidya TOURE (since July 1996) 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 19 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998); the prime minister was appointed by President CONTE election results: Lansana CONTE elected president; percent of vote-Lansana CONTE (PUP) 51.7%, Alpha CONDE (RPG) 19.55%, Mamadou Boye BA (UNR) 13.37%, Siradiou DIALLO (PRP) 11.86%; note-the country's first-ever multi-party elections for president

FAX

[1] (202) 483-8688 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tibor P. NAGY, Jr. (5 July 1996) embassy: Rue Ka 038, Conakry mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry telephone: [224] 41 15 20, 41 15 21, 41 15 23

[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; similar to the flag of Rwanda, which has a large black letter R centered in the yellow band

Government type

republic

Independence

2 October 1958 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Aly THIAM chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-9420

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel Political parties and leaders: political parties were legalized on 1 April 1992; of the more than 40 with legal status, the following won seats in the legislature in the 11 June 1995 elections other: Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; Democratic Party of Guinea or PDG-AST [Marcel CROS]; National Union for the Prosperity of Guinea or UNPG [Lt. Col. Facine TOURE]; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP [Siradiou DIALLO] pro-government: Party for Unity and Progress or PUP [Gen. Lansana CONTE] other: Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general]; Union for a New Republic or UNR [Mamadou Boye BA']

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 or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 11 June 1995 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PUP 71, RPG 19, PRP 9, UNR 9, UPG 2, PDG 1, UNP 1, PDG-RDA 1, other 1

National capital

Conakry

National holiday

Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture-products

rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber

Budget

revenues: $553 million expenditures: $652 million, including capital expenditures of $317 million (1995 est.)

Currency

1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes

Debt-external

$3 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economy-overview

Although possessing major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, Guinea remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The agricultural sector employs 80% of the work force. Guinea possesses over 25% of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for about 75% of exports in 1995. Long-run improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. The government made encouraging progress in budget management in 1997. Except in the mining industry, foreign investment remains minimal.

Electricity-capacity

176,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

76 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

500 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Guinean francs (FG) per US$1-1,004.0 (January 1997), 1,004.0 (1997), 991.4 (1995), 976.6 (1994), 955.5 (1993), 902.0 (1992) note: the official exchange rate of the Guinean franc was set and quoted weekly against the US dollar until the end of October 1993; since 1 November 1994, the exchange rate is determined in the interbank market for foreign exchange

Exports

total value: $748 million (1995 est.) commodities: bauxite, alumina, diamonds, gold, coffee, fish, agricultural products partners: US 21%, Belgium-Luxembourg 21%, Ireland 15%, Spain 15% (1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$8.3 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 24% industry: 31% services: 45% (1995 est.)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$1,100 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

4.8% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $809 million (1995 est.) commodities: petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs partners: France 35%, Cote d'Ivoire 31%, US 14%, Belgium-Luxembourg 10%, Hong Kong 10% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% (1994)

Industries

bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries

Inflation rate-consumer price index

3.5% (1996 est.)

Labor force

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios

257,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

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: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

18,000 (1994 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

65,000 (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Airports

15 (1997 est.) 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 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 30,500 km paved: 5,033 km unpaved: 25,467 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,722 GRT/6,226 DWT (1997 est.)

Railways

total: 1,086 km standard gauge: 279 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 807 km 1.000-m gauge (includes 662 km in common carrier service from Kankan to Conakry)

Waterways

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft Ports and harbors: Boke, Conakry, Kamsar

Military branches

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

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$50 million (1994)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

1.6% (1994)

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 1,706,395 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 861,036 (1998 est.)

Disputes-international

none