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Compare Guinea (2006) - Lesotho (2008)
Compare Guinea (2006) z Lesotho (2008)
| Guinea (2006) | Lesotho (2008) | |
 |  | |
| 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 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka |
| 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: 35.7% (male 382,308/female 377,303)
15-64 years: 59.3% (male 613,979/female 645,818) 65 years and over: 5% (male 42,621/female 63,233) (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber | corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley; livestock |
| Airports | 16 (2006) | 28 (2007) |
| 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: 3
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
| 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: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 21 (2007) |
| Area | total: 245,857 sq km
land: 245,857 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 30,355 sq km
land: 30,355 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Oregon | slightly smaller than Maryland |
| 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. | Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties continue to periodically demonstrate their distrust of the results. |
| Birth rate | 41.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 24.72 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $305.6 million
expenditures: $590.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues: $951.4 million
expenditures: $855.4 million (2007 est.) |
| Capital | name: Conakry
geographic coordinates: 9 31 N, 13 43 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Maseru
geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds | temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers |
| Coastline | 320 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale) | 2 April 1993 |
| 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: Kingdom of Lesotho
conventional short form: Lesotho local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho local short form: Lesotho former: Basutoland |
| Death rate | 15.48 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 22.49 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Debt - external | $3.46 billion (2003 est.) | $693 million (31 December 2007 est.) |
| 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 Robert NOLAN
embassy: 254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section) mailing address: P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho telephone: [266] 22 312666 FAX: [266] 22 310116 |
| 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Mabasia MOHOBANE
chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533 through 5536 FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815 |
| 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 | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $237.5 million (2003) | $68.82 million (2005) |
| 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. | Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho relies on remittances from miners employed in South Africa and customs duties from the Southern Africa Customs Union for the majority of government revenue. However, the government has recently strengthened its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties. Completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa and also generates royalties for Lesotho. Lesotho produces about 90% of its own electrical power needs. As the number of mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years, a small manufacturing base has developed based on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries, as well as a rapidly expanding apparel-assembly sector. The latter has grown significantly mainly due to Lesotho qualifying for the trade benefits contained in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The economy is still primarily based on subsistence agriculture, especially livestock, although drought has decreased agricultural activity. The extreme inequality in the distribution of income remains a major drawback. Lesotho has signed an Interim Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF. In July 2007 Lesotho signed a Millennium Challenge Account Compact with the US worth $362.5 million. |
| Electricity - consumption | 720.8 million kWh (2003) | 338.5 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 13 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2005) |
| Electricity - production | 775 million kWh (2003) | 350 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2005) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m |
lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m
highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 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 | population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa |
| 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Ethnic groups | Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10% | Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%, |
| 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) | maloti per US dollar - 7.25 (2007), 6.85 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003) |
| 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: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile
head of government: Prime Minister Pakalitha MOSISILI (since 23 May 1998) cabinet: Cabinet elections: none - according to the constitution, the leader of the majority party in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister; the monarch is hereditary, but, under the terms of the constitution, that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law the college of chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, determine who is next in the line of succession, or who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age |
| Exports | NA bbl/day | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
| Exports - commodities | bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products | manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (2000) |
| 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) | US 81.9%, Belgium 15%, Canada 1.9% (2006) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
| Flag description | three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia | three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 23.7%
industry: 36.2% services: 40.1% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 15.2%
industry: 45% services: 39.7% (2007 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2005 est.) | 4.8% (2007 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 11 00 N, 10 00 W | 29 30 S, 28 30 E |
| Geography - note | the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands | landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 32% (1994) |
lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 43.4% (2002 est.) |
| Imports | NA bbl/day | 1,400 bbl/day (2004) |
| Imports - commodities | petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs | food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners | China 8.5%, US 7.3%, France 7.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.2%, Italy 4.7%, Belgium 4.1% (2005) | Hong Kong 33.4%, China 31.2%, Germany 7.7%, India 7.3% (2006) |
| Independence | 2 October 1958 (from France) | 4 October 1966 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA | 12% (2007 est.) |
| Industries | bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries | food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism |
| 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.) |
total: 79.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 84.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 75.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 25% (2005 est.) | 12% (2007 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, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Irrigated land | 950 sq km (2003) | 30 sq km (2003) |
| Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel | High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch acting on the advice of the Prime Minister); Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional court |
| Labor force | 3 million (1999) | 838,000 (2000 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
industry and services: 14% (2002 est.) |
| 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: 909 km
border countries: South Africa 909 km |
| Land use | arable land: 4.47%
permanent crops: 2.64% other: 92.89% (2005) |
arable land: 10.87%
permanent crops: 0.13% other: 89% (2005) |
| Languages | French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language | Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa |
| 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 and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
| 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 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (120 seats, 80 by popular vote and 40 by proportional vote; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: last held 17 February 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LCD 61, NIP 21, ABC 17, LWP 10, ACP 4, BNP 3, other 4 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 49.5 years
male: 48.34 years female: 50.7 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 39.97 years
male: 40.73 years female: 39.18 years (2007 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 can read and write
total population: 84.8% male: 74.5% female: 94.5% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone | Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
none (landlocked) |
| Military - note | - | the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs |
| Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard (2006) | Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army and Air Wing |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $119.7 million (2005 est.) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.9% (2005 est.) | 2.6% (2006) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 2 October (1958) | Independence Day, 4 October (1966) |
| Nationality | noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean |
noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
adjective: Basotho |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season | periodic droughts |
| Natural resources | bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt | water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone |
| 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.) |
-0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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 of Congress Parties or ACP; All Basotho Convention or ABC [Thomas THABANE]; Basotholand African Congress or BAC [Khauhelo RALITAPOLE]; Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Ntsukunyane MPHANYA]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justin Metsing LEKHANYA]; Kopanang Basotho Party or KPB [Pheelo MOSALA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD (the governing party) [Pakalitha MOSISILI]; Lesotho Education Party or LEP [Thabo PITSO]; Lesotho Workers Party or LWP [Macaefa BILLY]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP [Vincent MALEBO]; National Independent Party or NIP [Anthony MANYELI]; New Lesotho Freedom Party or NLFP [Manapo MAJARA]; Popular Front for Democracy or PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]; Sefate Democratic Union or SDU [Bofihla NKUEBE]; Social Democratic Party of SDP [Masitise SELESO] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Student and teacher unions | NA |
| Population | 9,690,222 (July 2006 est.) | 2,125,262
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 2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 40% (2003 est.) | 49% (1999) |
| Population growth rate | 2.63% (2006 est.) | 0.144% (2007 est.) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 4 (one station is inactive), FM 1 (plus 7 repeaters), shortwave 3 (2001) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Railways | total: 837 km
standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) |
- |
| Religions | Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% | Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% |
| 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: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.951 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.674 male(s)/female total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 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: rudimentary system consisting of a modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding
domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho tasked with providing an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a target not met; mobile-cellular service is expanding with a subscribership approaching 15 per 100 persons; rural services are scant international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 26,200 (2003) | 48,000 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 189,000 (2005) | 249,800 (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 6 low-power stations (2001) | 1 (2000) |
| Terrain | generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior | mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains |
| Total fertility rate | 5.79 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 3.21 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA% | 45% (2002) |
| Waterways | 1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2005) | - |
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