FACT FILE

Location:

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal

Geographic coordinates:

12 00 N, 15 00 W

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total:  36,120 sq km land:  28,000 sq km water:  8,120 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:

total:  724 km border countries:  Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km

Coastline:

350 km

Maritime claims:

exclusive economic zone:  200 NM territorial sea:  12 NM

Climate:

tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Terrain:

mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Elevation extremes:

lowest point:  Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point:  unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m

Natural resources:

fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum

Land use:

arable land:  11% permanent crops:  1% permanent pastures:  38% forests and woodland:  38% other:  12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

17 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards:

hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Environment - international agreements:

party to:  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands signed, but not ratified:  none of the selected agreements

Population:

1,315,822 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years:  42.09% (male 276,312; female 277,536) 15-64 years:  55.05% (male 344,493; female 379,889) 65 years and over:  2.86% (male 16,850; female 20,742) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.23% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:

39.29 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:

15.33 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:

-1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth:  1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years:  1 male(s)/female 15-64 years:  0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over:  0.81 male(s)/female total population:  0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

110.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population:  49.42 years male:  47.12 years female:  51.78 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.2 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

2.5% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

14,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

1,300 (1999 est.)

Nationality:

noun:  Guinean (s) adjective:  Guinean

Ethnic groups:

African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%

Religions:

indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%

Languages:

Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Literacy:

definition:  age 15 and over can read and write total population:  53.9% male:  67.1% female:  40.7% (1997 est.)