Map of Guinea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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

Geographic coordinates: 11 00 N 10 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 245,857 km²
Land: 245,857 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries
Total: 3,399 km
Border countries: (6) 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
Extremes 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 (2003)

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
Note: the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands


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Population: 9,690,222 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 2.63% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 40% (2003 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Guinean
Adjective: Guinean

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

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

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

Demographic profile

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.)

Dependency ratios

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/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 15.48 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate
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.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2006 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 90 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 95.16 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 84.69 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 49.5 years

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

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.2% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 140,000 (2003 est.)
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)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 35.9%
Male: 49.9%
Female: 21.9% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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
Name: Conakry
Geographic coordinates: 9 31 N, 13 43 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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: vacant; note - Prime Minister Cellou Dalein DIALLO was dismissed on 5 April 2006
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); 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
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]

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 MONUC NAM OIC OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMIS UNOCI UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ibrihama Sory TRAORE
In the us chancery: 2,112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 986-4,300
In the us fax: [1] (202) 478-3,800
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jackson C. MCDONALD
From the us embassy: Koloma, Conakry, east of Hamdallaye Circle
From the us mailing address: B. P. 603, Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry
From the us telephone: [224] 30-42-08-61
From the us fax: [224] 30-42-08-73

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side) yellow and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $18.65 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 2% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2000 (2005 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23.7%
Industry: 36.2%
Services: 40.1% (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: NA

Labor force: 3 million (1999)
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry and services: 20% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

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

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.6%
Highest 10: 32% (1994)

Distribution of family income gini index: 40.3 (1994)

Budget
Revenues: $305.6 million
Expenditures: $590.4 million; including capital expenditures of $N/A (2005 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

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

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: $-268.4 million (2005 est.)

Exports: $612.1 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: bauxite alumina gold diamonds coffee fish agricultural products
Partners: Russia 14.6% South Korea 11.3% Spain 10.2% Ukraine 7.9% US 6.1% Ireland 6% France 5.7% Germany 5% Belgium 4.5% (2005)

Imports: $680 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: petroleum products metals machinery transport equipment textiles grain and other foodstuffs
Partners: China 8.5% US 7.3% France 7.2% Cote d'Ivoire 5.2% Italy 4.7% Belgium 4.1% (2005)

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

Debt external: $3.46 billion (2003 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Guinean francs per US dollar - 2,550 (2005) 2,225 (2004) 1984.9 (2003) 1975.8 (2002) 1950.6 (2001)


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Electricity
Production: 775 million kWh (2003)
Consumption: 720.8 million kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 26,200 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 189,000 (2005)

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)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .gn
Hosts: 367 (2006)
Users: 46,000 (2005)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1.7% (2006)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2006)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 16 (2006)
With paved runways total: 5
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 11
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 837 km
Standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways
Total: 44,348 km
Paved: 4,342 km
Unpaved: 40,006 km (2003)

Waterways: 1300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2005)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Kamsar


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Disputes international: conflicts among rebel groups warlords and youth gangs in neighboring states have spilled over into Guinea resulting in domestic instability; Sierra Leone considers Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa rivers excessive and protests Guinea's continued occupation of these lands including the hamlet of Yenga occupied since 1998

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 54,810 (Liberia), 5,423 (Sierra Leone), 3,900 (Cote d'Ivoire)
Idps: 19,000 (cross-border incursions from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone) (2006)

Illicit drugs