Guinea

Republic of GuineaRepublique de Guinee

republicIndependence 2 October 1958 (from France)

Guinea as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 74 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
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Guinea-Bissau and
1993

Every edition of Guinea

Populationas each edition published it
6.24 million July 1993 est. · 7.27m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.46% 1993 est. · 2.74% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 17.7 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
43.68 years 1993 est. · 64.6 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.9 children per woman 1993 est. · 6.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
141.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 147 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$410 1990 est. · $4,000 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
4.3% 1990 est. · 5.7% in 2025

Geography

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

13 fields

Land useshare of 245,860 km2

arable land 6%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 12%forest and woodland 42%other 40%irrigated 240 km2 (1989 est.)
Area
245,860km2
land area: 245,860 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Coastline
320km
exclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
3,399km
total · Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

Location

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

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

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
6,236,506
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 2.46% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
44.76Death
20.13Net migration
0

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years43.68
41.49 · 45.93
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy24%
35% · 13%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

Muslim 85%Christian 8%indigenous beliefs 7%
Labor force
2.4million
(1983)by occupation: agriculture 82.0%, industry and commerce 11.0%, services 5.4%note: 88,112 civil servants (1987); 52% of population of working age (1985)

Infant mortality rate

141.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.9 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Guinean(s)
adjective:
Guinean

Languages

French (official); each tribe has its own language

Government

Republic

20 fields

Names

conventional long form:
Republic of Guinea
conventional short form:
Guinea
local long form:
Republique de Guinee
local short form:
Guinee
former:
French Guinea

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

Independence

2 October 1958 (from France)

Constitution

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

National holiday

Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)

Political parties and leaders

political parties were legalized on 1 April 1992

pro-government:
Party for Unity and Progress (PUP), leader NA
other:
  • Rally for the Guinean People (RPG), Alpha CONDE;
  • Union for a New Republic (UNR), Mamadon BAH;
  • Party for Renewal and Progress (PRP), Siradion DIALLO

Executive branch

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

  • unicameral People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire) was dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup;
  • framework established in December 1991 for a new National Assembly with 114 seats

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel)

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: Gen. Lansana CONTE (since 5 April 1984)

Member of

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

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Ansoumane CAMARA
chancery:
2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 483-9420

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador Dane F. SMITH, Jr.
embassy:
2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry
mailing address:
B. P. 603, Conakry
telephone:
(224) 44-15-20 through 24
FAX:
(224) 44-15-22

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.

18 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$410
(1990 est.)
Real growth rate
4.3%
(1990 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate NA%; accounts for 27% of GDP
External debt
$2.6billion
(1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$449 millionExpenditures
$708 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $361 million (1990 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 the world's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for about 70% of total exports in 1989.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3 billion (1990 est.)

Exports

$788 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)

commodities:
alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels
partners:
US 33%, EC 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada

Imports

$692 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)

commodities:
petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, and other grain
partners:
US 16%, France, Brazil

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 (1970-89), $1,465 million;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $446 million

Currency

1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Guinean francs (FG) per US$1 - 675 (1990), 618 (1989), 515 (1988), 440 (1987), 383 (1986)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

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

Airports

total:
15
usable:
15
with permanent-surface runways:
4
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
10

Telecommunications

  • poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system;
  • 15,000 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 3 AM 1 FM, 1 TV;
  • 65,000 TV sets;
  • 200,000 radio receivers;
  • 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Army, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, Presidential Guard, | Republican Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National Police Force

3 fields

Branches

Army, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, Presidential Guard, Republican Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National Police Force

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 1,403,776; fit for military service 708,078 (1993 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $29 million, 1.2% of GDP (1988)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Guinea.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/guinea/1993.

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