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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

257,000 (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

18,000 (1994 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

6 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

65,000 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $553 million expenditures: $652 million, including capital expenditures of $317 million (1995 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes

Debt - external (Debt--external) [time series]

$3.15 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]

$433.6 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]

Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains a poor underdeveloped nation. 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 1998. 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 1997-98. Except in the mining industry, foreign investment remains minimal but is expected to pick up in 1999.

Electricity - consumption (Electricity--consumption) [time series]

525 million kWh (1996)

Electricity - exports (Electricity--exports) [time series]

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity - imports (Electricity--imports) [time series]

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity - production (Electricity--production) [time series]

525 million kWh (1996)

Electricity - production by source (Electricity--production by source) [time series]

fossil fuel: 63.81% hydro: 36.19% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

Exchange rates [time series]

Guinean francs (FG) per US$1--1,292.5 (January 1999), 1,095.3 (1997), 1,004.0 (1996), 991.4 (1995), 976.6 (1994) 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

Exports [time series]

$695 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]

bauxite, alumina, diamonds, gold, coffee, fish, agricultural products

Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]

Russia, US, Belgium, Ukraine, Ireland, Spain (1997)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity--$8.8 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP--composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 24% industry: 31% services: 45% (1996 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP--per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity?$1,180 (1998 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP--real growth rate) [time series]

4.9% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 31.7% (1991)

Imports [time series]

$560 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]

petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs (1997)

Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]

France, Cote d'Ivoire, US, Belgium, Hong Kong (1997)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

3.2% (1994)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.5% (1998 est.)

Labor force [time series]

2.4 million (1983)

Labor force - by occupation (Labor force--by occupation) [time series]

agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 11%, services 5.4%, civil service 3.6%

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 245,860 sq km land: 245,860 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative (Area--comparative) [time series]

slightly smaller than Oregon

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

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m

Environment - current issues (Environment--current issues) [time series]

deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region

International environmental agreements (Environment--international agreements) [time series]

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

11 00 N, 10 00 W

Irrigated land [time series]

930 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 3,399 km border countries: Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 22% forests and woodland: 59% other: 17% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

4 administrative regions (regions administrative, singular--region administrative) and 1 special zone (zone speciale)*; Conakry*, Guinee, Guinee-Forestiere, Haute-Guinee, Moyen-Guinee

Capital [time series]

Conakry

Constitution [time series]

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Guinea conventional short form: Guinea local long form: Republique de Guinee local short form: Guinee former: French Guinea

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Tibor P. NAGY, Jr. embassy: Rue Ka 038, Conakry mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Aly THIAM chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

Executive branch [time series]

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 appointed by the president election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote--Lansana CONTE (PUP) 56%, Alpha CONDE (RPG) 16%, Mamadou Boye BA (UNR-PRP) 24%

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

2 October 1958 (from France)

International organization participation [time series]

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), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

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]

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

National holiday [time series]

Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)

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

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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Republican Guard, Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National Police Force (Surete National)

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures--dollar figure) [time series]

$56 million (1996)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures--percent of GDP) [time series]

1.4% (1996)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower--availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,726,933 (1999 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower--fit for military service) [time series]

males age 15-49: 871,615 (1999 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 44% (male 1,640,158; female 1,653,184) 15-64 years: 54% (male 1,974,849; female 2,068,221) 65 years and over: 2% (male 83,859; female 118,682) (1999 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

40.62 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate [time series]

17.3 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

126.32 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages [time series]

French (official), each tribe has its own language

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 46.5 years male: 44.02 years female: 49.06 years (1999 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 35.9% male: 49.9% female: 21.9% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Guinean(s) adjective: Guinean

Net migration rate [time series]

-15.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.) note: over the years Guinea has received up to several hundred thousand refugees from the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, some of whom are now returning to their own countries

Population [time series]

7,538,953 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.82% (1999 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

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 total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.53 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes--international) [time series]

none

Transportation

Airports [time series]

15 (1998 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports--with paved runways) [time series]

total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (1998 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports--with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

none

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Boke, Conakry, Kamsar

Railways [time series]

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)

Waterways [time series]

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft