]! ^! 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. Guinea has maintained its internal stability despite spillover effects from conflict in Sierra Leone and Liberia. As those countries have rebuilt, Guinea's own vulnerability to political and economic crisis has increased. In 2006, declining economic conditions and popular dissatisfaction with corruption and bad governance prompted two massive strikes that sparked urban unrest in many Guinean cities. 
]" ^" 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 `Y 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 `N 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 ^. `' 4.47% `( 2.64% `) 92.89% (2005) ^/ 950 sq km (2003) ^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 _P `P Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling `Q none of the selected agreements ^2 the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands 
]# ^3 9,947,814 (July 2007 est.) ^4 `+ 44.3% (male 2,226,414/female 2,183,153) `, 52.5% (male 2,611,833/female 2,610,773) `- 3.2% (male 138,392/female 177,249) (2007 est.) ^5 `! 17.7 years `. 17.5 years `/ 17.9 years (2007 est.) ^6 2.62% (2007 est.) ^7 41.53 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^8 15.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^9 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^: `0 1.03 male(s)/female `1 1.02 male(s)/female `, 1 male(s)/female `- 0.781 male(s)/female `2 1.001 male(s)/female (2007 est.) ^; `! 88.58 deaths/1,000 live births `. 93.68 deaths/1,000 live births `/ 83.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) ^< `2 49.65 years `. 48.5 years `/ 50.84 years (2007 est.) ^= 5.75 children born/woman (2007 est.) ^> 3.2% (2003 est.) ^? 140,000 (2003 est.) ^@ 9,000 (2003 est.) _` `h very high `i 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 `s meningococcal meningitis `x Lassa fever (2007) ^A `3 Guinean(s) `4 Guinean ^B Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10% ^C Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% ^D French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language ^E `5 age 15 and over can read and write `2 35.9% `. 49.9% `/ 21.9% (1995 est.) 
]$ ^F `6 Republic of Guinea `7 Guinea `Z Republique de Guinee `[ Guinee `\ French Guinea ^H republic ^I `8 Conakry `9 9 31 N, 13 43 W `: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ^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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `; President Lansana CONTE (head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993) `< Prime Minister Lansana KOUYATE (since 26 February 2007) `= Council of Ministers appointed by the president `> president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected president; election last held 21 December 2003 (next to be held in December 2010); the prime minister is appointed by the president `? Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE 95.3%, Mamadou Bhoye BARRY 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) `> last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held in 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 First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme ^S Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; Dyama; National Union for Progress or UPN [Mamadou Bhoye BARRY]; Party for Unity and Progress or PUP (the governing party) [Lansana CONTE]; People's Party of Guinea or PPG [Charles Pascal TOLNO]; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE]; Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Mamadou BAH]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general]; Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR [Ousmane BAH] ^T National Confederation of Guinean Workers - Labor Union of Guinean Workers or CNTG-USTG Alliance: National Confederation of Guinean Workers [Rabiatou Sarah DIALLO] and Labor Union of Guinean Workers [Dr. Ibrahima FOFANA]; Syndicate of Guinean Teachers and Researchers or SLECG [Dr. Louis M'Bemba SOUMAH]; National Council of Civil Society Organizations of Guinea CNOSCG [Ben Sekou SYLLA] ^U ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ^V `R Ambassador (vacant) `S 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 `T [1] (202) 986-4300 `U [1] (202) 478-3800 ^W `R Ambassador Jackson C. MCDONALD `_ Koloma, Conakry, east of Hamdallaye Circle `` B. P. 603, Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry `T [224] 30-42-08-61 through 68 `U [224] 30-42-08-73 ^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 has almost half of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounts for over 70% of exports. Long-run improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Investor confidence has been sapped by rampant corruption, a lack of electricity and other infrastructure, a lack of skilled workers, and the political uncertainty due to the failing health of President Lansana CONTE. Guinea is trying to reengage with the IMF and World Bank, which cut off most assistance in 2003, and is working closely with technical advisors from the U.S. Treasury Department, the World Bank and IMF, seeking to return to a fully funded program. Growth rose slightly in 2006, primarily due to increases in global demand and commodity prices on world markets, but the standard of living fell. The Guinea franc depreciated sharply as the prices for basic necessities like food and fuel rose beyond the reach of most Guineans. Dissatisfaction with economic conditions prompted nationwide strikes in February and June 2006. ^Z $19.4 billion (2006 est.) ^[ $3.651 billion (2006 est.) ^\ 2% (2006 est.) ^] $2,000 (2006 est.) ^^ `@ 23.7% `A 36.1% `B 40.2% (2006 est.) ^_ 3.7 million (2006 est.) ^` `@ 76% industry and services: 24% (2006 est.) ^a NA% _! 47% (2006 est.) _" `C 1.9% `D 41% (2006) _d 38.1 (2006) _# 29% (2006 est.) _V 17.6% of GDP (2006 est.) _$ `E $342.3 million `F $556.7 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) _& rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber _' bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron; alumina refining; light manufacturing, and agricultural processing _( NA% _) 840 million kWh `* excludes electricity generated at interior mining sites (2006) _* 832.9 million kWh (2006) _+ 0 kWh (2006) _, 0 kWh (2006) _- 0 bbl/day (2006 est.) _. 9,650 bbl/day (2006 est.) _/ NA _0 NA _1 0 cu m (2004 est.) _2 0 cu m (2004 est.) _Q $-344 million (2006 est.) _3 $615.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) _4 bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products _5 Russia 14.6%, South Korea 11.3%, Spain 10.2%, Ukraine 7.9%, US 6.1%, Ireland 6%, France 5.7%, Germany 5%, Belgium 4.5% (2005) _6 $730 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) _7 petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs _8 China 8.5%, US 7.3%, France 7.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.2%, Italy 4.7%, Belgium 4.1% (2005) _[ $60.2 million (2006 est.) _9 $3.02 billion (2006 est.) _: $212.2 million (2006) _; Guinean franc (GNF) _< Guinean francs per US dollar - 5,350 (2006), 3,644.3 (2005), 2,225 (2004), 1,984.9 (2003), 1,975.8 (2002) _= calendar year 
]& _> 26,200 (2003) _? 189,000 (2005) _@ `G poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system `H microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication `I country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) _A AM 0, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2006) _B 6 (2001) _C .gn _D 367 (2006) _E 46,000 (2005) 
]' _F 16 (2006) _G `! 5 `a 1 `J 1 `b 3 (2006) _R `! 11 `b 6 `c 3 `W 2 (2006) _e `! 837 km `m 175 km 1.435-m gauge `n 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) _H `! 44,348 km `K 4,342 km `L 40,006 km (2003) _b 1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2005) _I Kamsar 
]( _J Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard (2007) _T 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004) _K males age 18-49: 1,852,534 females age 18-49: 1,827,560 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,034,006 females age 18-49: 1,032,885 (2005 est.) _U 1.8% (2006 est.) 
]) _N conflicts among rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in neighboring states have spilled over into Guinea, resulting in domestic instability; Sierra Leone considers Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa rivers excessive and protests Guinea's continued occupation of these lands, including the hamlet of Yenga, occupied since 1998 _c `o 54,810 (Liberia), 5,423 (Sierra Leone), 3,900 (Cote d'Ivoire) `k 19,000 (cross-border incursions from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone) (2006) 