ground: Independent from France since 1958, Guinea did not hold
democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. Lansana CONTE (head of the
military government) was elected president of the civilian
government. He was reelected in 1998. Unrest in Sierra Leone has
spilled over into Guinea, threatening stability and creating a
humanitarian emergency.

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: 245,857 sq km

land: 245,857 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries: 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

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Guinea People

Population: 7,613,870 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.12% (male 1,637,000; female 1,645,786)

15-64 years: 54.19% (male 2,015,199; female 2,110,745)

65 years and over: 2.69% (male 84,586; female 120,554) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.96% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 39.78 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death