2000 Edition

Background

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 in disputed balloting. Security clampdowns continue, although not as severe as in earlier decades. Reelected in 1998, the president faced growing criticism in 1999 for his jailing of a major opposition leader and widespread economic malaise. Unrest in Sierra Leone also continued to threaten Guinea's stability.

Area

land

245,857 sq km

total

245,857 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

highest point

Mont Nimba 1,752 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 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

border countries

Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

total

3,399 km

Land use

arable land

2%

forests and woodland

59%

other

17% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

22%

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: 43.38% (male 1,614,789; female 1,623,691) 15-64 years: 53.95% (male 1,966,929; female 2,060,877) 65 years and over: 2.68% (male 82,376; female 117,538) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

40.08 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

17.86 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10%

Infant mortality rate

130.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

French (official), each ethnic group has its own language

Life expectancy at birth

female

48.02 years (2000 est.)

male

43.16 years

total population

45.56 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

21.9% (1995 est.)

male

49.9%

total population

35.9%

Nationality

adjective

Guinean

noun

Guinean(s)

Net migration rate

-2.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

note

over the years Guinea has received several hundred thousand refugees from the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone; by the end of 1999 all Liberian refugees were assumed to have returned; refugees from Sierra Leone are assumed to be returning

Population

7,466,200 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.95% (2000 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.46 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

4 administrative regions (regions administrative, singular - region administrative) and 1 special zone (zone speciale)*; Conakry*, Guinee, Guinee-Forestiere, Haute-Guinee, Moyen-Guinee

Capital

Conakry

Constitution

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Guinea

conventional short form

Guinea

former

French Guinea

local long form

Republique de Guinee

local short form

Guinee

Data code

GV

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Joyce E. LEADER

embassy

Rue Ka 038, Conakry

mailing address

B. P. 603, Conakry

telephone

41 15 20, 41 15 21, 41 15 23

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Mohamed Aly THIAM

telephone

(202) 483-9420

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Lansana CONTE (head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993)

election results

Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE (PUP) 56.1%, Mamadou Boye BA (UNR-PRP) 24.6%, Alpha CONDE (RPG) 16.6%,

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 14 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2003); the prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Lamine SIDIME (since 8 March 1999)

FAX

(202) 483-8688

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), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or 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 or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 71, RPG 19, PRP 9, UNR 9, UPG 2, PDG 1, UNPG 1, PDG-RDA 1, other 1

elections

last held 11 June 1995 (next to be held NA 2000)

National holiday

Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party of Guinea or PDG-AST ; Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA ; Party for Unity and Progress or PUP - the governing party; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP ; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG ; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG ; Union for the New Republic or UNR

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$553 million

Currency

1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes

Debt - external

$3.15 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$433.6 million (1995)

Economy - overview

Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains a poor underdeveloped nation. 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 1998. 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 1997-99. Even with a recovery in prices for some of Guinea's main commodity exports, annual GDP is unlikely to increase by more than 5% in 2000-2001.

Electricity - consumption

498 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

535 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

63.55%

hydro

36.45%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Guinean francs (FG) per US$1 - 1,292.5 (January 1999), 1,236.8 (1998), 1,095.3 (1997), 1,004.0 (1996), 991.4 (1995)

Exports

$695 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports - commodities

bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products

Exports - partners

Russia, US, Benelux, Ukraine, Ireland, Spain (1997)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

24%

industry

31%

services

45% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,200 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.7% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 31.7% (1991)

Imports

$560 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs (1997)

Imports - partners

France, Cote d'Ivoire, US, Benelux, Hong Kong (1997)

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% (1994)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force

2.4 million (1983)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 11%, services 5.4%, civil service 3.6%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 8, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios

357,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use

11,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

950 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

6 (1997)

Televisions

85,000 (1997)

Airports

15 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

5,033 km

total

30,500 km

unpaved

25,467 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

none (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Boke, Conakry, Kamsar

Railways

narrow gauge

807 km 1.000-m gauge (includes 662 km in common carrier service from Kankan to Conakry)

standard gauge

279 km 1.435-m gauge

total

1,086 km

Waterways

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Republican Guard, Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National Police Force (Surete National)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$56 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (FY96)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,721,941 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 869,442 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none

GUINEA

GUYANA