Airports [time series]

16 total, 16 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

2 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

30,100 km total; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite (of which barely 4,500 km are currently all-weather roads), 16,000 km unimproved earth (1987)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Ports [time series]

Conakry, Kamsar

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system; 10,000 telephones; stations--3 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 12,000 TV sets; 125,000 radio receivers; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army (ground forces), Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

3.1% of GDP (1984)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 1,657,787; 834,777 fit for military service

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $203 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $882 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $446 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $357 million; expenditures $480 million, including capital expenditures of $229 million (1988 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Guinean franc (plural--francs); 1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes

Electricity [time series]

113,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Guinean francs (FG) per US$1--505.00 (October 1988), 440.00 (January 1988), 440.00 (1987), 235.63 (1986), 22.47 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$553 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels; partners--US 33%, EC 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.6 billion (December 1988)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$2.5 billion, per capita $350; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)

Imports [time series]

$509 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles and other grain; partners--US 16%, France, Brazil

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

bauxite mining, alumina, diamond mining, light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

27.0% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Although possessing many natural resources and considerable potential for agricultural development, Guinea is 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 about 25% of GDP. Guinea possesses over 25% of the world's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for more than 80% of total exports in 1986.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

320 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Oregon

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

3,399 km total; Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Ivory Coast 610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

Land use [time series]

6% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 12% meadows and pastures; 42% forest and woodland; 40% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Natural resources [time series]

bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish

Terrain [time series]

generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

245,860 km2; land area: 245,860 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

29 administrative regions (regions administratives, singular--region administrative); Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou

Capital [time series]

Conakry

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

no Communist party, although there are some sympathizers

Constitution [time series]

14 May 1982, suspended after coup of 3 April 1984

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Kekoura CAMARA; Chancery at 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-9420; US--Ambassador Samuel E. LUPO; Embassy at 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry (mailing address is B. P. 603, Conakry); telephone 44-15-20 through 24

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

none

Executive branch [time series]

president, Military Committee for National Recovery (Comite Militaire de Redressement National or CMRN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

2 October 1958 (from France; formerly French Guinea)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) Chief of State and Head of Government--Gen. Lansana CONTE (since 5 April 1984)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire) was dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Guinea

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, Mano River Union, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

none; following the 3 April 1984 coup all political activity was banned

Suffrage [time series]

none

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Birth rate [time series]

47 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

22 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Fulani, Malinke, Sousou, 15 smaller tribes

Infant mortality rate [time series]

147 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

2,400,000 (1983); 82.0% agriculture, 11.0% industry and commerce, 5.4% services; 88,112 civil servants (1987); 52% of population of working age (1985)

Languages (Language) [time series]

French (official); each tribe has its own language

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

40 years male, 44 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

20% in French; 48% in local languages

Nationality [time series]

noun--Guinean(s); adjective--Guinean

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

virtually 100% of wage earners loosely affiliated with the National Confederation of Guinean Workers

Population [time series]

7,269,240 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

85% Muslim, 5% indigenous beliefs, 1.5% Christian

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.1 children born/woman (1990)