Tokelau (2007) | Guinea (2007) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (territory of New Zealand) | 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 |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 42%
15-64 years: 53% 65 years and over: 5% |
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.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats; fish | rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber |
Airports | - | 16 (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 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
Area | total: 10 sq km
land: 10 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 245,857 sq km
land: 245,857 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Oregon |
Background | Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925. | 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. |
Birth rate | NA | 41.53 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $430,800
expenditures: $2.8 million (1987 est.) |
revenues: $256 million
expenditures: $503.9 million (2006 est.) |
Capital | none; each atoll has its own administrative center
time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Conakry
geographic coordinates: 9 33 N, 13 42 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November) | generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds |
Coastline | 101 km | 320 km |
Constitution | administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970 | 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau |
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
conventional short form: Guinea local long form: Republique de Guinee local short form: Guinee former: French Guinea |
Death rate | NA | 15.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $3.226 billion (2006 est.) |
Dependency status | self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand; a UN sponsored referendum on self governance in October 2007 did not produce the two-thirds majority vote necessary for changing the political status | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of New Zealand) | 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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of New Zealand) | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300 FAX: [1] (202) 478-3800 |
Disputes - international | Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olohega) in its 2006 draft constitution | 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 |
Economic aid - recipient | NA | $182.1 million (2005) |
Economy - overview | Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public services with annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 832.9 million kWh (2006) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2006) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2006) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 840 million kWh
note: excludes electricity generated at interior mining sites (2006) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand | 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, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian | Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10% |
Exchange rates | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002) | Guinean francs per US dollar - 5,350 (2006), 3,644.3 (2005), 2,225 (2004), 1,984.9 (2003), 1,975.8 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); New Zealand is represented by Administrator David PAYTON (since 17 October 2006)
head of government: Kolouei O'BRIEN (2006); note - position rotates annually among the three Faipule (village leaders) cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau, consisting of three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku (village mayors), functions as a cabinet elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term |
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% |
Exports | $0 f.o.b. (2002) | NA |
Exports - commodities | stamps, copra, handicrafts | bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products |
Exports - partners | New Zealand (2006) | Russia 11.7%, Ukraine 9.6%, South Korea 8.9%, Spain 8.1%, France 7.8%, US 7.8%, Germany 5.4%, Ireland 5.1% (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of New Zealand is used | three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 23.2%
industry: 38.2% services: 38.6% (2006 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 2.2% (2006 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 9 00 S, 172 00 W | 11 00 N, 10 00 W |
Geography - note | consists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over 3 m above sea level | the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 41% (2006) |
Imports | $969,200 c.i.f. (2002) | NA |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, building materials, fuel | petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | New Zealand (2006) | China 8.6%, France 8.1%, Netherlands 4.8%, Belgium 4.4% (2006) |
Independence | none (territory of New Zealand) | 2 October 1958 (from France) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing | bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron; alumina refining; light manufacturing, and agricultural processing |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
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.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | 30% (2006 est.) |
International organization participation | PIF (observer), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU | 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), ITSO, 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 |
Irrigated land | NA | 950 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau | Court of First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
Labor force | 440 (2001) | 3.7 million (2006 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 76%
industry and services: 24% (2006 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 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 |
Land use | arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 4.47%
permanent crops: 2.64% other: 92.89% (2005) |
Languages | Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English | French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language |
Legal system | New Zealand and local statutes | based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
Legislative branch | unicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon proportional representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; Nukunonu has six seats, Fakaofo has seven seats, Atafu has eight seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the General Fono
elections: last held January 2005 (next to be held January 2008) |
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 49.65 years
male: 48.5 years female: 50.84 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 29.5% male: 42.6% female: 18.1% (2003 est.) |
Location | Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone |
Map references | Oceania | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand | - |
Military branches | - | Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard (2007) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.7% (2006) |
National holiday | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) | Independence Day, 2 October (1958) |
Nationality | noun: Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan |
noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean |
Natural hazards | lies in Pacific typhoon belt | hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season |
Natural resources | NEGL | bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt |
Net migration rate | NA | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | 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] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | 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] |
Population | 1,449 (July 2007 est.) | 9,947,814 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 47% (2006 est.) |
Population growth rate | -0.018% (2007 est.) | 2.62% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA (one radio station provides service to all islands) (2002) | AM 0, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2006) |
Railways | - | total: 837 km
standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) |
Religions | Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%
note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant |
Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% |
Sex ratio | NA | 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.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: modern satellite-based communications system
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite earth stations |
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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 300 (2002) | 26,300 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 189,000 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 6 (2001) |
Terrain | low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons | generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior |
Total fertility rate | NA | 5.75 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | NA% |
Waterways | - | 1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2005) |