Part 356

GUINEA

@Guinea:Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone

Geographic coordinates: 11 00 N, 10 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 245,860 sq km land : 245,860 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries: total: 3,399 km border countries: Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km

Coastline: 320 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone : 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (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

Land use: arable land : 2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 22% forests and woodland: 59% other: 17% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 930 sq km (1993 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

Environment - international agreements: party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Desertification

@Guinea:People

Population: 7,405,375 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 44% (male 1,625,046; female 1,632,953) 15-64 years : 53% (male 1,928,853; female 2,019,180) 65 years and over: 3% (male 83,165; female 116,178) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.1% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 41.95 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 18.23 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -12.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) note: in prior years Guinea received several hundred thousand refugees from the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, some of whom are now returning to their own countries

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 131.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)