*Guinea, Geography

Location:
  Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Guinea-Bissau and
  Sierra Leone
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  245,860 km2
 land area:
  245,860 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
  total 3,399 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Liberia 563 km,
  Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km
Coastline:
  320 km
Maritime claims:
 exclusive economic zone:   200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with
  southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly
  harmattan winds
Terrain:
  generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Natural resources:
  bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish
Land use:
 arable land:
  6%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  12%
 forest and woodland:
  42%
 other:
  40%
Irrigated land:
  240 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season;
  deforestation

*Guinea, People

Population:
  6,236,506 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.46% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  44.76 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  20.13 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  141.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  43.68 years
 male:
  41.49 years
 female:
  45.93 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  5.9 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:  noun:
  Guinean(s)
 adjective:
  Guinean
Ethnic divisions:
  Fulani 35%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, indigenous tribes 15%
Religions:
  Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
Languages:
  French (official); each tribe has its own language
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
 total population:
  24%
 male:
  35%
 female:
  13%
Labor force:
  2.4 million (1983)
 by occupation:
  agriculture 82.0%, industry and commerce 11.0%, services 5.4%
 note:
  88,112 civil servants (1987); 52% of population of working age (1985)

*Guinea, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Republic of Guinea
 conventional short form:
  Guinea
 local long form:
  Republique de Guinee
 local short form:
  Guinee
 former:
  French Guinea
Digraph:
  GV
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Conakry
Administrative divisions:
  33 administrative regions (regions administratives, singular - region
  administrative); Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba,
  Dinguiraye, 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
Independence:
  2 October 1958 (from France)
Constitution:   23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)
Legal system:
  based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes
  currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
  Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April (1984)
Political parties and leaders:
  political parties were legalized on 1 April 1992
 pro-government:
  Party for Unity and Progress (PUP), leader NA
 other:
  Rally for the Guinean People (RPG), Alpha CONDE; Union for a New Republic
  (UNR), Mamadon BAH; Party for Renewal and Progress (PRP), Siradion DIALLO
Suffrage:
  none
Elections:
  none
Executive branch:
  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)
Legislative branch:
  unicameral People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire) was
  dissolved after the 3 April 1984 coup; framework established in December
  1991 for a new National Assembly with 114 seats
Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel)
Leaders:
 Chief of State and Head of Government:
  Gen. Lansana CONTE (since 5 April 1984)

*Guinea, Government

Member of:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
  IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Ansoumane CAMARA
 chancery:
  2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  (202) 483-9420
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Dane F. SMITH, Jr.
 embassy:
  2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry
 mailing address:
  B. P. 603, Conakry
 telephone:   (224) 44-15-20 through 24
 FAX:
  (224) 44-15-22
Flag:
  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

*Guinea, Economy

Overview:
  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 the world's bauxite reserves; exports of bauxite and
  alumina accounted for about 70% of total exports in 1989.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3 billion (1990 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  4.3% (1990 est.)
National product per capita:
  $410 (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  19.6% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
  revenues $449 million; expenditures $708 million, including capital
  expenditures of $361 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
  $788 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
 commodities:
  alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels
 partners:
  US 33%, EC 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada
Imports:
  $692 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
 commodities:
  petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs,
  textiles, and other grain
 partners:
  US 16%, France, Brazil
External debt:
  $2.6 billion (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%; accounts for 27% of GDP
Electricity:
  113,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries:
  bauxite mining, alumina, gold, diamond mining, light manufacturing and
  agricultural processing industries
Agriculture:
  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
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $227 million; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1,465 million; OPEC
  bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $446
  million
Currency:
  1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
  Guinean francs (FG) per US$1 - 675 (1990), 618 (1989), 515 (1988), 440
  (1987), 383 (1986)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*Guinea, Communications

Railroads:
  1,045 km; 806 km 1.000-meter gauge, 239 km 1.435-meter standard gauge
Highways:
  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)
Inland waterways:
  1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft
Ports:
  Conakry, Kamsar
Airports:
 total:
  15
 usable:
  15
 with permanent-surface runways:
  4
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  3
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  10
Telecommunications:
  poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations,
  and new radio relay system; 15,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM 1
  FM, 1 TV; 65,000 TV sets; 200,000 radio receivers; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
  earth station

*Guinea, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, Presidential Guard,
  Republican Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National Police Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 1,403,776; fit for military service 708,078 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $29 million, 1.2% of GDP (1988)