Location of Guinea. Source:Vardion/Wikipedia

(Source: CIA World Factbook

Guinea (formerly known as "French Guinea") is a nation in western-Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Senegal to the northwest and Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire to the south and east.  Guinea is generally a flat coastal plain, with a hilly to mountainous interior. The Niger River and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands.

Guinea's major environmental issues include: deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; and, poor mining practices have led to environmental damage. It is susceptible to hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze which can reduce visibility during dry season.

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 as well as political and union activity. Guinea has maintained some semblance of internal stability despite spillover effects from conflict in Sierra Leone and Liberia. As those countries have rebuilt, however, Guinea's own vulnerability to political and economic crisis has increased. Declining economic conditions and popular dissatisfaction with corruption and bad governance prompted two massive strikes in 2006, and a third nationwide strike in early 2007.

Geography

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

Geographic Coordinates: 11 00 N, 10 00 W

Area: 245,857 km² (245,857 km² land and 0 km² water)

arable land: 4.47%
permanent crops: 2.64%
other: 92.89% (2005) 

Land Boundaries: 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 to 12 nautical miles and an exclusive economic zone to 200 nautical miles

Natural Hazards: Hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season

Terrain: Generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior. Its lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean (0 metres) and its highest point is  Mont Nimba (1,752 metres).

Climate: Generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Government

Government Type: Republic

Capital: Conakry

Independence Date: 2 October 1958 (from France)

Legal System: based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

International Environmental Agreements

Guinea is party to intenational agreements on: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, and Whaling.

People and Society

Population: 10,211,437 (July 2008 est.)

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 44.3% (male 2,282,453/female 2,239,611)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 2,684,444/female 2,680,472)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 142,327/female 182,130) (2008 est.)

Population Growth Rate: 2.612% (2008 est.)

Birth Rate: 41.31 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death Rate: 15.19 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net Migration Rate: -3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth: 49.8 years (2008 est.)

Total Fertility Rate: 5.71 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Languages: French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language

Literacy (2003 est.):  29.5% (male: 42.6% - female: 18.1%)

Water

Total Renewable Water Resources: 226 cu km (1987)

Freshwater Withdrawal:  Total: 1.51 cu km/yr (8% domestic, 2% industrial, 90% agriculture). Per capita: 161 cu m/yr (2000)

Agriculture

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

Irrigated Land: 950 sq km (2003)

Resources

Natural Resources: bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt.

Energy

Health

Prevalence of HIV/AIDs in Adults: 3.2% (2003 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases: degree of risk: very high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2008)

Conflict

International Disputes: 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

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons(country of origin): 21,856 (Liberia); 5,259 (Sierra Leone); 3,900 (Cote d'Ivoire)
Internally Displaced Persons: 19,000 (due to cross-border incursions from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone) (2007)

Economy

Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country has almost half of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounts for over 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 due to the failing health of President Lansana Conte. Guinea is trying to reengage with the IMF and World Bank, which cut off most assistance in 2003, and is working closely with technical advisors from the U.S. Treasury Department, the World Bank and IMF, seeking to return to a fully funded program. Growth rose slightly in 2006-07, 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 most Guineans. Dissatisfaction with economic conditions prompted nationwide strikes in February and June 2006.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $10.69 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (Official Exchange Rate): $4.714 billion (2007 est.)

GDP- real growth rate: 1.5% (2007 est.)

GDP- per capita (PPP): $1,100 (2007 est.)

GDP- composition by sector:

agriculture: 22%
industry: 40.5%
services: 37.6% (2007 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line: 47% (2006 est.)

Industries: bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron; alumina refining; light manufacturing, and agricultural processing

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

Export Partners: [[Russia[[ 11%, Ukraine 9.6%, South Korea 8.8%, Spain 8.8%, US 7.5%, Germany 7.4%, France 7%, Ireland 5.4% (2006)

Imports: petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs

Import Partners: China 9.5%, France 7%, Netherlands 6.3% (2006)

Economic Aid Recipients: $182.1 million (2005)

Currency: Guinean franc (GNF)

Ports and Terminals: Conakry, Kamsar

Further Reading

1. CIA World Factbook