Map of Guinea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 245,860 km²
Land: 245,860 km²

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

Coastline: 320 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 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

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

Land use
Arable land: 6%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 12%
Forest and woodland: 42%
Other: 40%

Irrigated land: 240 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography


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Population: 6,391,536 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 2.45% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Guinean(s)

Ethnic groups: Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, indigenous tribes 10%

Languages: French (official; each tribe has its own language

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.45% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 44.08 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 19.6 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; inadequate supplies of safe drinking water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 139.2 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 44.13 years
Male: 41.9 years
Female: 46.43 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.85 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 24%
Male: 35%
Female: 13%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
Conventional short form:
Former: French Guinea

Government type: republic

Capital: Conakry

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 2 October 1958 (from France)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)

Constitution: 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Legal system: based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: none

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

Legislative branch: Army, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, Presidential Guard, Republican Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National Police Force
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 are scheduled for 1994

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph A. SALOOM
From the us chancery: 2,112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: (224) 44-15-20 through 24
From the us fax: (224) 44-15-22
From the us embassy: 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry
From the us mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Although possessing major mineral and hydropower resources and considerable potential for agricultural development, Guinea remains 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. The mining sector accounted for 85% of exports in 1991. Long-run improvements in literacy, financial institutions, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Except in the bauxite industry, foreign investment remains minimal.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.2% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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

Industries: bauxite mining, alumina, gold, diamond mining, light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries

Industrial production growth rate: NA%; accounts for 27% of GDP

Labor force: 2.4 million (1983)
By occupation agriculture: 82.0%
By occupation industry and commerce: 11.0%
By occupation services: 5.4%
By occupation note: 88,112 civil servants (1987); 52% of population of working age (1985)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$449 million

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $622 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodities: bauxite, alumina, diamonds, gold, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels
Partners: US 23%, Belgium 12%, Ireland 12%, Spain 12%

Imports: $768 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
Commodities: petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, and other grain
Partners: France 26%, Cote d'Ivoire 12%, Hong Kong 6%, Germany 6%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: 2.5 billion (1992)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Guinean francs (FG) per US$1 - 810.94 (1 July 1993), 922.9 (30 September 1992), 675 (1990), 618 (1989), 515 (1988), 440 (1987), 383 (1986)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 300 million kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 40 kWh (1989)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $29 million, 1.2% of GDP (1988)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 15
Usable: 15
With permanentsurface runways: 4
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 3
With runways 1220-2439 m: 10

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs