Guinea

republicIndependence 2 October 1958 (from France)

Guinea as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 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
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between
1994

Every edition of Guinea

Populationas each edition published it
6.39 million July 1994 est. · 7.27m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.45% 1994 est. · 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
5.85 children per woman 1994 est. · 6.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
139.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 147 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$500 1993 est. · $410 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
3.2% 1992 est. · 4.3% in 1993

Geography

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

22 fields
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
Irrigated land
240sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

245,860 sq km

land area

245,860 sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than Oregon

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

arable land

6%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

12%

forest and woodland

42%

other

40%

current issues

  • deforestation;
  • inadequate supplies of safe drinking water;
  • desertification;
  • soil contamination and erosion

natural hazards

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

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

People

22 fields
Population
6,391,536
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 2.45% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
44.08Death
19.6Net migration
0

Ethnic divisions

Peuhl 40%Malinke 30%Soussou 20%indigenous tribes 10%

Religions

Muslim 85%Christian 8%indigenous beliefs 7%
Labor force
2.4million
(1983)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

139.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

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.)

noun

Guinean(s)

adjective

Guinean

Languages

French (official); each tribe has its own language

total population

24%

male

35%

female

13%

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)

Government

Republic

33 fields

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)

National holiday

Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)

Constitution

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

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

cabinet

Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

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

political parties were legalized on 1 April 1992

pro-government

Party for Unity and Progress (PUP)

other

  • Rally for the Guinean People (RPG), Alpha CONDE;
  • Union for a New Republic (UNR), Mamadou BAH;
  • Party for Renewal and Progress (PRP), Siradiou DIALLO

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, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Elhadj Boubacar BARRY

chancery

2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 483-9420

FAX

(202) 483-8688

chief of mission

Ambassador Joseph A. SALOOM

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 major mineral and hydropower resources and | considerable potential for agricultural development, Guinea remains | one of the poorest countries in the world.

25 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$500
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
3.2%
(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate NA%; accounts for 27% of GDP
External debt
2.5billion
(1992)

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.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $3.1 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$449 million

expenditures

$708 million, including capital expenditures of $361 million (1990 est.)

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%

capacity

113,000 kW

production

300 million kWh

consumption per capita

40 kWh (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

recipient

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $227 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.465 billion;
  • 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 - 810.94 (1 July 1993), 922.9 (30 September 1992), 675 (1990), 618 (1989), 515 (1988), 440 (1987), 383 (1986)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

13 fields

Railroads

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

total

30,100 km

paved

1,145 km

unpaved

gravel, crushed stone 12,955 km (of which barely 4,500 are currently all-weather roads); unimproved earth 16,000 km (1987)

Inland waterways

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Ports

Conakry, Kamsar

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 1,440,297; fit for military service 726,543

Defense expenditures

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Guinea.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/guinea/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →