Guinea

§1. Guinea Introduction

Background:
  Guinea has had only two presidents since gaining its independence from
  France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the military
  seized the government after the death of the first president, Sekou TOURE.
  Guinea did not hold democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head
  of the military government) was elected president of the civilian
  government. He was reelected in 1998 and again in 2003. Unrest in Sierra
  Leone and Liberia has spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over
  the past decade, threatening stability and creating humanitarian
  emergencies.

§2. Guinea Geography

Location:
  Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau
  and Sierra Leone

Geographic coordinates:
  11 00 N, 10 00 W

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 245,857 km²
  land: 245,857 km²
  water: 0 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:
  total: 3,399 km
  border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563
    km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

Coastline:
  320 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain:
  generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

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

Natural resources:
  bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt

Land use:
  arable land: 4.47%
  permanent crops: 2.64%
  other: 92.89% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  950 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil
  contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region;
  poor mining practices have led to environmental damage

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

Geography - note:
  the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the
  Guinean highlands

§3. Guinea People

Population:
  9,690,222 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 44.4% (male 2,171,733/female 2,128,027)
  15-64 years: 52.5% (male 2,541,140/female 2,542,847)
  65 years and over: 3.2% (male 134,239/female 172,236) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.7 years
  male: 17.4 years
  female: 17.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.63% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  41.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  15.48 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
  note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is host to
    approximately 141,500 refugees from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra
    Leone (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 90 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 95.16 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 84.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 49.5 years
  male: 48.34 years
  female: 50.7 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  5.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  3.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  140,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  9,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A,
    and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some
    locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis
  respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
  aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2005)

Nationality:
  noun: Guinean(s)
  adjective: Guinean

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

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

Languages:
  French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language

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

§4. Guinea Government

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

Government type:
  republic

Capital:
  Conakry

Administrative divisions:
  33 prefectures and 1 special zone (zone special)*; 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

Independence:
  2 October 1958 (from France)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 2 October (1958)

Constitution:
  23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Legal system:
  based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes
  currently being revised; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
  reservations

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

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 Cellou Dalein DIALLO (since 4 December
    2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
    candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected
    president; election last held 21 December 2003 (next to be held December
    2010); the prime minister is appointed by the president
  election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote -
    Lansana CONTE (PUP) 95.3%, Mamadou Boye BARRY (UPR) 4.6%

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 30 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%, other
    11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9

Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj
  Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; National Union for Progress or UPN [Mamadou
  Bhoye BARRY]; Party for Unity and Progress or PUP [Lansana CONTE] - the
  governing party; People's Party of Guinea or PPG [Pascal TOLNO]; Rally for
  the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE]; Union of Democratic Forces of
  Guinea or UFDG [Mamadou BA]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya
  TOURE]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE,
  secretary-general]; Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR [Ousmane BAH]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Student and teacher unions

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN,
  UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rafiou Alpha Oumar BARRY
  chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300
  FAX: [1] (202) 986-8800

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jackson MCDONALD
  embassy: Rue Ka 038, Conakry
  mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry
  telephone: [224] 41 15 20, 41 15 21, 41 15 23
  FAX: [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

§5. Guinea Economy

Economy - overview:
  Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet
  remains an underdeveloped nation. The country possesses almost half of the
  world's bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer. The
  mining sector accounted for over 70% of exports in 2004. Long-run
  improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal
  framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Fighting
  along the Sierra Leonean and Liberian borders, as well as refugee
  movements, have caused major economic disruptions, aggravating a loss in
  investor confidence. Panic buying has created food shortages and inflation
  and caused riots in local markets. Guinea is not receiving multilateral
  aid; the IMF and World Bank cut off most assistance in 2003. Growth rose
  slightly in 2005, primarily due to increases in global demand and commodity
  prices on world markets.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $20.78 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $3.694 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  2% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $2,200 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 23.7%
  industry: 36.2%
  services: 40.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  3 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  NA%

Population below poverty line:
  40% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.6%
  highest 10%: 32% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  40.3 (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  25% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  17.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $305.6 million
  expenditures: $590.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  3.2% (1994)

Electricity - production:
  775 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  720.8 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  8,400 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-268.4 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $612.1 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products

Exports - partners:
  France 17.7%, Belgium 14.7%, UK 14.7%, Switzerland 12.8%, Ukraine 4.2%
  (2004)

Imports:
  $680 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain
  and other foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
  Cote d'Ivoire 15.1%, France 8.7%, Belgium 5.9%, China 5.9%, South Africa
  4.6% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $69.83 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $3.46 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $237.5 million (2003)

Currency (code):
  Guinean franc (GNF)

Exchange rates:
  Guinean francs per US dollar - 2,550 (2005), 2,225 (2004), 1,984.9 (2003),
  1,975.8 (2002), 1,950.6 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Guinea Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  26,200 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  111,500 (2003)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: 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: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
    (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 4 (one station is inactive), FM 1 (plus 7 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
  6 low-power stations (2001)

Internet country code:
  .gn

Internet hosts:
  364 (2005)

Internet users:
  46,000 (2005)

§7. Guinea Transportation

Airports:
  16 (2005)

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 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 11
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 2 (2005)

Railways:
  total: 837 km
  standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 44,348 km
  paved: 4,342 km
  unpaved: 40,006 km (2003)

Waterways:
  1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Kamsar

§8. Guinea Military

Military branches:
  Army (includes Presidential Guard, Republican Guard), Navy, Air Force,
  National Gendarmerie, General Directorate of National Police

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
  obligation - 24 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,853,316 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,038,036 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $119.7 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  2.9% (2005 est.)

§9. Guinea Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  conflicts among rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in neighboring
  states have spilled over into Guinea, resulting in domestic instability;
  Sierra Leone has pressured Guinea to remove its forces from the town of
  Yenga, occupied since 1998

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 127,256 (Liberia) 7,165 (Sierra Leone) 7,064
    (Cote d'Ivoire)
  IDPs: 82,000 (cross-border incursions from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote
    d'Ivoire) (2005)


<Factbook 2006>
