]! ^! Guinea has had only two presidents 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. Unrest in Sierra Leone and Liberia has spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over the past decade, threatening stability and creating humanitarian emergencies. 
]" ^" Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone ^# 11 00 N, 10 00 W ^$ Africa ^% `! 245,857 sq km `" 245,857 sq km `# 0 sq km ^& slightly smaller than Oregon ^' `! 3,399 km `U Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km ^( 320 km ^) `$ 12 nm `I 200 nm ^* generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds ^+ generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior ^, `% Atlantic Ocean 0 m `& Mont Nimba 1,752 m ^- bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt ^. `' 3.63% `( 2.58% `) 93.79% (2001) ^/ 950 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season ^1 deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to environmental damage _J `K Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling `L none of the selected agreements ^2 the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands 
]# ^3 9,467,866 (July 2005 est.) ^4 `* 44.4% (male 2,123,207/female 2,079,475) `+ 52.4% (male 2,478,820/female 2,486,300) `, 3.2% (male 131,130/female 168,934) (2005 est.) ^5 `! 17.67 years `- 17.42 years `. 17.93 years (2005 est.) ^6 2.37% (2005 est.) ^7 42.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^8 15.38 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^9 -2.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is host to approximately 150,000 Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees (2005 est.) ^: `/ 1.03 male(s)/female `0 1.02 male(s)/female `+ 1 male(s)/female `, 0.78 male(s)/female `1 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.) ^; `! 90.37 deaths/1,000 live births `- 95.82 deaths/1,000 live births `. 84.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) ^< `1 49.36 years `- 48.19 years `. 50.57 years (2005 est.) ^= 5.83 children born/woman (2005 est.) ^> 3.2% (2003 est.) ^? 140,000 (2003 est.) ^@ 9,000 (2003 est.) __ degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2004) ^A `2 Guinean(s) `3 Guinean ^B Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10% ^C Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% ^D French (official), each ethnic group has its own language ^E `M age 15 and over can read and write `1 35.9% `- 49.9% `. 21.9% (1995 est.) 
]$ ^F `4 Republic of Guinea `5 Guinea `V Republique de Guinee `W Guinee `X French Guinea ^H republic ^I Conakry ^J 33 prefectures and 1 special zone (zone special)*; Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry*, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koubia, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Lelouma, Lola, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Mandiana, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou ^K 2 October 1958 (from France) ^L Independence Day, 2 October (1958) ^M 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale) ^N based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `6 President Lansana CONTE (head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993) `7 Prime Minister Cellou Dalein DIALLO (since 4 December 2004) `8 Council of Ministers appointed by the president `9 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 21 December 2003 (next to be held December 2008); the prime minister is appointed by the president `: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE (PUP) 95.3%, Mamadou Boye BARRY (UPR) 4.6% ^Q unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms) `9 last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007) `: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%, other 11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9 ^R Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel ^S Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; National Union for Progress or UPN [Mamadou Bhoye BARRY]; Party for Unity and Progress or PUP [Lansana CONTE] - the governing party; People's Party of Guinea or PPG [Pascal TOLNO]; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE]; Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Mamadou BA]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]; Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR [Siradiou DIALLO]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general] ^T NA ^U ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ^V `N Ambassador Rafiou Alpha Oumar BARRY `O 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 `P [1] (202) 986-4300 `Q [1] (202) 478-3010 ^W `N Ambassador Jackson MCDONALD `Z Rue Ka 038, Conakry `[ B. P. 603, Conakry `P [224] 41 15 20, 41 15 21, 41 15 23 `Q [224] 41 15 22 ^X three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia 
]% ^Y Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country possesses over 30% of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for about 75% of exports in 1999. Long-run improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Fighting along the Sierra Leonean and Liberian borders, as well as refugee movements, have caused major economic disruptions, aggravating a loss in investor confidence. Foreign mining companies have reduced expatriate staff. Panic buying has created food shortages and inflation and caused riots in local markets. Guinea is not receiving multilateral aid. The IMF and World Bank cut off most assistance in 2003. Growth rose slightly in 2004, primarily due to increases in global demand and commodity prices on world markets. ^Z $19.5 billion (2004 est.) ^[ 1% (2004 est.) ^\ purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2004 est.) ^] `; 25% `< 38.2% `= 36.8% (2004 est.) ^^ 3 million (1999) ^_ agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2000 est.) ^` NA (2002 est.) ^a 40% (2003 est.) _! `> 2.6% `? 32% (1994) _d 40.3 (1994) _" 18% (2004 est.) _P 21% of GDP (2004 est.) _# `@ $382.7 million `A $711.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) _$ rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber _% bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries _& 3.2% (1994) _' 855 million kWh (2002) _( 795.2 million kWh (2002) _) 0 kWh (2002) _* 0 kWh (2002) _+ 0 bbl/day (2001 est.) _, 8,600 bbl/day (2001 est.) _- NA _. NA _X $-308.3 million (2004 est.) _/ $709.2 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) _0 bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products _1 France 17.7%, Belgium 14.7%, UK 14.7%, Switzerland 12.8%, Ukraine 4.2% (2004) _2 $641.5 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) _3 petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs _4 Cote d'Ivoire 15.5%, France 9%, Belgium 6.1%, China 6%, South Africa 4.8% (2004) _Y $201.7 million (2004 est.) _5 $3.25 billion (2001 est.) _6 $359.2 million (1998) _7 Guinean franc (GNF) _8 Guinean francs per US dollar - 2,550 (2004), 1,984.9 (2003), 1,975.8 (2002), 1,950.6 (2001), 1,746.9 (2000) _9 calendar year 
]& _: 26,200 (2003) _; 111,500 (2003) _< `B poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system `C microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication `D country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) _= AM 4 (one station is inactive), FM 1 (plus 7 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2001) _> 6 low-power stations (2001) _? .gn _@ 380 (2004) _A 40,000 (2003) 
]' _e `! 837 km `b 175 km 1.435-m gauge `c 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) _B `! 30,500 km `E 5,033 km `F 25,467 km (1999 est.) _b 1,295 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2003) _C Kamsar _D 16 (2004 est.) _E `! 5 `] 1 `G 1 `^ 3 (2004 est.) _L `! 11 `^ 6 `_ 3 `T 2 (2004 est.) 
]( _F Army (includes Presidential Guard, Republican Guard), Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, General Directorate of National Police _M 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004) _] males age 18-49: 1,853,316 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,038,036 (2005 est.) _N $56.7 million (2004) _O 1.7% (2004) 
]) _H conflicts among rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in neighboring states has spilled over into Guinea, resulting in domestic instability; Sierra Leone pressures Guinea to remove its forces from the town of Yenga occupied since 1998 _c `d 133,175 (Liberia) 13,633 (Sierra Leone) 7,064 (Cote d'Ivoire) IDPs: 100,000 (cross-border incursions from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire) (2004) 