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. In
2006, declining economic conditions prompted two massive strikes
that sparked urban unrest in many Guinean cities.
Geography Guinea
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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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, salt
Land use:
arable land: 4.47%
permanent crops: 2.64%
other: 92.89% (2005)
Irrigated land:
950 sq km (2003)
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; poor mining practices have led to
environmental damage
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
Geography - note:
the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources
in the Guinean highla
|