General
Information
|
Total Land Area: |
245,845 km2 |
|
Land boundaries: |
3,399 km |
|
Coastline: |
300 km |
|
Capital: |
Conakry |
|
Other Large
Cities: |
Kindia, Labé,
Kankan,
N'zérékoré |
|
Official
Language: |
French |
|
National
Currency Unit: |
Guinean Franc (GNF) |
|
National Day: |
October 2 |
Location and
Geography
Guinea is bordered
by the Atlantic
Ocean in the West,
Guinea-Bissau,
Senegal and Mali in
the North and East,
Côte d’Ivoire in the
South-east, and
Liberia and Sierra
Leone in the South.
The country is
divided into four
distinct
geographical
regions: the Lower
Guinea, the Fouta
Djallon mountain,
the Upper Guinea
savannah region, and
the Tropical Rain
Forest region. The
land is a flat
coastal plain with
hilly to mountainous
areas towards the
inland. Guinea has
the highest summit
in Western Africa,
the Mount Nimba
(1752m). Forests and
woodlands take up
nearly half of the
land area while
meadows and pastures
take up about one
fifth. The climate
is generally hot and
humid and there is a
monsoon-type rainy
season coupled with
South-western winds.
Demography
|
Population:
|
8.40 million
(2002) |
|
Crude Birth
Rate:
|
38 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Crude Death
Rate:
|
17 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Infant Mortality
Rate:
|
106 per thousand
(2002) |
|
Life Expectancy:
|
Male: 46 years,
Female: 47 years
(2002) |
|
Urban
Population:
|
28.0 percent
(2002) |
|
Adult Literacy:
|
41.00 percent
(2001) |
Economy
Guinea is well
endowed with
mineral, hydropower
and agricultural
resources. Thanks to
fertile lands the
country has also a
considerable
agricultural
development
potential. The major
crops grown are:
rice, coffee,
pineapple, palm
kernels, cassava,
banana, and sweet
potato. The forestry
and livestock
raising activities
are limited. The
economy is based on
rich mineral
deposits including
bauxite, iron ore,
diamonds, gold, and
uranium. The country
owns over 25 percent
of the world’s
bauxite reserves and
is the second
largest producer.
Diamonds are mined
and exported in
large scale. New
deposits of copper,
manganese, titanium,
and uranium have
been found.
Aluminium smelting,
food processing,
textiles, and
plywood
manufacturing are
the main industries.
|
GDP at Current
Market Prices:
|
2110 million US$
(2001) |
|
Per Capita GDP:
|
255 US$ (2001) |
|
Share of Sectors
in GDP:
|
24.0%
Agriculture,
37.0% Industry,
39.0% Services,
(2002) |
|
Total Exports:
|
870 million US$
(2002) |
|
Total Imports:
|
880 million US$
(2002) |
|
Major Exports
Items: |
Bauxite,
diamonds, gold,
coffee, fish,
cotton, cocoa,
shea butter and
palm oil |
|
Major Imports
Items: |
Petroleum
products,
metals,
machinery,
transportation
equipment,
textile,
foodstuff and
pharmaceutical
products
|
|
Major Trading
Partners: |
France, South
Korea, Côte
d’lvoire, Spain
and Cameroon
|
|
