Guinea

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Guinea

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name République de Guinée/Republic of Guinea Area 245,857 sq km/94,925 sq mi Capital Conakry Language French (official), Susu, Pular (Fulfude), Malinke, and other African languages Religion Muslim 85%, Christian 6%, animist Time difference GMT +/-0 Major holidays 1 January, 3 April, 1 May, 15 August, 2 October, 1 November, 25 December; variable: Eid-ul-Adha, Easter Monday, end of Ramadan, Prophet's Birthday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Labé, Nzérékoré, Kankan, Kindia, Mamou, Siguiri Physical features flat coastal plain with mountainous interior; sources of rivers Niger, Gambia, and Senegal; forest in southeast; Fouta Djallon, area of sandstone plateaux, cut by deep valleys Airports one international airport and eight smaller domestic airports and airfields; total passengers carried: 300,000 (2001 est) Railways total length: 1,086 km/675 mi; total passenger journeys: 50,000 (1998) Roads total road network: 44,348 km/27,556 mi, of which 9.8% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 2 per 1,000 people (1996 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Lansana Conté from 1984 Head of government Lansana Kouyaté from 2007 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions eight administrative regions, including Conakry; the country is subdivided into 34 regions, including Conekry (which is divided into three communities) Political parties Party of Unity and Progress (PUP), centrist; Rally of the Guinean People (RPG), left of centre; Union of the New Republic (UNR), left of centre; Party for Renewal and Progress (PRP), left of centre Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 9,700; plus paramilitary forces of 2,600 (2006 est) Conscription military service is compulsory for two years Defence spend (% GDP) 2.4 (2004 est) Education spend (% GDP) 1.9 (2001 est) Health spend (% GDP) 0.9 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Guinean franc GDP (US$) 2.7 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 3.5 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 2,240 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 27% (2006 est) Labour force 82.7% agriculture, 4.3% industry, 13% services (2003) Foreign debt (US$) 3.5 billion (2004 est) Major trading partners Russia, China, France, USA, Spain, Côte d'Ivoire, Ireland Resources bauxite (world's top exporter of bauxite and second-largest producer of bauxite ore), alumina, diamonds, gold, granite, iron ore, uranium, nickel, cobalt, platinum Industries processing of agricultural products, cement, beer, soft drinks, cigarettes Exports bauxite, aluminium, gold, diamonds, coffee. Principal market: Russia 18% (2005) Imports foodstuffs, mineral fuels, semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods, textiles and clothing, machinery and transport equipment. Principal source: China 8.8% (2005) Arable land 4.5% (2006 est) Agricultural products cassava, millet, rice, fruits, oil palm, groundnuts, coffee, vegetables, sweet potatoes, yams, maize; livestock rearing (cattle); fishing; forestry


POPULATION

Population 9,603,400 (2006 est) Population growth rate 2.2% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 39 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 37 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 44%, 15–59 50%, 60+ 6% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 24 ethnic groups, including the Malinke (30%), Peuhl (30%), and Soussou (16%) Life expectancy 54 (men); 55 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 155 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 6 Literacy rate 55% (men); 27% (women) (2000 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 0.9 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 0.6 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 1.5 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 7,100 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 76 (urban); 38 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 0.3 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 2.4 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 52 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 18 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 0.6 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 0.6 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

c. AD 900 The Susi people, a community related to the Malinke, immigrated from the northeast, pushing the indigenous Baga towards the Atlantic coast. 13th century Susi kingdoms established, extending their influence to the coast; northeast Guinea was part of Muslim Mali Empire, centred to northeast. mid-15th century Portuguese traders visited the coast and later developed trade in slaves and ivory. 1849 French protectorate established over coastal region around Nunez River, which was administered with Senegal. 1890 Separate Rivières du Sud colony formed. 1895 Renamed French Guinea; became part of French West Africa. 1946 French Guinea became overseas territory of France. 1958 Full independence from France achieved as Guinea, after referendum, rejected remaining within French Community; Sékou Touré of the Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG) elected president. 1960s and 1970s Touré established socialist one-party state, leading to deterioration in economy as 200,000 fled abroad. 1979 Strong opposition to Touré's rigid Marxist policies forced return to mixed economy and private enterprise. 1984 Touré died. Bloodless military coup brought Col Lansana Conté to power; PDG outlawed and political prisoners released; market-centred economic reforms. 1991 Antigovernment general strike and mass protests. 1992 Constitution amended to allow for multiparty politics. 1993 Conté narrowly re-elected in first direct presidential election. 2000–01 Civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone began to spill over into Guinea, creating hundreds of thousands of refugees. 2003 Conté re-elected in landslide presidential poll boycotted by most opposition figures. 2005 Conté survived assassination attempt. 2006 Speculation about Conté's health; general strikes. 2007 Conté declared state of emergency after another strike and violent protests against regime; Lansana Kouyaté appointed prime minister.


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