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NAVIGATION
Republic of Guinea
Republique de Guinee
former: French Guinea
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
conventional short form: Guinea local short form: Guinee former: French Guinea local long form: Republique de Guinee |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Conakry |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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2 October 1958 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 2 October (1958) |
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Constitution:
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23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale) |
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Legal system:
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based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 is appointed by the president election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE (PUP) 56.1%, Mamadou Boye BA (UNR-PRP) 24.6%, Alpha CONDE (RPG) 16.6%, |
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Legislative branch:
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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 30 June 2002; next to be held NA 2007 election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%, other 11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9 |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Party of Guinea or PDG-AST [Marcel CROS]; Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; National Union for Progress or UNP [Paul Louis FABER]; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP; 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 for Progress and Renewal or UPR; note - Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP and Union for the New Republic or UNR merged into UPR [Siradiou DIALLO]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general]; Union for the New Republic or UNR [Mamadou Boye BA]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Rafiou Alpha Oumar BARRY
FAX: [1] (202) 483-8688 telephone: [1] (202) 483-9420 chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
embassy: Rue Ka 038, Conakry mailing address: B. P. 603, Conakry telephone: [224] 41 15 20, 41 15 21, 41 15 23 FAX: [224] 41 15 22 |
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Flag description:
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three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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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. The government made encouraging progress in budget management in 1997-99, and reform progress was praised in the World Bank/IMF October 2000 assessment. However, escalating fighting along the Sierra Leonean and Liberian borders has caused major economic disruptions. In addition to direct defense costs, the violence has led to a sharp decline in investor confidence. Foreign mining companies have reduced expatriate staff, while panic buying has created food shortages and inflation in local markets. Multilateral aid - including Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief - and single digit inflation should permit 5% growth in 2002. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $15 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.3% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,970 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 24%
industry: 38% services: 38% (2000 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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40% (1994 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 32% (1994) (1994) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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40 (1994) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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6% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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3 million (1999) (1999) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $395.7 million
expenditures: $472.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3.2% (1994) (1994) |
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Electricity - production:
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770 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 46%
hydro: 54% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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716.1 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber |
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Exports:
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$694.5 million f.o.b. (2000) |
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Exports - commodities:
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bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products |
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Exports - partners:
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Belgium, US, Ireland, Russia |
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Imports:
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$555.2 million f.o.b. (2000) |
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Imports - commodities:
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petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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France, US, Belgium, Cote d'Ivoire |
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Debt - external:
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$3.6 billion (1999 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$359.2 million (1998) (1998) |
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Currency:
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Guinean franc (GNF) |
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Currency code:
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GNF |
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Exchange rates:
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Guinean francs per US dollar - 1,974.4 (December 2001), 1,950.6 (2001), 1,746.9 (2000), 1,387.4 (1999), 1,236.8 (1998), 1,095.3 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |