(December to May)with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain:
generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt
Land use: arable land: 3.63% permanent crops: 2.58% other: 93.79% (2001)
Irrigated land:
950 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry
season
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
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
Geography - note:
the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources
in the Guinean highlands
People Guinea
Population:
9,467,866 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 44.4% (male 2,123,207/female 2,079,475)
15–64 years: 52.4% (male 2,478,820/female 2,486,300)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 131,130/female 168,934) (2005 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.67 years
male: 17.42 years
female: 17.93 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.37% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
42.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
15.38 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
−2.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is
host to approximately 150,000 Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees
(2005 est.)
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 (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 90.37 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 95.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 84.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.36 years
male: 48.19 years
female: 50.57 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.83 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
140,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
9,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in
some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2004)
Nationality:
noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean
Ethnic groups:
Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10%
Religions:
Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
Languages:
French (official), each ethnic group has its own language
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.9%
male: 49.9%
female: 21.9% (1995 est.)
Government Guinea
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
conventional short form:
