| Introduction | Guinea |
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. 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. |
| People | Guinea |
Population:
| 9,947,814 (July 2007 est.) |
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.) |
Median age:
| total: 17.7 years male: 17.5 years female: 17.9 years (2007 est.) |
Population growth rate:
| 2.62% (2007 est.) |
Birth rate:
| 41.53 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Death rate:
| 15.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Net migration rate:
| 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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: 0.781 male(s)/female total population: 1.001 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
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.) |
Life expectancy at birth:
| total population: 49.65 years male: 48.5 years female: 50.84 years (2007 est.) |
Total fertility rate:
| 5.75 children born/woman (2007 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.) |
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); note - 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.) |
