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Compare Guinea (2008) - Lesotho (2001)

Compare Guinea (2008) z Lesotho (2001)

 Guinea (2008)Lesotho (2001)
 GuineaLesotho
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, Mohales Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Age structure 0-14 years: 44.3% (male 2,226,414/female 2,183,153)


15-64 years: 52.5% (male 2,611,833/female 2,610,773)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 138,392/female 177,249) (2007 est.)
0-14 years:
39.28% (male 430,147; female 424,994)

15-64 years:
56.03% (male 588,440; female 631,404)

65 years and over:
4.69% (male 43,033; female 59,044) (2001 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 (2007) 29 (2000 est.)
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 (2007)
total:
4

over 3,047 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 11


1,524 to 2,437 m: 6


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
total:
25

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
21 (2000 est.)
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, though all the polls have been marred by irregularities. 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. Declining economic conditions and popular dissatisfaction with corruption and bad governance prompted two massive strikes in 2006; a third nationwide strike in early 2007 sparked violent protests in many Guinean cities and prompted two weeks of martial law. To appease the unions and end the unrest, CONTE named a new prime minister in March 2007. Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after 23 years of military rule.
Birth rate 41.53 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 31.24 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $382 million


expenditures: $817.4 million (2007 est.)
revenues:
$76 million

expenditures:
$80 million, including capital expenditures of $15 million (FY99/00 est.)
Capital name: Conakry


geographic coordinates: 9 33 N, 13 42 W


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Maseru
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

former:
Basutoland
Currency - loti (LSL); South African rand (ZAR)
Death rate 15.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 15.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $3.298 billion (31 December 2007 est.) $720 million (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Phillip CARTER III


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 through 68


FAX: [224] 30-42-08-73
chief of mission:
Ambassador Katherine H. PETERSON

embassy:
254 Kingsway, Maseru West (Consular Section)

mailing address:
P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100, Lesotho

telephone:
[266] 312666

FAX:
[266] 310116
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Mory Karamoko KABA


chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 483-9420


FAX: [1] (202) 483-8688
chief of mission:
Ambassador Lebohang Kenneth MOLEKO

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 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 none
Economic aid - recipient $182.1 million (2005) $123.7 million (1995)
Economy - overview 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 2006-07, 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. Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho's primary natural resource is water. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, livestock, and remittances from miners employed in South Africa. The number of such mineworkers has declined steadily over the past several years. A small manufacturing base depends largely on farm products that support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries. Agricultural products are exported primarily to South Africa. Proceeds from membership in a common customs union with South Africa form the majority of government revenue. Although drought has decreased agricultural activity over the past few years, completion of a major hydropower facility in January 1998 now permits the sale of water to South Africa, generating royalties for Lesotho. The pace of substantial privatization has increased in recent years. In December 1999, the government embarked on a nine-month IMF staff-monitored program aimed at structural adjustment and stabilization of macroeconomic fundamentals. The government is in the process of applying for a three-year successor program with the IMF under its Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility.
Electricity - consumption 832.9 million kWh (2006) 55 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2006) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2006) 55 million kWh

note:
electricity supplied by South Africa (1999)
Electricity - production 840 million kWh


note: excludes electricity generated at interior mining sites (2006)
0 kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
0%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
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, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
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 - 4,122.8 (2007), 5,350 (2006), 3,644.3 (2005), 2,225 (2004), 1,984.9 (2003) maloti per US dollar - 7.78307 (January 2001), 6.93983 (2000), 6.10948 (1999), 5.52828 (1998), 4.60796 (1997), 4.29935 (1996); note - the Lesotho loti is at par with the South African rand which is also legal tender; maloti is the plural form of loti
Executive branch chief of state: President Lansana CONTE (head of military government since 5 April 1984, elected president 19 December 1993)


head of government: Prime Minister Lansana KOUYATE (since 26 February 2007)


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 in December 2010); the prime minister is appointed by the president


election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE 95.3%, Mamadou Bhoye BARRY 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 which 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 determine who is next in the line of succession, who shall serve as regent in the event that the successor is not of mature age, and may even depose the monarch
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) $175 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products manufactures 75% (clothing, footwear, road vehicles), wool and mohair, food and live animals (1998)
Exports - partners Russia 11.6%, Ukraine 9.6%, Spain 9%, South Korea 8.8%, France 7.7%, US 7.7%, Germany 5.4%, Ireland 5.1% (2006) South African Customs Union 65%, North America 34% (1998)
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 divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white, bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner
GDP - purchasing power parity - $5.1 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 22%


industry: 40.5%


services: 37.6% (2007 est.)
agriculture:
18%

industry:
38%

services:
44% (1999)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.5% (2007 est.) 2.5% (2000 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; surrounded by South Africa
Highways - total:
4,955 km

paved:
887 km

unpaved:
4,068 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1.9%


highest 10%: 41% (2006)
lowest 10%:
0.9%

highest 10%:
43.4% (1986-87)
Imports 8,481 bbl/day (2004) $700 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs food; building materials, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum products (1995)
Imports - partners China 8.6%, France 8%, Netherlands 4.8%, Belgium 4.4% (2006) South African Customs Union 90%, Asia 7% (1998)
Independence 2 October 1958 (from France) 4 October 1966 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 7.6% (2007 est.) 15.5% (1999 est.)
Industries bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron; alumina refining; light manufacturing, and agricultural processing food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 88.58 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 93.68 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 83.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
82.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 20% (2007 est.) 6% (2000 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 950 sq km (2003) 30 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Court of First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme High Court (chief justice appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal; Magistrate's Court; customary or traditional court
Labor force 3.7 million (2006 est.) 700,000 economically active
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 76%


industry and services: 24% (2006 est.)
86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
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:
11%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
66%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
23% (1993 est.)
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; 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by a mixed system of direct popular vote and proportional party lists


elections: last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held in 2008)


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


note: legislative elections were due in 2007 but have been postponed
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (33 members - 22 principal chiefs and 11 other members appointed by the ruling party) and the Assembly (80 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); note - number of seats in the Assembly rose from 65 to 80 in the May 1998 election; on 28 February 2001, the Senate approved expansion of the Assembly by a further 50 seats in the next election, which may be held as early as January 2002

elections:
last held 23 May 1998 (next to be held NA March 2001)

election results:
percent of vote by party - LCD 60.7%, BNP 24.5%, other 14.8%; seats by party - LCD 79, BNP 1

note:
results contested; opposition parties claimed the election was fraudulent and staged a coup; Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces intervened in September 1998 and restored order; the Interim Political Authority (IPA) was set up in December 1998 to create a new electoral system and conduct new elections.
Life expectancy at birth total population: 49.65 years


male: 48.5 years


female: 50.84 years (2007 est.)
total population:
48.84 years

male:
47.97 years

female:
49.74 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 29.5%


male: 42.6%


female: 18.1% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
83%

male:
72%

female:
93% (1999 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 (2007) Lesotho Defense Force (LDF; includes Army and Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police (RLMP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $34 million (1999)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.7% (2006) NA%
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
515,464 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
277,369 (2001 est.)
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, some diamonds and other minerals
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Political parties and leaders 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 [Cellou Dalein DIALLO]; 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] Basotho Congress Party or BCP [Tseliso MAKHAKHE]; Basotho National Party or BNP [Maj. Gen. Justine Metsing LEKHANYA]; Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Phebe MOTEBANO, chairwoman; Dr. Pakalitha MOSISILI, leader] - the governing party; United Democratic Party or UDP [Charles MOFELI]; Marematlou Freedom Party or MFP and Setlamo Alliance [Vincent MALEBO]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Chief Peete Nkoebe PEETE]; Sefate Democratic Party or SDP [Bofihla NKUEBE]
Political pressure groups and leaders 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] NA
Population 9,947,814 (July 2007 est.) 2,177,062

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 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 47% (2006 est.) 49.2% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate 2.62% (2007 est.) 1.49% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors - none
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2006) AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios - 104,000 (1997)
Railways total: 837 km


standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
total:
2.6 km; note - owned by, operated by, and included in the statistics of South Africa

narrow gauge:
2.6 km 1.067-m gauge (1995)
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: 0.781 male(s)/female


total population: 1.001 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.73 male(s)/female

total population:
0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: inadequate system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system


domestic: Conakry reasonably well served; coverage elsewhere remains inadequate and large companies tend to rely on their own systems for nationwide links; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 2 per 100 persons


international: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment:
rudimentary system

domestic:
consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 26,300 (2005) 20,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 189,000 (2005) 1,262 (1996)
Television broadcast stations 6 (2001) 1 (2000)
Terrain generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Total fertility rate 5.75 children born/woman (2007 est.) 4.08 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 45% (2000 est.)
Waterways 1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2005) none
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