Guinea

Republic of GuineaRepublique de Guinee

republicIndependence 2 October 1958 (from France)

Guinea as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 94 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
Position11 00 N, 10 00 W
Area245,860 sq km
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
1998

Every edition of Guinea

Populationas each edition published it
7.48 million July 1998 est. · 7.27m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.83% 1998 est. · 2.46% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 17.7 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
46.01 years 1998 est. · 43.68 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.59 children per woman 1998 est. · 6.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
128.92 deaths per 1,000 live births 1998 est. · 147 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,100 1997 est. · $410 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4.8% 1997 est. · 4.3% in 1993

Geography

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

17 fields

Land useshare of 245,860 sq km

arable land 2%permanent crops 0%permanent pastures 22%forests and woodland 59%other 17% (1993 est.)irrigated 930 sq km (1993 est.)
Area
245,860sq km
land: 245,860 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmslightly smaller than Oregon
Coastline
320km
exclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
1,752m
Mont Nimbalowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Land boundaries
3,399km
border countries: 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

Geographic coordinates

11 00 N, 10 00 W

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

Natural hazards

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

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements

People

15 fields
Population
7,477,110
(July 1998 est.)growth rate: 0.83% (1998 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1998 est.)

Birth
41.28Death
17.76Net migration
-15.25
Net migration: 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

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1998 est.)46.01
43.58 · 48.52
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)35.9%
49.9% · 21.9%
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

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

Religions

Muslim 85%Christian 8%indigenous beliefs 7%

Age structure

0-14 years:
44% (male 1,634,344; female 1,644,863)
15-64 years:
53% (male 1,952,442; female 2,044,363)
65 years and over:
3% (male 83,616; female 117,482) (July 1998 est.)

Net migration rate

-15.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 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:
0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate

128.92 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.59 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Guinean(s)
adjective:
Guinean

Languages

French (official), each tribe has its own language

Government

Republic; President Lansana CONTE (head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993); Prime Minister Sidya TOURE (since July 1996)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

51.7%
Lansana CONTE (PUP) 51.7%Alpha CONDE (RPG) 19.55%Mamadou Boye BA (UNR) 13.37%Siradiou DIALLO (PRP) 11.86%election last held 19 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998)

Legislature, 114 seats, elected 11 June 1995one dot, one seat

PUP 71RPG 19PRP 9UNR 9UPG 2PDG 1UNP 1PDG-RDA 1other 1

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 reorganized into four new first-order administrative divisions called administrative regions (regions administrative, singular-region administrative) named Guinee-Forestiere,

Guinee-Maritime, Haute-Guinee, and Moyenne-Guinee

Independence

2 October 1958 (from France)

National holiday

Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)

Constitution

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 Sidya 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

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

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
other:
Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; Democratic Party of Guinea or PDG-AST [Marcel CROS]; National Union for the Prosperity of Guinea or UNPG [Lt. Col. Facine TOURE]; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP [Siradiou DIALLO]
pro-government:
Party for Unity and Progress or PUP [Gen. Lansana CONTE]
other:
  • Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE];
  • Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general];
  • Union for a New Republic or UNR [Mamadou Boye BA']

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, IOM (observer), 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

FAX

[1] (202) 483-8688

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

FAX

[224] 41 15 22

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.

28 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
-$8.3billion
purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
-$1,100
purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)
Real growth rate
4.8%
(1997 est.)industrial production growth: 3.2% (1994)

GDP-composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 24%industry 31%services 45% (1995 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$553 millionExpenditures
$652 million (1995 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $317 million
Fixed lines
18,000
(1994 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. The government made encouraging progress in budget management in 1997. Except in the mining industry, foreign investment remains minimal.

Labor force

total:
2.4 million (1983)
by occupation:
agriculture 80.0%, industry and commerce 11.0%, services 5.4%, civil service 3.6%

Industries

  • bauxite, gold, diamonds;
  • alumina refining;
  • light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries

Electricity-capacity

176,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-production

500 million kWh (1995)

Agriculture-products

  • rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes;
  • cattle, sheep, goats;
  • timber

Exports

total value:
$748 million (1995 est.)
commodities:
bauxite, alumina, diamonds, gold, coffee, fish, agricultural products
partners:
US 21%, Belgium-Luxembourg 21%, Ireland 15%, Spain 15% (1995)

Imports

total value:
$809 million (1995 est.)
commodities:
petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs
partners:
France 35%, Cote d'Ivoire 31%, US 14%, Belgium-Luxembourg 10%, Hong Kong 10% (1995)

Debt-external

$3 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency

1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Guinean francs (FG) per US$1-1,004.0 (January 1997), 1,004.0 (1997), 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 the end of October 1993; since 1 November 1994,

the exchange rate is determined in the interbank market for foreign exchange

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

Telephone 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)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios

257,000 (1992 est.)

Televisions

65,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m
1
total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Networkskm

Highways
30,500Railways
1,086
Highways: paved: 5,033 km · unpaved: 25,467 km (1996 est.) · Railways: 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)

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)

Highways

total:
30,500 km
paved:
5,033 km
unpaved:
25,467 km (1996 est.)

Waterways

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Ports and harbors

Boke, Conakry, Kamsar

Merchant marine

total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,722 GRT/6,226 DWT (1997 est.)

Airports

15 (1997 est.)

Airports-with paved runways

total:
5
over 3,047 m:
1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (1997 est.)

Military

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

5 fields

Military branches

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

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 1,706,395 (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes-international

none GUINEA-BISSAU

Central Intelligence Agency. “Guinea.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/guinea/1998.

How to cite ← 1997 edition 1999 edition →