Guinea - Background

guinea.jpg (101938 bytes)
The boundaries and names shown on this map do not imply
official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations

Location: West Africa
Area: 245,855 sq. km
Population statistics (based on United Nations sources):

Total: 7,360,000 (1999)
Growth rate: 1.54
Ratio of males per 100 females: 101.0
Age structure (1995 figures)
- Percentage aged 0-4 : 19.5
- Percentage aged 5-14 : 27.6
- Percentage aged 15-24 : 18.9
- Percentage aged 25-60 : 27.2
- Percentage aged 60-over : 6.8
Population density: 30 per sq. km

Literacy rate: 36.0% (1998)
GNP in US$ billions: 3.8 (1998)
GNP per capita in US$: 530 (1998)
Human Development Index value: 0.394 (1998)
Human Development Index rank: 162 of 174 countries
Gender-related Development Index value: 0.381 (1997)
Gender-related Development Index rank: 134 of 174 countries

Guinea is a lush, well-watered country with promising agricultural potentials and mineral resources. Nevertheless, the country's economy suffered a lot during the first quarter-century after independence in 1958 as a result of the state's isolationist policies.

Guinea has about one-third of the world reserves of bauxite, and mining of bauxite in the country is the mainstay of the economy, contributing more than 70% of export earnings. There are also large reserves of iron ore and other minerals, some of which are exploited on a small scale. Agriculture is the other dominant sector employing about 80% of the workforce. Since the death of the first president in 1984, Guinea introduced economic and political reforms. Subsequently in 1990s, the military regimes legalised political parties and undertook presidential and National Assembly elections.

In 1999, Guinea has over 46,200 connected telephone lines, resulting a telephone density of 0.59 line per hundred people.

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	Guinea