Guinea

Independent from France since 1958, Guinea did not hold democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. Lansana CONTE (head of the military government) was elected president of the civilian government. He was reelected in 1998. Unrest in Sierra Leone has spilled over into Guinea, threatening stability and creating a humanitarian emergency.

• generally hot and humid;
• monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds;
• dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

• deforestation;
• inadequate supplies of potable water;
• desertification;
• soil contamination and erosion;
• overfishing, overpopulation in forest region;
• poor mining practices have led to environmental damage

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

0-14 years:

42.8% (male 1,660,795; female 1,669,850)

15-64 years:

54.5% (male 2,067,991; female 2,165,625)

65 years and over:

2.7% (male 86,968; female 123,836) (2002 est.)

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:

0.7 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

noun:

Guinean(s)

adjective:

Guinean

conventional long form:

Republic of Guinea

conventional short form:

Guinea

local short form:

Guinee

former:

French Guinea

local long form:

Republique de Guinee

• 33 prefectures and 1 special zone (zone special)*;
• 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

• based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree;
• legal codes currently being revised;
• has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

chief of state:

President Lansana CONTE (head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993)

head of government:

Prime Minister Lamine SIDIME (since 8 March 1999)

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 14 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2003);
• the prime minister is appointed by the president

election results:

Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE (PUP) 56.1%, Mamadou Boye BA (UNR-PRP) 24.6%, Alpha CONDE (RPG) 16.6%,

• Democratic Party of Guinea or PDG-AST [Marcel CROS];
• Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN];
• National Union for Progress or UNP [Paul Louis FABER];
• Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP;
• Party for Unity and Progress or PUP [Lansana CONTE] - the governing party;
• People's Party of Guinea or PPG [Pascal TOLNO];
• Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE];
• Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR;
• note - Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP and Union for the New Republic or UNR merged into UPR [Siradiou DIALLO];
• Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general];
• Union for the New Republic or UNR [Mamadou Boye BA];
• Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Rafiou Alpha Oumar BARRY

FAX:

[1] (202) 483-8688

telephone:

[1] (202) 483-9420

chancery:

2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission:

Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY

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

lowest 10%:

3%

highest 10%:

32% (1994) (1994)

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

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

general assessment:

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)

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, of which 36 km are usable and the rest are deteriorating (2000 est.)

total:

30,500 km

paved:

5,033 km

unpaved:

25,467 km (1996)