CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Guinea


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!| Background:
 * Guinea has had only two presidents since gaining its independence from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984, when the military seized the government after the death of the first president Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military government) was elected president of the civilian government. He was reelected in 1998 and again in 2003. Unrest in Sierra Leone and Liberia has spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over the past decade, threatening stability and creating humanitarian emergencies.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 0 sq km land: 245,857 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 2.58% other: 93.79% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements !| Geography - note:
 * Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
 * 11 00 N, 10 00 W
 * Africa
 * total: 245,857 sq km
 * slightly smaller than Oregon
 * total: 3,399 km
 * 320 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
 * generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
 * lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
 * bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish
 * arable land: 3.63%
 * 950 sq km (1998 est.)
 * hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
 * 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
 * the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 52.4% (male 2,417,440; female 2,428,085) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 127,654; female 164,695) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 17.4 years female: 17.9 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is host to approximately 150,000 Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees (2004 est.) !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 86.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 97.3 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 48.45 years female: 50.99 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Major infectious diseases: overall degree of risk: very high (2004) !| Nationality: adjective: Guinean !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 35.9% male: 49.9% female: 21.9% (1995 est.)
 * 9,246,462 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 44.4% (male 2,075,652; female 2,032,936)
 * total: 17.7 years
 * 2.37% (2004 est.)
 * 42.26 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 15.53 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -3.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population
 * at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
 * total: 91.82 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 49.7 years
 * 5.87 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 3.2% (2003 est.)
 * 140,000 (2003 est.)
 * 9,000 (2003 est.)
 * typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis
 * noun: Guinean(s)
 * Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10%
 * Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
 * French (official), each ethnic group has its own language
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Guinea local short form: Guinee former: French Guinea local long form: Republique de Guinee !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: Prime Minister Cellou Dalein DIALLO (since 9 December 2004) 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 21 December 2003 (next to be held NA December 2008); the prime minister is appointed by the president election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE (PUP) 95.3%, Mamadou Boye BARRY (UPR) 4.6% !| Legislative branch: elections: last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%, other 11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX: [1] (202) 478-3010 telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300 chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: 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:
 * conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
 * republic
 * Conakry
 * 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
 * 2 October 1958 (from France)
 * Independence Day, 2 October (1958)
 * 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)
 * based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: President Lansana CONTE (head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993)
 * unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
 * Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel
 * Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; National Union for Progress or UPN [Mamadou Bhoye BARRY]; 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 [Siradiou DIALLO]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]
 * NA
 * ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Rafiou Alpha Oumar BARRY
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
 * three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 38.2% services: 36.9% (2003 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: 32% (1994) !| Distribution of family income - Gini index: !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $708.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (2003 est.) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country possesses over 30% of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for about 75% of exports in 1999. Long-run improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Fighting along the Sierra Leonean and Liberian borders, as well as refugee movements, have caused major economic disruptions, including a loss in investor confidence. Foreign mining companies have reduced expatriate staff, while panic buying has created food shortages and inflation in local markets. Guinea is not receiving multilateral aid. The IMF and World Bank cut off most assistance in 2003. Growth should strengthen in 2004, however, because of a slowly improving security situation and increased investor confidence.
 * purchasing power parity - $19.02 billion (2003 est.)
 * 3% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 24.9%
 * 21.2% of GDP (2003)
 * 40% (2003 est.)
 * lowest 10%: 2.6%
 * 40.3 (1994)
 * 14.8% (2003 est.)
 * 3 million (1999)
 * agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2000 est.)
 * NA (2002 est.)
 * revenues: $410.7 million
 * rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber
 * bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries
 * 3.2% (1994)
 * 790.6 million kWh (2001)
 * 735.2 million kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 8,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $-252 million (2003)
 * $726 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products
 * South Korea 14.8%, Spain 10.7%, US 10.1%, France 9.2%, Russia 9%, Ireland 7.9%, Belgium 6.4%, Germany 5.6%, Ukraine 5.3% (2003)
 * $646 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs
 * France 16.8%, China 9.3%, Belgium 7.1%, Italy 6.6%, Netherlands 5.4%, UK 5.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.8%, US 4.5% (2003)
 * $191 million (2003)
 * $3.25 billion (2001 est.)
 * $359.2 million (1998)
 * Guinean franc (GNF)
 * GNF
 * Guinean francs per US dollar - NA (2003), 1,975.84 (2002), 1,950.56 (2001), 1,746.87 (2000), 1,387.4 (1999)
 * calendar year
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication international: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 26,200 (2003)
 * 111,500 (2003)
 * general assessment: poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system
 * AM 4 (one station is inactive), FM 1 (plus 7 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2001)
 * 357,000 (1997)
 * 6 low-power stations (2001)
 * 85,000 (1997)
 * .gn
 * 380 (2004)
 * 4 (2001)
 * 40,000 (2003)
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!| Railways: standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2003) !| Highways: paved: 5,033 km unpaved: 25,467 km (1999 est.) !| Waterways: !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: Iraq 1 (2003 est.) !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
 * total: 837 km
 * total: 30,500 km
 * 1,295 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2003)
 * Boke, Conakry, Kamsar
 * total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,344 GRT/5,003 DWT
 * 16 (2003 est.)
 * total: 5
 * total: 11
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Army, Navy, Air Force, Republican Guard, Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, General Directorate of National Police
 * 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
 * males age 15-49: 2,108,948 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 1,064,965 (2004 est.)
 * $58.5 million (2003)
 * 1.7% (2003)
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