Background:
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| 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.
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Location:
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| Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
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Geographic coordinates:
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11 00 N, 10 00 W
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 245,857 sq km
country comparison to the world: 85
land:
245,717 sq km
water:
140 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Oregon
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Land boundaries:
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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
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Coastline:
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320 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
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Climate:
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generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
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Terrain:
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generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mont Nimba 1,752 m
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Natural resources:
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bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt
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Land use:
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arable land: 4.47%
permanent crops:
2.64%
other:
92.89% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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950 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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226 cu km (1987)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 1.51 cu km/yr (8%/2%/90%)
per capita:
161 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to environmental damage
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands |
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Population:
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| 10,057,975 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 42.8% (male 2,175,852/female 2,128,518)
15-64 years:
53.7% (male 2,701,184/female 2,704,161)
65 years and over:
3.5% (male 153,053/female 195,207) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 18.5 years
male:
18.2 years
female:
18.7 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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2.572% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
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Birth rate:
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37.52 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
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Death rate:
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11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
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Net migration rate:
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-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 34% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.78 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 65.22 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 31
male:
68.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
61.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 57.09 years
country comparison to the world: 189
male:
55.63 years
female:
58.6 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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5.2 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.6% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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87,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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4,500 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
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Major infectious diseases:
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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
animal contact disease:
rabies
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease:
Lassa fever (2009)
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Nationality:
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noun: Guinean(s)
adjective:
Guinean
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Ethnic groups:
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Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10%
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Religions:
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Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
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Languages:
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French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
29.5%
male:
42.6%
female:
18.1% (2003 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 8 years
male:
10 years
female:
7 years (2006)
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Education expenditures:
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1.6% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 173
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