Country
Countries A-Z
Guinea
Republic of Guinea
République de Guinée
Political Status: Independent republic since October 2, 1958; under one-party presidential regime until military coup of April 3, 1984; multiparty constitution approved by referendum of December 23, 1990, providing for five-year transition to civilian government.
Area: 94,925 sq. mi. (245,857 sq. km.).
Population: 7,156,406 (1996C); 8,603,000 (2005E). Both figures include refugees from Liberia and Sierra Leone, estimated at 640,000 in 1996.
Major Urban Center (2005E): CONAKRY (1,478,000).
Official Language: French, pending adoption of Soussou or Malinké. (Six other tribal languages are also spoken.)
Monetary Unit: Guinea Franc (market rate July 1, 2006: 5007 francs = $1US).
President of the Republic: Gen. Lansana CONTÉ (Party of Unity and Progress); named president by the Military Committee for National Recovery (CMRN) on April 5, 1984, following the deposition on April ...