Guinea has had a history of
authoritarian rule 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, though all the
polls were marred by irregularities. History repeated itself in December
2008 when following President CONTE's death, Capt. Moussa Dadis CAMARA
led a military coup, seizing power and suspending the constitution. His
unwillingness to yield to domestic and international pressure to step
down led to heightened political tensions that culminated in September
2009 when presidential guards opened fire on an opposition rally killing
more than 150 people, and in early December 2009 when CAMARA was
wounded in an assassination attempt and evacuated to Morocco and
subsequently to Burkina Faso. A transitional government has been
installed.
Geography ::Guinea
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinates:
11 00 N, 10 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 245,857 sq km
land:
245,717 sq km
water:
140 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 3,399 km
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:
320 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Climate:
Current Weather
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mont Nimba 1,752 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; inadequate
supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and
erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining
practices have led to environmental damage
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands
based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Gen
Sekouba KONATE, interim leader of the National Council for Democracy
and Development, who replaced Capt. CAMARA following the attempted
assassination of CAMARA on 3 December 2009
head of government:
Prime Minister of the Transitional Government Jean-Marie DORE (since 26 January 2010)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections:
president
elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits);
candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected
president; election last held on 27 June 2010 with a runoff election
scheduled for 1 August 2010 pending Supreme Court rulings on allegations
of voting fraud
election results:
a
runoff election between Cellou Dalein DIALLO and Alpha CONDE, the two
candidates receiving the most votes, is expected to be scheduled for
early August 2010; percent of vote (first round) - Cellou Dalein DIALLO
43.7%, Alpha CONDE 18.2%
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members
elected by a mixed system of direct popular vote and proportional party
lists)
elections:
last
held on 30 June 2002 (legislative elections first due in 2007 have been
rescheduled multiple times and are currently unscheduled)
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:
Court of First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Union of
Guinea or UDG [Mamadou SYLLA]; Guinean Union for Democracy or UGD; New
Democratic Forces or NDF [Muoctar DIALLO]; Party for Unity and Progress
or PUP [Sekou KONATE]; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha
CONDE]; Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR [Ousmane BAH]; Union for
Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general]; Union of
Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Cellou Dalein DIALLO]; Union of
Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]; United Front for Democracy and
Change or FUDEC [Francois FALL]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
National Confederation of
Guinean Workers-Labor Union of Guinean Workers or CNTG-USTG Alliance
(includes National Confederation of Guinean Workers or CNTG [Rabiatou
Sarah DIALLO] and Labor Union of Guinean Workers or USTG [Dr. Ibrahima
FOFANA]); Syndicate of Guinean Teachers and Researchers or SLECG [Dr.
Louis M'Bemba SOUMAH]
chancery:
2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 986-4300
FAX:
[1] (202) 483-8688
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia Newton MOLLER
embassy:
Koloma, Conakry, east of Hamdallaye Circle
mailing address:
B. P. 603, Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry
telephone:
[224] 65-10-40-00
FAX:
[224] 65-10-42-97
Flag description:
three equal vertical
bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; red represents the
people's sacrifice for liberation and work; yellow stands for the sun,
for the riches of the earth, and for justice; green symbolizes the
country's vegetation and unity
note:uses
the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to
right are the reverse of those on the flags of neighboring Mali and
Senegal
Economy ::Guinea
Economy - overview:
Guinea possesses major mineral,
hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains an underdeveloped
nation. The country has almost half of the world's bauxite reserves. The
mining sector accounts for more than 70% of exports. Long-run
improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal
framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Investor
confidence has been sapped by rampant corruption, a lack of electricity
and other infrastructure, a lack of skilled workers, and the political
uncertainty because of the death of President Lansana CONTE in December
2008. International donors, including the G-8, the IMF, and the World
Bank, cut their development programming significantly in response to the
coup. Growth rose slightly in 2006-08, primarily due to increases in
global demand and commodity prices on world markets, but the standard of
living fell. The Guinea franc depreciated sharply as the prices for
basic necessities like food and fuel rose beyond the reach of many
Guineans.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$10.48 billion (2009 est.)
45
$10.75 billion (2008 est.)
$10.29 billion (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.488 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-2.5% (2009 est.)
56
4.5% (2008 est.)
1.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,000 (2009 est.)
12
$1,100 (2008 est.)
$1,100 (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 24.2%
industry:
38.5%
services:
37.3% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
4.392 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 76%
industry and services:
24% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA% est.)
Population below poverty line:
47% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
India 17.8%, Spain 11.5%, Russia 10.8%, Germany 7.7%, US 6.7%, Ireland 4.8%, France 4.7%, Ukraine 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$1.104 billion (2009 est.)
67
$1.373 billion (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
China 15.4%, France 12.5%, Netherlands 12.2%, Spain 4.8%, US 4.7%, Belgium 4.6%, India 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$51 million (31 December 2009 est.)
52
$91 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.072 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
21
$3.222 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Exchange rates:
Guinean francs (GNF) per US dollar - 5,200 (2009), 5,500 (2008), 4,122.8 (2007), 5,350 (2006), 3,644.3 (2005)
Communications ::Guinea
Telephones - main lines in use:
50,000 (2008)
63
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.84 million (2008)
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system
domestic:
Conakry
reasonably well served; coverage elsewhere remains inadequate and large
companies tend to rely on their own systems for nationwide links;
fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
subscribership is expanding and approached 40 per 100 persons in 2008
international:
country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
6 (2001)
Internet country code:
.gn
Internet hosts:
14 (2009)
18
Internet users:
90,000 (2008)
57
Transportation ::Guinea
Airports:
17 (2009)
41
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m:
2
1,524 to 2,437 m:
3 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m:
7
914 to 1,523 m:
3
under 914 m:
2 (2009)
Railways:
total: 1,185 km
standard gauge:
238 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:
947 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 44,348 km
paved:
4,342 km
unpaved:
40,006 km (2003)
Waterways:
1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Conakry, Kamsar
Military ::Guinea
Military branches:
National Armed Forces: Army, Navy
(Armee de Mer or Marine Guineenne, includes Marines), Guinean Air Force
(Force Aerienne de Guinee) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18-25 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; 18-month conscript service obligation (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,292,338
females age 16-49:
2,264,589 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,443,655
females age 16-49:
1,483,676 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 114,353
female:
111,873 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.1% of GDP (2009)
27
Transnational Issues ::Guinea
Disputes - international:
conflicts among rebel groups,
warlords, and youth gangs in neighboring states have spilled over into
Guinea resulting in domestic instability; Sierra Leone considers
Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits to define the left bank
boundary of the Makona and Moa rivers excessive and protests Guinea's
continued occupation of these lands, including the hamlet of Yenga,
occupied since 1998
IDPs:
19,000 (cross-border incursions from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Guinea
is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and
children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual
exploitation; the majority of victims are children, and internal
trafficking is more prevalent than transnational trafficking; within the
country, girls are trafficked primarily for domestic servitude and
sexual exploitation, while boys are trafficked for forced agricultural
labor, and as forced beggars, street vendors, shoe shiners, and laborers
in gold and diamond mines; some Guinean men are also trafficked for
agricultural labor within Guinea; transnationally, girls are trafficked
into Guinea for domestic servitude and likely also for sexual
exploitation
tier rating:
Tier
2 Watch List - Guinea is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to
provide evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking over
2006; Guinea demonstrated minimal law enforcement efforts for a second
year in a row, while protection efforts diminished over efforts in 2006;
the government did not report any trafficking convictions in 2007; due
to a lack of resources, the government does not provide shelter services
for trafficking victims; the government took no measures to reduce the
demand for commercial sexual exploitation (2008)
