Guinea (2006) | Guyana (2002) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 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 | 10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 44.4% (male 2,171,733/female 2,128,027)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 2,541,140/female 2,542,847) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 134,239/female 172,236) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 27.6% (male 98,198; female 94,397)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 237,324; female 233,400) 65 years and over: 5% (male 15,510; female 19,380) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber | sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish (shrimp) |
Airports | 16 (2006) | 51 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2006) |
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 5 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
total: 43
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 34 (2002) |
Area | total: 245,857 sq km
land: 245,857 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 214,970 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km water: 18,120 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Oregon | slightly smaller than Idaho |
Background | 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. Unrest in Sierra Leone and Liberia has spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over the past decade, threatening stability and creating humanitarian emergencies. | Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, but until the early 1990s it was ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president, in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. Upon his death five years later, he was succeeded by his wife Janet, who resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001. |
Birth rate | 41.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 17.89 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $305.6 million
expenditures: $590.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues: $227 million
expenditures: $235.2 million, including capital expenditures of $93.4 million (2000) (2000) |
Capital | name: Conakry
geographic coordinates: 9 31 N, 13 43 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Georgetown |
Climate | generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds | tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January) |
Coastline | 320 km | 459 km |
Constitution | 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale) | 6 October 1980 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
conventional short form: Guinea local long form: Republique de Guinee local short form: Guinee former: French Guinea |
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana former: British Guiana |
Currency | - | Guyanese dollar (GYD) |
Death rate | 15.48 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 9.33 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $3.46 billion (2003 est.) | $1.1 billion (2000) (2000) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Jackson C. MCDONALD
embassy: Koloma, Conakry, east of Hamdallaye Circle mailing address: B. P. 603, Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry telephone: [224] 30-42-08-61 FAX: [224] 30-42-08-73 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald D. GODARD
embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown telephone: [592] 225-4900 through 4909 FAX: [592] 225-8497 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ibrihama Sory TRAORE
chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300 FAX: [1] (202) 478-3800 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 232-1297 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | conflicts among rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in neighboring states have spilled over into Guinea, resulting in domestic instability; Sierra Leone has pressured Guinea to remove its forces from the town of Yenga, occupied since 1998 | all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari [Koetari] rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne); territorial sea boundary with Suriname is in dispute |
Economic aid - recipient | $237.5 million (2003) | $84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) $253 million (1997) |
Economy - overview | Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country possesses almost half of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for over 70% of exports in 2004. Long-run improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Fighting along the Sierra Leonean and Liberian borders, as well as refugee movements, have caused major economic disruptions, aggravating a loss in investor confidence. Panic buying has created food shortages and inflation and caused riots in local markets. Guinea is not receiving multilateral aid; the IMF and World Bank cut off most assistance in 2003. Growth rose slightly in 2005, primarily due to increases in global demand and commodity prices on world markets. | The Guyanese economy has exhibited moderate economic growth since 1999, based on an expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of international organizations. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public investment. Low prices for key mining and agricultural commodities combined with troubles in the bauxite and sugar industries threaten the government's already tenuous fiscal position and dim prospects for 2002. |
Electricity - consumption | 720.8 million kWh (2003) | 469.65 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 775 million kWh (2003) | 505 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m |
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 | water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial chemicals; deforestation |
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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10% | East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7% |
Exchange rates | Guinean francs per US dollar - 2,550 (2005), 2,225 (2004), 1,984.9 (2003), 1,975.8 (2002), 1,950.6 (2001) | Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 189.5 (December 2001), 187.3 (2001), 182.4 (2000), 178.0 (1999), 150.5 (1998), 142.4 (1997) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Lansana CONTE (head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993)
head of government: vacant; note - Prime Minister Cellou Dalein DIALLO was dismissed on 5 April 2006 cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: 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 December 2010); the prime minister is appointed by the president election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE (PUP) 95.3%, Mamadou Boye BARRY (UPR) 4.6% |
chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President JAGAN
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA December 1997) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature elections: president elected by the majority party in the National Assembly following legislative elections, which must be held at least every five years; elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $505 million f.o.b. (2000) |
Exports - commodities | bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products | sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber |
Exports - partners | 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) | Canada 22%, US 22%, UK 18%, Netherlands Antilles 11% (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia | green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 23.7%
industry: 36.2% services: 40.1% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 36%
industry: 32% services: 32% (2000) (2000) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2005 est.) | 2.8% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 11 00 N, 10 00 W | 5 00 N, 59 00 W |
Geography - note | the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands | the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively |
Highways | - | total: 7,970 km
paved: 590 km unpaved: 7,380 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 32% (1994) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $585 million c.i.f. (2000) |
Imports - commodities | petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs | manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food |
Imports - partners | China 8.5%, US 7.3%, France 7.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.2%, Italy 4.7%, Belgium 4.1% (2005) | US 29%, Trinidad and Tobago 18%, Netherlands Antilles 16%, UK 7% (1999) |
Independence | 2 October 1958 (from France) | 26 May 1966 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | 7.1% (1997 est.) |
Industries | bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries | bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining |
Infant mortality rate | total: 90 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 95.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 84.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
38.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 25% (2005 est.) | 6% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 3 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 950 sq km (2003) | 1,500 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel | Supreme Court of Judicature; Judicial Court of Appeal; High Court |
Labor force | 3 million (1999) | 418,000 (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (2000 est.) |
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
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 |
total: 2,462 km
border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km |
Land use | arable land: 4.47%
permanent crops: 2.64% other: 92.89% (2005) |
arable land: 2.44%
permanent crops: 0.08% other: 97.48% (1998 est.) |
Languages | French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language | English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu |
Legal system | based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; legal codes currently being revised; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | 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 in 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 |
unicameral National Assembly (68 seats, 65 elected by popular vote, 1 elected Speaker of the National Assembly, and 2 nonvoting members appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPP/C 34, PNC 27, GAP and WPA 2, ROAR 1, TUF 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 49.5 years
male: 48.34 years female: 50.7 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 62.59 years
male: 59.96 years female: 65.34 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.9% male: 49.9% female: 21.9% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.1% male: 98.6% female: 97.5% (1995 est.) |
Location | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela |
Map references | Africa | South America |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,929 GRT/4,507 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2 (2002 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard (2006) | Guyana Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and Air Corps), Guyana Police Force, Guyana People's Militia, Guyana National Service |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $119.7 million (2005 est.) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.9% (2005 est.) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 206,199 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 155,058 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 2 October (1958) | Republic Day, 23 February (1970) |
Nationality | noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean |
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese |
Natural hazards | hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season | flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons |
Natural resources | bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt | bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is host to approximately 141,500 refugees from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone (2006 est.) |
-6.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally or PDG-RDA [El Hadj Ismael Mohamed Gassim GUSHEIN]; National Union for Progress or UPN [Mamadou Bhoye BARRY]; 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 of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Mamadou BA]; 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] | Alliance for Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond HOYTE]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Student and teacher unions | Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO; Trades Union Congress or TUC
note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not well organized |
Population | 9,690,222 (July 2006 est.) | 698,209
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 40% (2003 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.63% (2006 est.) | 0.23% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Bartica, Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Parika |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 4 (one station is inactive), FM 1 (plus 7 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2001) | AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | - | 420,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 837 km
standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) |
total: 187 km
standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.) |
Religions | Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% | Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system
domestic: microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication international: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: fair system for long-distance calling
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines international: tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 26,200 (2003) | 70,000 (2000) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 189,000 (2005) | 6,100 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 6 low-power stations (2001) | 3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997) |
Terrain | generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior | mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south |
Total fertility rate | 5.79 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 2.09 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 9.1% (2000) (understated) (2000) |
Waterways | 1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2005) | 5,900 km (total length of navigable waterways)
note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively |