NAM COUNTRY: GUINEA

GUINEA
 
Introduction

Guinea is rich in mineral wealth and it is potentially one of Africa's richest countries, however, its people are among the poorest in West Africa. After independence in 1958 Guinea cut off ties with its colonial master, France and turned to the then Soviet Union. The first president, Ahmed Sekou Toure, pushed for socialism. During his 26-year regime, thousands of people with dissenting views disappeared, or were tortured and executed. With economy in the doldrums, coupled with repression riots broke out in 1977. These led to some relaxation of state control of the economy. But it was only after the death in 1984 of Ahmed Sekou Toure, and the seizure of power by Lansana Conte and other officers, that the socialist experiment was abandoned - without reversing poverty.
In 2000 Guinea became home to up to half a million refugees fleeing fighting in Sierra Leone and Liberia. This has increased the strain on its economy and generated suspicion and ethnic tension. Since December 2004, the government has pursued a rigorous reform agenda. This has resulted in better tax collection and reduced government spending.

Geography
Guinea, in West Africa on the Atlantic, is also bordered by Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Slightly smaller than Oregon, the country consists of a coastal plain, a mountainous region, a savanna interior, and a forest area in the Guinea Highlands. The highest peak is Mount Nimba at 5,748 ft (1,752 m). Guinea owes its frontiers mainly to the accidents of the late 19th century partition of Africa and has no geographic unity. Much of the country is moun-tainous and the scenery is of great beauty. Guinea can be divided into four regions, Lower Guinea, the alluvial coastal plain; Middle Guinea, the mountainous region of the Futa Jallon; Upper Guinea, a gently undulating plain with an average elevation of 1,000 ft, savanna country broken by occasional rocky outcrops; and the forested Guinea Highlands, composed of granites, schists, and quartzites, including Mt. Nimba (about 6,000 ft high), the highest point in the country. The Niger River and its important tributary, the Milo have their source in the Guinea Highlands; the Gambia and Senegal rivers in the Futa Jallon.
History

Guinea is partial heir to the series of West African empires that, the French entered in the mid-nineteenth century, and with the defeat in 1898 of Samory Touré, gained control of Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. France ruled the colony through a lieutenant general and a hierarchy of French officials. Reform movements, after WWII, began to decrease the amount of French influence and placed increasing power into the hands of nationals. Heightened nationalism in Guinea and political pressures in France were forcing these changes upon the French. Ahmed Sekou Touré gained prominence as a leader through the post WWII labour movement and through involvement in the Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG). Although heavily influenced by French communists, Touré broke with them in 1950. Guinea gained independence from France on October 2, 1958. In 1984, Touré died unexpectedly. The present government under General Conté has been seeking to overcome the legacy of the Touré regime. In 1988 Conté announced a committee to draft a new constitution. The new constitution was approved by a national referendum in 1990. The CTRN was inaugurated in February 1991, and the constitution was officially adopted in December of the same year. The registration of an unlimited number of political parties was allowed in April of 1992. A presidential election was held in 1993, in which President Conte won, and was reelected in May 1998.
Economy
Richly endowed with minerals, Guinea’s mineral wealth includes bauxite, iron ore, diamond and gold, and uranium, agricultural and fishing.Joint venture bauxite mining and alumina operations in northwest Guinea historically provide about 80% of Guinea's foreign exchange.
The largest gold mining operation in Guinea is a joint venture between the government and Ashanti Gold Fields of Ghana. Under the International Monetary Fund World Bank agreements, Guinea continued fiscal reforms and privatisations, and shifted governmental expenditures and internal reforms to the education, health, infrastructure, banking, and justice sectors. The government revised the private investment code in 1998 to stimulate economic activity in the spirit of free enterprise. Cabinet changes in 1999 as well increasing corruption, economic mismanagement, and excessive government spending combined to slow the momentum for economic reform. The United States and Guinea have signed an investment guarantee agreement that offers political risk insurance to American investors. Starting in December 2004, the government has pursued a rigorous reform agenda designed to return Guinea to a PRGF with the IMF. Exchange rates have been allowed to float, price controls on gasoline have been loosened, and government spending has been reduced while tax collection has been improved. These reforms have not slowed down inflation, which hit 27% in 2004 and 30% in 2005. Depreciation is also a concern. The Guinea franc was trading at 2550 to the dollar in January 2005. It hit 4833 Guinea franc to the dollar by May 2006.



President Lansana Conte
Prime Minister Lansana Kouyaté

Quick Facts

Official Name

Republic of Guinea
Location
 Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
Capital
 Conakry
Population
 9.690.222
Religions Muslim, Christian, indigenous beliefs
Languages
 French,Pulaar, Kissi, Kpelle, Maninka, Susu, Toma
National Holiday
 October 2, 1958 (Independence from France)
Sports Soccer, Swimming, Hiking
Government
Republic
Head of State
 President Lansana Conte
Head of Government
 Prime Minister Lansana Kouyaté
Legal System
 French civil law system, customary law, and decree
Currency
Guinean franc (GNF)
Trading Partners
Cote d'Ivoire, France, Belgium, China, South Africa , UK, Switzerland, Ukraine



WORLD HERITAGE

Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve

Located on the borders of Guinea, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, Mount Nimba rises above the surrounding savannah. Its slopes are covered by dense forest at the foot of grassy mountain pastures. They harbour an especially rich flora and fauna, with endemic species such as the viviparous toad and chimpanzees that use stones as tools.