Guinea

republicIndependence 2 October 1958 (from France

Guinea as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalConakry

Area245,860 km2

Populationas each edition published it

7.27 million July 1990 · 14.37m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.46% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 43.68 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.1 children per woman 1990 · 4.75 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

147 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 45.8 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $410 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 4.3% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Land useshare of 245,860 km2

arable land 6%meadows and pastures 12%forest and woodland 42%other 40%NEGL% permanent crops; includes NEGL% irrigated

Total area

245,860km2

land area: 245,860 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon

Coastline

320km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

3,399km total

Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Ivory Coast 610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

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

Natural resources

bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish

Environment

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

People

14 fields

Population

7,269,240

(July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

47Death

22Net migration

Religion

Muslim 85%indigenous beliefs 5%Christian 1.5%

Labor force

2,400,000

(1983); 82.0% agriculture, 11.0% industry and commerce, 5.4% services; 88,112 civil servants (1987); 52% of population of working age (1985)

Literacy

20%in French

48% in local languages

Ethnic divisions

Fulani, Malinke, Sousou, 15 smaller tribes

Language

French (official); each tribe has its own language

Organized labor

virtually 100% of wage earners loosely affiliated with the National Confederation of Guinean Workers

Government

Republic

18 fields

Administrative divisions

29 administrative regions (regions administratives, singular--region administrative);
Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou

Independence

2 October 1958 (from France; formerly French Guinea)

Constitution

14 May 1982, suspended after coup of 3 April 1984

Legal system

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

National holiday

Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)

Executive branch

president, Military Committee for National Recovery (Comite Militaire de Redressement National or CMRN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire) was dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) Chief of State and Head of Government--Gen. Lansana CONTE (since 5 April 1984)

Political parties and leaders

none; following the 3 April 1984 coup all political activity was banned

Communists

no Communist party, although there are some sympathizers

ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, Mano River Union, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Kekoura CAMARA;
Chancery at 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 483-9420;
US--Ambassador Samuel E. LUPO;
Embassy at 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry (mailing address is B. P. 603, Conakry);
telephone 44-15-20 through 24

Flag

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

Economy

Although possessing many natural resources and considerable potential for agricultural development, Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$2.5billion

per capita $350; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)

Inflation, consumer prices

27.0%

(1988)

External debt

$1.6billion

(December 1988)

Budget

Revenues

$357 millionExpenditures

$480 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $229 million (1988 est.)

Overview

Although possessing many natural resources and considerable potential for agricultural development, Guinea is 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 about 25% of GDP. Guinea possesses over 25% of the world's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for more than 80% of total exports in 1986.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$553 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels;
partners--US 33%, EC 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada

Imports

$509 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities--petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles and other grain;
partners--US 16%, France, Brazil

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Electricity

113,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

bauxite mining, alumina, diamond mining, light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries

Agriculture

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

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $203 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $882 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $446 million

Currency

Guinean franc (plural--francs); 1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Guinean francs (FG) per US$1--505.00 (October 1988), 440.00 (January 1988), 440.00 (1987), 235.63 (1986), 22.47 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

7 fields

Airports, 16 total, 16 usable

permanent-surface runways

5runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

3runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

30,100 (1987)Railroads

1,045

Highways: ; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite (of which barely 4,500 km are currently all-weather roads), 16,000 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 806 km 1.000-meter gauge, 239 km 1.435-meter standard gauge

Railroads

1,045 km; 806 km 1.000-meter gauge, 239 km 1.435-meter standard gauge

Highways

30,100 km total; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite (of which barely 4,500 km are currently all-weather roads), 16,000 km unimproved earth (1987)

Inland waterways

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Ports

Conakry, Kamsar

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system;
10,000 telephones;
stations--3 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV;
12,000 TV sets;
125,000 radio receivers;
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station