Guinea
Republique de Guinee
republicIndependence 2 October 1958 (from France)
Guinea as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 94 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between | Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
17 fieldsLand useshare of 245,860 sq 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
Environment - current issues
- deforestation;
- inadequate supplies of potable water;
- desertification;
- soil contamination and erosion;
- overfishing, overpopulation in forest region
Environment - international agreements
- party to :
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Desertification
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1997 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 44% (male 1,625,046; female 1,632,953) 15-64 years : 53% (male 1,928,853; female 2,019,180)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 83,165; female 116,178) (July 1997 est.)
Net migration rate
-12.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) note: in prior years Guinea received several hundred thousand refugees from the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, some of whom are now returning to their own countries
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.72 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Government
Republic
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 114 seatsone dot, one seat
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
Administrative divisions
- 33 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture) and 1 national capital* (capitale d'etat);
- 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
note: the 33 prefectures may have been subsumed by four new first-order administrative divisions called administrative regions (regions administrative, singular - region administrative) named Guinee-Forestiere,
Guinee-Maritime, Haute-Guinee, and Moyenne-Guinee
Legal system
- based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree;
- legal codes currently being revised;
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state :
- President Lansana CONTE (head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993);
- head of government :
- Prime Minister Sidia TOURE (since July 1996)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the president
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
- candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected president;
- election last held 19 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998);
- the prime minister was appointed by President CONTE
- election results:
- Lansana CONTE' elected president;
- percent of vote - Lansana CONTE' (PUP) 51.7%, Alpha CONDE' (RPG) 19.55%, Mamadou Boye BA' (UNR) 13.37%, Siradiou DIALLO (PRP) 11.86%;
- note - the country's first-ever multi-party elections for president
Legislative branch
unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections :
- last held 11 June 1995 (next to be held NA 2000)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 71, RPG 19, PRP 9, UNR 9, UPG 2, PDG 1, UNP 1, PDG/RDA 1, other 1
Political parties and leaders
- political parties were legalized on 1 April 1992;
- of the more than 40 with legal status, the following won seats in the legislature in the 11 June 1995 elections
- pro-government :
- Party for Unity and Progress or PUP [Gen. Lansana CONTE']
- other:
- Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE]; Union for a New Republic or UNR [Mamadou Boye BA']; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP [Siradiou DIALLO]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Sec.-Gen. Jean-Marie DORE]; Democratic Party of Guinea or PDG-AST [Ahmed Sekou TOURE]; National Union for the Prosperity of Guinea or UNPG [Lt.Col. Facine TOURE]; Democratic Party of Guinea - African Democratic Rally or PDG - RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission :
- Ambassador Mohamed Aly THIAM
- chancery:
- 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 483-9420
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Tibor P. NAGY, Jr. (5 July 1996)
- embassy :
- Rue KA 038, Conakry
- mailing address:
- B. P. 603, Conakry
- telephone:
- [224] 41 15 20, 41 15 21, 41 15 23
Flag description
- 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, hydropower, and | agricultural resources, Guinea remains one of the poorest countries in | the world.
22 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1995 est.)
Economy - overview
Although possessing major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, Guinea remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The agricultural sector employs 80% of the work force. Guinea possesses over 25% of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second largest bauxite producer.
The mining sector accounted for about 75% of exports in 1995. Long run improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Except in the mining industry, foreign investment remains minimal.
Industries
- bauxite, gold, diamonds;
- alumina refining;
- light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries
Agriculture - products
- rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes;
- cattle, sheep, goats;
- timber
Exports
- total value:
- $725 million (1995 est.)
- commodities:
- bauxite, alumina, diamonds, gold, coffee, fish, agricultural products
- partners :
- Belgium-Luxembourg 27%, US 15%, Ireland 10%, Spain 10% (1994)
Imports
- total value:
- $775 million (1995 est.)
- commodities:
- petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs
- partners:
- France 20%, Cote d'Ivoire 16%, US 7%, Belgium-Luxembourg 7%, Hong Kong 6%, Germany 4% (1994)
Exchange rates
Guinean francs (FG) per US$1 - 1,004.0 (January 1997), 1,006.8 (November 1996), 991.4 (1995), 976.6 (1994), 955.5 (1993), 902.0 (1992)
note: the official exchange rate of the Guinean franc was set and quoted weekly against the US dollar until end-October 1993; since 1 November 1994,
the exchange rate is determined in the interbank market for foreign exchange
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
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:
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Transportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 1,086 km
- standard gauge:
- 279 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 807 km 1.000-m gauge (includes 662 km in common carrier service from Kankan to Conakry)
Military
Army, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air | Force, Republican Guard, Presidential Guard, paramilitary National | Gendarmerie, National Police Force (Surete National)
5 fieldsMilitary branches
Army, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, Republican Guard, Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National Police Force (Surete National)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Guinea.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/guinea/1997.