Guinea

republicIndependence 2 October 1958 (from France

Guinea as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 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

7.46 million July 1991 · 7.27m in 1990

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 children per woman 1991 · 6.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

144 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 147 in 1990

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

9 fields

Total area

245,860km2

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

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

Coastline

320 km 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

Natural resources

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

Land use

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

Environment

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

People

14 fields

Population

7,455,850

(July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

47Death

21Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Fulani 35%Malinke 30%Soussou 20%small indigenous tribes 15%

Religion

Muslim 85%Christian 8%indigenous beliefs 7%

Labor force

2,400,000

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

Literacy

24%

(male 35%, female 13%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

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)

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)

president, Transitional Committee for National Recovery (Comite Transitionale de Redressement National or CTRN) replaced the 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

Suffrage

none

Elections

none

Communists

no Communist party, although there are some sympathizers

Member of

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

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador (vacant);
Chancery at 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 483-9420;
US--Ambassador Dane F. SMITH, Jr.;
Embassy at 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry (mailing address is B. P. 603, Conakry);
telephone (224) 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

$2.7billion

per capita $380; real growth rate 4.4% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

28.2%

(1989 est.)

External debt

$2.6billion

(1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$394 millionExpenditures

$548 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $254 million (1989 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 27% of GDP. Guinea possesses over 25% of theworld's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for about 70% of total exports in 1989.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$645 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels;
partners--US 33%, EC 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada

Imports

$551 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities--petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles and other grain;
partners--US 16%, France, Brazil

Industrial production

growth rate NA%; accounts for 27% of GDP

Electricity

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

Industries

bauxite mining, alumina, gold, 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

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $227 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1,075 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--24.39 (1989), 19.23 (1988), 17.54 (1987), 14.29 (1986), NA (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

2runways 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