Airports [time series]

16 total, 16 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 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, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, Republican Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, Surete Nationale

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$27 million, 1.2% of GDP (1988)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 1,695,832; 853,593 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

Budget [time series]

revenues $394 million; expenditures $548 million, including capital expenditures of $254 million (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $227 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1,075 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $446 million

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--24.39 (1989), 19.23 (1988), 17.54 (1987), 14.29 (1986), NA (1985)

Exports [time series]

$645 million (f.o.b., 1989 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]

$2.6 billion (1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

$2.7 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 4.4% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$551 million (c.i.f., 1989 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%; accounts for 27% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

28.2% (1989 est.)

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 27% of GDP. Guinea possesses over 25% of theworld's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and alumina accounted for about 70% of total exports in 1989.

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 Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

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]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

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]

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

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

Ambassador (vacant); Chancery at 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-9420; US--Ambassador Dane F. SMITH, Jr.; Embassy at 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry (mailing address is B. P. 603, Conakry); telephone (224) 44-15-20 through 24

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

none

Executive branch [time series]

president, Transitional Committee for National Recovery (Comite Transitionale de Redressement National or CTRN) replaced the 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]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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 (1991)

Death rate [time series]

21 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Fulani 35%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, small indigenous tribes 15%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

144 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

2,400,000 (1983); agriculture 82.0%, industry and commerce 11.0%, services 5.4%; 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]

41 years male, 45 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

24% (male 35%, female 13%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

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

Population [time series]

7,455,850 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.0 children born/woman (1991)