Guinea

This Page was last updated on the 23rd December, 2009.

Country News	President Lansana Conté has died. The news was announced on Tuesday 23rd December 2008. The Army is reported to have taken over control of the country, ruled since 1984 by the authoritarian second president.
Official Name	Republic of Guinea (Republique de Guinee)
Former Name	Guinea (various ancient Kingdoms 10th-15th century; French military penetration in the mid-19th century; present boundaries set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; under French the country became the Territory of Guinea within French West Africa; rejected in vote and led to independence.)
Capital	Conakry
Main Towns	Boke, Conakry (pop. 2 million), Kankan, Kindia, Siguiri
Subdivisions	33 prefectures: Beyla, Boffa, Boke, 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. 1 special zone: Conakry.
Independence	2 October 1958 (from France; plebiscite of September 1958 rejected membership in the proposed French Community; French withdrew and on 2 October 1958 Guinea proclaimed a sovereign and independent republic with Sékou Touré as president.)
Constitution	23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale), amended 2001
National Holiday	Independence Day, 2 October (1958)
UN Membership	12 December 1958
OAU Membership	25 May 1963 – now African Union (AU)
Commonwealth	n/a
Other Organisations	In alphabetical order according to abbreviation/acronym: Agency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT), Africa-Caribbean-Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU), African Development Bank (AfDB or AFDB), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Criminal Court (ICCt - signatory), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Organisation for Migration (IOM), International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO - correspondent), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), Mano River Union (MRU), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), United Nations Security Council (temporary), United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Confederation of Labour (WCL), World Customs Organization (WCO, former Customs Cooperation Council [CCC]), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Tourism Organisation (WToO), World Trade Organisation (WTrO).
Population	World Bank Figures: 7,250,520 (1999), 7,415,000 (2000), 7,579,660 (2001), 7,744,346 (2002), 7,908,905 (2003) Other Sources: 6,549,336 (July 1995) 7,613,870 (July 2001 est.) 9,030,220 (July 2003 est.) 9,467,866 (July 2005 est.)
Area	94,926 sq. mls. (245,857 sq. kms.)
Density	24 per sq.km. (1995)
Highest Point	Mont Nimba 5,748 ft. (1,752 m.)
Lowest Point	Atlantic Ocean - sea level
Neighbours	Guinea Bissau (NW), Ivory Coast (E), Liberia (S), Mali (NE), Sierra Leone (S)
Life Expectancy	44 years (1995), total population: 45.91 years, male: 43.49 years, female: 48.42 years (2001 est.) total population: 49.54 years, male: 48.28 years, female: 50.83 years (2003 est.) total population: 49.86 years male: 48.61 years female: 51.15 years (2005 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate	total: 93.3 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 87.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.), male: 98.8 deaths/1,000 live births total: 90.37 deaths/1,000 live births male: 95.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 84.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS	adult prevalence rate: 1.54% (2001 est.) 3.2% (2003 est.) people living with HIV/AIDS: 55,000 (1999 est.) 140,000 (2003 est.) deaths: 9,000 (2001 est.) 9,000 (2003 est.) IRIN Plus News - HIV/AIDS Treatment Map: Guinea - Updated: Sept 2004 Population: 7.5 million HIV Prevalence Rate (%) 2003 End: 3.2 No. Of People living with HIV/AIDS: 140,000 No. Of People in need of ART: 16,000 No. Of People Currently On ART (Sep 04): 625 No. Of People on ART Public Sector: Not Defined No. Of People on ART in Non Govt Programmes: Not Defined No. Of People Exptd to be on ART (2005 End): 28,160 Front Line Drug Regimen: N/D HIV/AIDS Treatment Sites: N/D Global Fund 2 Year Approved Funding (Round 2: Approved 04-Aug-03): US$4,804,696.00 Total Funds Disbursed By The Global Fund: US$1,386,719.68 Total Funds Disbursed By The World Bank Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Programme (MAP): US$20.3 million Total Funds Disbursed By PEPFAR: Nil Source: WHO, UNAIDS, USAID
Adult Literacy Rate	total population: 35.9%, male: 49.9%, female: 21.9% (1995 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Susa (Soussou) 20%, Malinke 30%, Fula (Peuhl) 40%, Tenda, Kissi
Languages	French (official)
Religions	Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, Traditional Beliefs 7%.
Type of Government	Republic
President	The late Gen. Lansana Conté was head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993, reelected contoversially in December 2003, until his death (announced on the 23rd December 2008 )
Prime Minister	Tidiane Souaré, appointed May 2008. Past prime ministers: Lansana Kouyate from 27th February 2007 to May 2008. Previously Eugene Camara who was appointed on 9th February 2007. Previously vacant since Elhadj Cellou Dalein Diallo, Prime Minister since 4 December 2004, was sacked in April 2006
Political Parties	Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally (PDG-RDA); National Union for Progress (UNP); Party for Unity and Progress (PUP); People's Party of Guinea (PPG); Rally for the Guinean People (RPG); Union for Progress and Renewal (UPR); Union for Progress of Guinea (UPG); Union of Republican Forces (UFR)
Ruling Party	Party for Unity and Progress (PUP)
Currency	Guinean Franc (GFr, GNF) Guinean francs per US dollar - 2,550 (2004), 1,984.9 (2003), 1,975.8 (2002), 1,950.6 (2001), 1,746.9 (2000)
GDP	US$529 (1992) US$3,686m (1995) GDP: US$4.72 billion (2003 est.) GDP: US$ 4.0 billion (2004 est) purchasing power parity - US$19.5 billion (2004 est.) per capita purchasing power parity - US$2,000 (2002 est.) per capita purchasing power parity - US$2,100 (2004 est.)
GNP	US$490 (1992) US$550 (1994) US$550 (1995)
Per Capita Income	GDP per head: US$383 (2002.) Per capita GDP: US$376.3.(2003 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line	40% (1994 est.) 40% (2003 est.)
Land Use	arable land: 3.63% permanent crops: 2.58% other: 93.79% (2001) Irrigated land: 950 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Resources	bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt
Oil and Natural Gas	production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.) consumption: 8,600 bbl/day (2001 est.) exports: NA (2001) imports: NA (2001)
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: 2,056,520 (2003 est.) males age 18-49: 1,853,316 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: US$154 million, 3.3% of GDP (FY02) US$56.7 million, 1.7% of GDP (2004)
Economic Aid Received	US$359.2 million (1998) Multilateral aid includes Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief. Aid per Capita (World Bank): US$33 (1999), US$21 (2000), US$37 (2001), US$32 (2002), US$30 (2003)
Debt	Moderately indebted (HIPC) World Bank Figures: US$2,340,999,936 (2000), US$1,732,000,000 (2001), US$1,432,800,000 (2002), US$1,905,699,968 (2003) Other Sources: US$136.66m (1995) US$3.6 billion (1999 est.) US$3.4 billion (2000 est.) US$3.25 billion (2001 est.)
Major Imports	petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs
Imports from	France 15.9%, US 11.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.6%, Belgium 7.7% France 14.6%, China 9.6%, Netherlands 6.8%, Belgium 6%, US 5.9%, Italy 5%, South Africa 4.6%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.3%, India 4% (2004) US$641.5 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Major Exports	bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products bauxite, alumina, diamonds, gold, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm products, coffee (2002)
Exports to	Belgium 16.4%, US 10.9%, Spain 10.4%, France 8.8%, Ireland, Russia (2001) European Union, U.S., Commonwealth of Independent States, China, Eastern Europe, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco (2002) US$835 million (2002) South Korea 15.6%, Russia 13.1%, Spain 12.3%, Ireland 9.1%, US 7.5%, Germany 6.2%, France 5.9%, Ukraine 5.6%, Belgium 5.2% (2004) US$709.2 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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The White Fathers, Sutton Coldfield, 15 August, 2008

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