total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
======================================================================
@Guinea
------
Geography
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: 245,860 sq km
land: 245,860 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
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
Coastline: 320 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
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
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
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 22%
forests and woodland: 59%
other: 17% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 930 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: 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
Environment--international agreements:
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
People
Population: 7,538,953 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
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.)
Population growth rate: 0.82% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 40.62 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 17.3 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -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
Sex ratio:
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.)
Infant mortality rate: 126.32 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.5 years
male: 44.02 years
female: 49.06 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.53 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean
Ethnic groups: Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller
tribes 10%
Religions: Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
Languages: French (official), each tribe has its own language
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.9%
male: 49.9%
female: 21.9% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
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: GV
Government type: republic
Capital: Conakry
Administrative divisions: 4 administrative regions (regions
administrative, singular--region administrative) and 1 special zone
(zone speciale)*; Conakry*, Guinee, Guinee-Forestiere, Haute-Guinee,
Moyen-Guinee
Independence: 2 October 1958 (from France)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Second Republic, 3 April
(1984)
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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%
Legislative branch: 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
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel
Political parties and leaders: 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
International organization participation: 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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Aly THIAM
chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tibor P. NAGY, Jr.
embassy: Rue Ka 038, Conakry
mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry
Flag description: 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
Economy
Economy--overview: 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$8.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 4.9% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,180 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 24%
industry: 31%
services: 45% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 2.4 million (1983)
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and commerce
11%, services 5.4%, civil service 3.6%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $553 million
expenditures: $652 million, including capital expenditures of $317
million (1995 est.)
Industries: bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light
manufacturing and agricultural processing industries
Industrial production growth rate: 3.2% (1994)
Electricity--production: 525 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 63.81%
hydro: 36.19%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 525 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels,
cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats;
timber
Exports: $695 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: bauxite, alumina, diamonds, gold, coffee,
fish, agricultural products
Exports--partners: Russia, US, Belgium, Ukraine, Ireland, Spain
(1997)
Imports: $560 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports--commodities: petroleum products, metals, machinery,
transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs (1997)
Imports--partners: France, Cote d'Ivoire, US, Belgium, Hong Kong
(1997)
Debt--external: $3.15 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $433.6 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: 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
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 18,000 (1994 est.)
Telephone system: 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)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: 257,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 6 (1997)
Televisions: 65,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
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)
Highways:
total: 30,500 km
paved: 5,033 km
unpaved: 25,467 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft
Ports and harbors: Boke, Conakry, Kamsar
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 15 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
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:
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Republican Guard,
Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National
Police Force (Surete National)
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 1,726,933 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 871,615 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $56 million (1996)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.4% (1996)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
======================================================================
@Guinea-Bissau
-------------
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Guinea and Senegal
Geographic coordinates: 12 00 N, 15 00 W
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 36,120 sq km
land: 28,000 sq km
water: 8,120 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly less than three times the size of
Connecticut
Land boundaries:
total: 724 km
border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
Coastline: 350 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy
season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season
(December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the
country 300 m
Natural resources: fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited
deposits of petroleum
Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 38%
forests and woodland: 38%
other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 17 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce
visibility during dry season; brush fires
Environment--current issues: deforestation; soil erosion;
overgrazing; overfishing
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
Population: 1,234,555 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 260,821; female 259,520)
15-64 years: 55% (male 322,607; female 356,513)
65 years and over: 3% (male 16,233; female 18,861) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.31% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 38.23 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 15.13 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 109.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.57 years
male: 47.91 years
female: 51.28 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.09 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Guinean (s)
adjective: Guinean
Ethnic groups: African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%,
Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%
Languages: Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 53.9%
male: 67.1%
female: 40.7% (1997 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau
local short form: Guine-Bissau
former: Portuguese Guinea
Data code: PU
Government type: republic, multiparty since mid-1991
Capital: Bissau
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular--regiao);
Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali
note: Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos
Independence: 24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by
Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
Constitution: 16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991,
26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and 1996
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (initially assumed
power 14 November 1980 in a coup d'etat)
head of government: Prime Minister Francisco FADUL (since NA
November 1998); note--named in an agreement between President VIEIRA
and a military-led junta which rebelled against the President
FADUL's administration in June 1998
cabinet: none; an interim National Unity Government was provided for
in the agreement between President VIEIRA and the military junta and
was scheduled be inaugurated in February 1999
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held NA July
1999); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation
with party leaders in the legislature
election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of
vote--Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52%, Koumba YALLA 48%
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly or
Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve a maximum of four years)
elections: last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held by NA)
election results: percent of vote by party--PAIGC 46.0%, RGB-MB
19.2%, PRS 10.3%, UM 12.8%, FLING 2.5%, PCD 5.3%, PUSD 2.9%, FCG
0.2%, others 0.8%; seats by party--PAIGC 62, RGB 19, PRS 12, UM 6,
FLING 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica,
consists of 9 justices who are appointed by the president and serve
at his pleasure, final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases;
Regional Courts, one in each of nine regions, first court of appeals
for sectoral court decisions, hear all felony cases and civil cases
valued at over $1,000; 24 Sectoral Courts, judges are not
necessarily trained lawyers, hear civil cases under $1,000 and
misdemeanor criminal cases
Political parties and leaders: African Party for the Independence
secretary general]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of
president]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP
president, Dr. Anne SAAD, secretary general]; United Social
International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP,
AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henrique
Adriano DA SILVA
chancery: Suite 519, 1511 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US Embassy suspended
operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between
forces loyal to President VIEIRA and military-led junta
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and
green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black
five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular
pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Economy--overview: One of the 20 poorest countries in the world,
Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops
have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks
sixth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood
along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice
is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting
between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta
destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread
damage to the economy in 1998. Before the war, trade reform and
price liberalization were the most successful part of the country's
structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The tightening
of monetary policy and the development of the private sector had
also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Inflation dropped sharply in
the first quarter of 1997. Membership in the WAMU (West African
Monetary Union), begun in May 1997, was expected to support 5%
annual growth and contribute to fiscal discipline. Because of high
costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral
resources was not a near-term prospect.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.2 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 3.5% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 54%
industry: 11%
services: 35% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: 48.8% (1991 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25.6% (1997)
Labor force: 480,000
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: $NA
Industries: agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Industrial production growth rate: 2.6% (1997 est.)
Electricity--production: 40 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 40 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca),
cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish
Exports: $25.8 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Exports--commodities: cashews 95%, fish, peanuts, palm kernels,
sawn lumber (1994)
Exports--partners: Spain 35%, India 30%, Thailand 10%, Italy 10%
(1995)
Imports: $63 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Imports--commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, petroleum
products, machinery and equipment (1994)
Imports--partners: Portugal 29.2%, Thailand 8.4%, Netherlands
8.4%, US 7.5% (1996)
Debt--external: $953 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $115.4 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100
centimes; note--on 1 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau adopted as its currency
the CFA franc following its membership into the BCEAO
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per
US$1--566.65 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997);
Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1-- 26,373 (1996), 18,073 (1995),
12,892 (1994)
note: as of 2 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau has adopted the CFA franc as
the national currency following its membership in BCEAO
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 13,120 (1997 est.)
Telephone system: small system
domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone, and cellular communications
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0
Radios: 40,000 (1994 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: NA
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 4,400 km
paved: 453 km
unpaved: 3,947 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: several rivers are accessible to coastal shipping
Ports and harbors: Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 30 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 22 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP;
includes Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary force
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 284,998 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 162,485 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $8 million (1996)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2.8% (1996)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
======================================================================
@Guyana
------
Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic
Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
Geographic coordinates: 5 00 N, 59 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total: 214,970 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km
water: 18,120 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries:
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline: 459 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
margin
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade
winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to
mid-January)
Terrain: mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in
south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber,
shrimp, fish
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 84%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,300 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy
seasons
Environment--current issues: water pollution from sewage and
agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation