Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (32)

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 27.84 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 79 male: 30.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 25.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 70.29 years country comparison to the world: 142 male: 68.49 years

female: 72.19 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.47 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 58

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

59,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

3,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 51

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria

water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Nationality:

noun: Guatemalan(s)

adjective: Guatemalan

Ethnic groups:

Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census)

Religions:

Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

Languages:

Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 69.1%

male: 75.4%

female: 63.3% (2002 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 10 years

male: 11 years

female: 10 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

2.6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 154

Government ::Guatemala

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala

conventional short form: Guatemala

local long form: Republica de Guatemala

local short form: Guatemala

Government type:

constitutional democratic republic

Capital:

name: Guatemala City

geographic coordinates: 14 37 N, 90 31 W

time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Friday in September; note - there is no DST planned for 2007-2009

Administrative divisions:

22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa

Independence:

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:

31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended 25 May 1993; reinstated 5 June 1993; amended November 1993

Legal system:

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14 January 2008); Vice President Jose Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14 January 2008); Vice President Jose Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January 2008)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 9 September 2007; runoff held 4 November 2007 (next to be held September 2011)

election results: Alvaro COLOM Caballeros elected president; percent of vote - Alvaro COLOM Caballeros 52.8%, Otto PEREZ Molina 47.2%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 9 September 2007 (next to be held in September 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - UNE 30.4%, GANA 23.4%, PP 18.9%, FRG 9.5%, PU 5.1%, other 12.7%; seats by party - UNE 48, GANA 37, PP 30, FRG 15, PU 8, CASA 5, EG 4, PAN 4, UCN 4, URNG 2, UD 1

Judicial branch:

Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad is Guatemala's highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year terms); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (13 members serve concurrent five-year terms and elect a president of the Court each year from among their number; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:

Center of Social Action or CASA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democracy Front or FRENTE [Alfonso CABRERA]; Democratic Union or UD [Manuel CONDE Orellana]; Encounter for Guatemala or EG [Nineth MONTENGRO]; Grand National Alliance or GANA [Alfredo VILLA]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Hector NUILA]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Juan Guillermo GUTIERREZ]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Juan Jose ALFARO Lemus]; Nationalist Change Union or UCN [Mario ESTRADA]; Patriot Party or PP [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina]; Unionista Party or PU [Fritz GARCIA-GALLONT]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM

International organization participation:

BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco VILLAGRAN de Leon

chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952

FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix, Providence, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen G. MCFARLAND

embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City

mailing address: APO AA 34024

telephone: [502] 2326-4000

FAX: [502] 2326-4654

Flag description:

three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue, with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath

Economy ::Guatemala

Economy - overview:

Guatemala is the most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about one-tenth of GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products, with sugar exports benefiting from increased global demand for ethanol. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered into force in July 2006 and has since spurred increased investment in the export sector, but concerns over security, the lack of skilled workers and poor infrastructure continued to hamper foreign participation. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with more than half of the population below the national poverty line. Other ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, curtailing drug trafficking and rampant crime, and narrowing the trade deficit. Given Guatemala's large expatriate community in the United States, it is the top remittance recipient in Central America, with inflows serving as a primary source of foreign income equivalent to nearly two-thirds of exports. Economic growth will slow in 2009 as export demand from US and other Central American markets drop and foreign investment slows amid the global slowdown.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$68.75 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81 $66.1 billion (2007 est.)

$62.18 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$38.98 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 103 6.3% (2007 est.)

5.4% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$5,300 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 136 $5,200 (2007 est.)

$5,000 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 13.1%

industry: 25%

services: 61.9% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

4.056 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 87

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 50%

industry: 15%

services: 35% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:

3.2% (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 36

Population below poverty line:

56.2% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.3%

highest 10%: 42.4% (2006)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

55.1 (2007) country comparison to the world: 13 55.8 (1998)

Investment (gross fixed):

18.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 126

Budget:

revenues: $4.693 billion

expenditures: $5.338 billion (2008 est.)

Public debt:

25.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80 32% of GDP (2004 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

11.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 163 6.8% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

13.39% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 63 12.84% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$6.106 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 51 $6.227 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$9.7 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 51 $8.928 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$14.82 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 67 $13.96 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Agriculture - products:

sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens

Industries:

sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

1.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118

Electricity - production:

8.425 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 97

Electricity - consumption:

7.115 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96

Electricity - exports:

131.9 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

8.11 million kWh (2007 est.)

Oil - production:

15,550 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78

Oil - consumption:

76,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

Oil - exports:

21,850 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 89

Oil - imports:

72,440 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 77

Oil - proved reserves:

83.07 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 177

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 72

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Natural gas - proved reserves:

2.96 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 93

Current account balance:

-$1.932 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 137 -$1.754 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$7.848 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 $7.012 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom

Exports - partners:

US 39.4%, El Salvador 12.6%, Honduras 9.5%, Mexico 6.6%, Nicaragua 4.2%, Costa Rica 4.1% (2008)

Imports:

$13.42 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 87 $12.48 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity

Imports - partners:

US 36.7%, Mexico 9.7%, China 5.8%, El Salvador 4.8% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$4.471 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83 $4.139 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$6.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $5.908 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar - 7.5895 (2008 est.), 7.6833 (2007), 7.6026 (2006), 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004)

Communications ::Guatemala

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.449 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 65

Telephones - mobile cellular:

14.949 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 42

Telephone system:

general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala

domestic: state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the late 1990s opening the way for competition; fixed-line teledensity 11 per 100 persons; fixed-line investments are being concentrated on improving rural connectivity; mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 100 per 100 persons

international: country code - 502; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the SAM-1 fiber optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:

26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)

Internet country code:

.gt

Internet hosts:

132,049 (2009) country comparison to the world: 69

Internet users:

1.96 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 70

Transportation ::Guatemala

Airports:

371 (2009) country comparison to the world: 21

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 13

2,438 to 3,047 m: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 3 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 358

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 84

under 914 m: 270 (2009)

Pipelines:

oil 480 km (2008)

Railways:

total: 332 km country comparison to the world: 120 narrow gauge: 332 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)

Roadways:

total: 14,095 km country comparison to the world: 124 paved: 4,863 km (includes 75 km of expressways)

unpaved: 9,232 km (2000)

Waterways:

990 km country comparison to the world: 66 note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Military ::Guatemala

Military branches:

Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force

Military service age and obligation:

all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liable for military service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to 24 months; women can serve as officers (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,861,696

females age 16-49: 3,062,967 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,401,297

females age 16-49: 2,725,572 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 165,910

female: 163,760 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.4% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 165

Transnational Issues ::Guatemala

Disputes - international:

annual ministerial meetings under the OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean Sea; the Line of Adjacency created under the 2002 Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international boundary to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

IDPs: undetermined (the UN does not estimate there are any IDPs, although some NGOs estimate over 200,000 IDPs as a result of over three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Guatemala is a source, transit, and destination country for Guatemalans and Central Americans trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; human trafficking is a significant and growing problem in the country; Guatemalan women and children are trafficked within the country for commercial sexual exploitation, primarily to Mexico and the United States; Guatemalan men, women, and children are also trafficked within the country, and to Mexico and the United States, for forced labor

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - for a second consecutive year, Guatemala is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons, particularly with respect to ensuring that trafficking offenders are appropriately prosecuted for their crimes; while prosecutors initiated trafficking prosecutions, they continued to face problems in court with application of Guatemala's comprehensive anti-trafficking law; the government made modest improvements to its protection efforts, but assistance remained inadequate overall in 2007 (2008)

Illicit drugs:

major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares of opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; potential production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem

page last updated on November 11, 2009

======================================================================

@Guernsey (Europe)

Introduction ::Guernsey

Background:

Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Guernsey is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.

Geography ::Guernsey

Location:

Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France

Geographic coordinates:

49 28 N, 2 35 W

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 78 sq km country comparison to the world: 227 land: 78 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands

Area - comparative:

about one-half the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

50 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 3 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Climate:

temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast

Terrain:

mostly level with low hills in southwest

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m

Natural resources:

cropland

Land use:

arable land: NA

permanent crops: NA

other: NA

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

People ::Guernsey

Population:

65,870 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 203

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.4% (male 4,793/female 4,668)

15-64 years: 67.5% (male 22,058/female 22,433)

65 years and over: 18.1% (male 5,078/female 6,840) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 42.5 years

male: 41.4 years

female: 43.4 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.21% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 183

Birth rate:

8.46 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 219

Death rate:

10.16 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

Net migration rate:

3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 27

Urbanization:

urban population: 31% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 200 male: 4.98 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 80.77 years country comparison to the world: 12 male: 77.76 years

female: 83.88 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.41 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 193

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Channel Islander(s)

adjective: Channel Islander

Ethnic groups:

UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries

Religions:

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist

Languages:

English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts

Literacy:

NA

Education expenditures:

NA

Government ::Guernsey

Country name:

conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey

conventional short form: Guernsey

Dependency status:

British crown dependency

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Saint Peter Port

geographic coordinates: 49 27 N, 2 32 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale

Independence:

none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Constitution:

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Legal system:

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Suffrage:

16 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28 October 2005)

head of government: Chief Minister Lyndon TROTT (since 1 May 2008)

cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation

elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Deliberation

election results: Lyndon TROTT elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA

Legislative branch:

unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark have parliaments

elections: last held 23 April 2008 (next to be held in 2012)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Judicial branch:

Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)

Political parties and leaders:

none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Stop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS; No More Masts [Colin FALLAIZE]

International organization participation:

UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (British crown dependency)

Flag description:

white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross

Economy ::Guernsey

Economy - overview:

Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account for about 23% of employment and about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Financial services, construction, retail, and the public sector have been growing. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the environment under which Guernsey operates.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$2.742 billion (2005) country comparison to the world: 176

GDP (official exchange rate):

$2.742 billion (2005)

GDP - real growth rate:

3% (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 125

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$44,600 (2005) country comparison to the world: 13

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3%

industry: 10%

services: 87% (2000)

Labor force:

31,470 (March 2006) country comparison to the world: 196

Unemployment rate:

0.9% (March 2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 5

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $563.6 million

expenditures: $530.9 million (2005)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.4% (June 2006) country comparison to the world: 46

Agriculture - products:

tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle

Industries:

tourism, banking

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:

NA kWh

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2002)

Exports:

$NA

Exports - commodities:

tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables

Imports:

$NA

Imports - commodities:

coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment

Debt - external:

$NA

Exchange rates:

Guernsey pound 0.5302 (2008 est.), 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004)

note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound

Communications ::Guernsey

Telephones - main lines in use:

45,100 (2008) country comparison to the world: 166

Telephones - mobile cellular:

43,800 (2004) country comparison to the world: 197

Telephone system:

general assessment: NA

domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available; combined fixed and mobile-cellular density exceeds 100 per 100 persons

international: 1 submarine cable

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (1997)

Internet country code:

.gg

Internet hosts:

174 (2009) country comparison to the world: 191

Internet users:

46,100 (2008) country comparison to the world: 172

Transportation ::Guernsey

Airports:

2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 209

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2009)

Ports and terminals:

Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Military ::Guernsey

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 12,447

females age 16-49: 12,566 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 362

female: 351 (2009 est.)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues ::Guernsey

Disputes - international:

none

page last updated on October 28, 2009

======================================================================

@Guinea (Africa)

Introduction ::Guinea

Background:

Guinea has had a history of authoritarian rule 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, though all the polls were marred by irregularities. History repeated itself in December 2008 when following President CONTE's death, Capt. Moussa Dadis CAMARA led a military coup, seizing power and suspending the constitution as well as political and union activity. Guinea has maintained some semblance of internal stability despite spillover effects from conflict in Sierra Leone and Liberia. As those countries have rebuilt, however, Guinea's own vulnerability to political and economic crisis has increased. Declining economic conditions and popular dissatisfaction with corruption and bad governance prompted two massive strikes in 2006, and a third nationwide strike in early 2007.

Geography ::Guinea

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: 245,857 sq km country comparison to the world: 78 land: 245,717 sq km

water: 140 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:

total: 3,399 km

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

Coastline:

320 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 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, salt

Land use:

arable land: 4.47%

permanent crops: 2.64%

other: 92.89% (2005)

Irrigated land:

950 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

226 cu km (1987)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.51 cu km/yr (8%/2%/90%)

per capita: 161 cu m/yr (2000)

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; poor mining practices have led to environmental damage

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands

People ::Guinea

Population:

10,057,975 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81

Age structure:

0-14 years: 42.8% (male 2,175,852/female 2,128,518)

15-64 years: 53.7% (male 2,701,184/female 2,704,161)

65 years and over: 3.5% (male 153,053/female 195,207) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 18.5 years

male: 18.2 years

female: 18.7 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.572% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 30

Birth rate:

37.52 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 27

Death rate:

11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 46

Net migration rate:

-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 118

Urbanization:

urban population: 34% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 65.22 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 31 male: 68.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 61.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 57.09 years country comparison to the world: 189 male: 55.63 years

female: 58.6 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.2 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 23

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.6% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 38

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

87,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 48

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

4,500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 46

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever

water contact disease: schistosomiasis

animal contact disease: rabies

aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2009)

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: 29.5%

male: 42.6%

female: 18.1% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 8 years

male: 10 years

female: 7 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

1.6% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 173

Government ::Guinea

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Guinea

conventional short form: Guinea

local long form: Republique de Guinee

local short form: Guinee

former: French Guinea

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Conakry

geographic coordinates: 9 33 N, 13 42 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

33 prefectures and 1 special zone (zone special)*; Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry*, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koubia, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Lelouma, Lola, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Mandiana, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou

Independence:

2 October 1958 (from France)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 2 October (1958)

Constitution:

23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Legal system:

based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Capt. Moussa Dadis CAMARA, President of the National Council for Democracy and Development, who led a military coup following the death of President Lansana CONTE on 22 December 2008

head of government: Prime Minister Kabine KOMARA (since 30 December 2008)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected president; election last held 21 December 2003 (ad hoc election scheduled for 31 January 2010); the prime minister is appointed by the president

election results: Lansana CONTE reelected president; percent of vote - Lansana CONTE 95.3%, Mamadou Bhoye BARRY 4.6%

Legislative branch:

unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; members are elected by a mixed system of direct popular vote and proportional party lists)

elections: last held 30 June 2002 (legislative elections due in 2007 were first rescheduled for 2008 and subsequently rescheduled for 26 March 2010)

election results: percent of vote by party - PUP 61.6%, UPR 26.6%, other 11.8%; seats by party - PUP 85, UPR 20, other 9

Judicial branch:

Court of First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders:

National Union for Progress or UPN [Mamadou Bhoye BARRY]; Party for Unity and Progress or PUP (the governing party) [Sekou KONATE]; People's Party of Guinea or PPG [Charles Pascal TOLNO]; Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE]; Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Cellou Dalein DIALLO]; Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE]; Union for Progress of Guinea or UPG [Jean-Marie DORE, secretary-general]; Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR [Ousmane BAH]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

National Confederation of Guinean Workers-Labor Union of Guinean Workers or CNTG-USTG Alliance (includes National Confederation of Guinean Workers or CNTG [Rabiatou Sarah DIALLO] and Labor Union of Guinean Workers or USTG [Dr. Ibrahima FOFANA]); National Council of Civil Society Organizations of Guinea or CNOSCG [Ben Sekou SYLLA]; Syndicate of Guinean Teachers and Researchers or SLECG [Dr. Louis M'Bemba SOUMAH]

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Mory Karamoko KABA

chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300

FAX: [1] (202) 483-8688

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Elizabeth RASPOLIC

embassy: Koloma, Conakry, east of Hamdallaye Circle

mailing address: B. P. 603, Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry

telephone: [224] 65-10-40-00

FAX: [224] 65-10-42-97

Flag description:

three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy ::Guinea

Economy - overview:

Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country has almost half of the world's bauxite reserves. The mining sector accounts for more than 70% of exports. Long-run improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Investor confidence has been sapped by rampant corruption, a lack of electricity and other infrastructure, a lack of skilled workers, and the political uncertainty because of the death of President Lansana CONTE in December 2008. Guinea is trying to reengage with the IMF and World Bank, which cut off most assistance in 2003, and is working closely with technical advisors from the U.S. Treasury Department, the World Bank and IMF, seeking to return to a fully funded program. Growth rose slightly in 2006-08, primarily due to increases in global demand and commodity prices on world markets, but the standard of living fell. The Guinea franc depreciated sharply as the prices for basic necessities like food and fuel rose beyond the reach of most Guineans. Dissatisfaction with economic conditions prompted nationwide strikes in February and June 2006.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$10.62 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147 $10.17 billion (2007 est.)

$10.02 billion (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$4.517 billion (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

4.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 97 1.5% (2007 est.)

2.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$1,100 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 208 $1,100 (2007 est.)

$1,100 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 23.2%

industry: 39.5%

services: 37.3% (2008 est.)

Labor force:

4.392 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 82

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 76%

industry and services: 24% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate:

NA%

Population below poverty line:

47% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.9%

highest 10%: 41% (2006)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

38.1 (2006) country comparison to the world: 73 40.3 (1994)

Investment (gross fixed):

12.3% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 143

Budget:

revenues: $769.7 million

expenditures: $837.7 million (2008 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

15% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 190 23.4% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

NA% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 5 22.25% (31 December 2005)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

NA%

Stock of money:

$NA (31 December 2008)

$309.8 million (31 December 2005)

Stock of quasi money:

$NA

Stock of domestic credit:

$422.1 million (31 December 2005)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Agriculture - products:

rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber

Industries:

bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron; alumina refining; light manufacturing, and agricultural processing

Industrial production growth rate:

7% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 29

Electricity - production:

850 million kWh country comparison to the world: 149 note: excludes electricity generated at interior mining sites (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

790.5 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 150

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 191

Oil - consumption:

9,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 150

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 198

Oil - imports:

8,674 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 141

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 165

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 176

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 71

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 172

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Current account balance:

-$489 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 -$463 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$1.392 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 142 $1.203 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products

Exports - partners:

India 28.9%, Spain 10%, Russia 9.5%, Germany 6.7%, US 5.8%, Ireland 4.2%, France 4.1% (2008)

Imports:

$1.389 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 162 $1.218 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

China 9.6%, France 7.8%, Netherlands 7.6% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$93 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 149 $86 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$3.222 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $3.351 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates:

Guinean francs (GNF) per US dollar - 5,500 (2008 est.), 4,122.8 (2007), 5,350 (2006), 3,644.3 (2005), 2,225 (2004)

Communications ::Guinea

Telephones - main lines in use:

50,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 163

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2.6 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 113

Telephone system:

general assessment: inadequate system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system

domestic: Conakry reasonably well served; coverage elsewhere remains inadequate and large companies tend to rely on their own systems for nationwide links; fixed-line density less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership is expanding and is roughly 25 per 100 persons

international: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2006)

Television broadcast stations:

6 (2001)

Internet country code:

.gn

Internet hosts:

14 (2009) country comparison to the world: 218

Internet users:

90,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 157

Transportation ::Guinea

Airports:

17 (2009) country comparison to the world: 141

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 5

over 3,047 m: 2

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 12

1,524 to 2,437 m: 7

914 to 1,523 m: 3

under 914 m: 2 (2009)

Railways:

total: 1,185 km country comparison to the world: 86 standard gauge: 238 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 947 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways:

total: 44,348 km country comparison to the world: 82 paved: 4,342 km

unpaved: 40,006 km (2003)

Waterways:

1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft) (2008) country comparison to the world: 57

Ports and terminals:

Conakry, Kamsar

Military ::Guinea

Military branches:

National Armed Forces: Army, Navy (Armee de Mer or Marine Guineenne, includes Marines), Air Force (2009)

Military service age and obligation:

18-25 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; 18-month conscript service obligation (2009)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,230,049

females age 16-49: 2,193,236 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,396,278

females age 16-49: 1,435,387 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 110,281

female: 107,879 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.7% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 97

Transnational Issues ::Guinea

Disputes - international:

conflicts among rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in neighboring states have spilled over into Guinea, resulting in domestic instability; Sierra Leone considers Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa rivers excessive and protests Guinea's continued occupation of these lands, including the hamlet of Yenga, occupied since 1998

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 21,856 (Liberia); 5,259 (Sierra Leone); 3,900 (Cote d'Ivoire)

IDPs: 19,000 (cross-border incursions from Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Guinea is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; the majority of victims are children, and internal trafficking is more prevalent than transnational trafficking; within the country, girls are trafficked primarily for domestic servitude and sexual exploitation, while boys are trafficked for forced agricultural labor, and as forced beggars, street vendors, shoe shiners, and laborers in gold and diamond mines; some Guinean men are also trafficked for agricultural labor within Guinea; transnationally, girls are trafficked into Guinea for domestic servitude and likely also for sexual exploitation

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Guinea is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking over 2006; Guinea demonstrated minimal law enforcement efforts for a second year in a row, while protection efforts diminished over efforts in 2006; the government did not report any trafficking convictions in 2007; due to a lack of resources, the government does not provide shelter services for trafficking victims; the government took no measures to reduce the demand for commercial sexual exploitation (2008)

page last updated on November 11, 2009

======================================================================

@Guinea-Bissau (Africa)

Introduction ::Guinea-Bissau

Background:

Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA, after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was ousted by the military in a bloodless coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation. He was assassinated in March 2009; new elections are to take place in June 2009.

Geography ::Guinea-Bissau

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: 36,125 sq km country comparison to the world: 137 land: 28,120 sq km

water: 8,005 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:

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 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, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum

Land use:

arable land: 8.31%

permanent crops: 6.92%

other: 84.77% (2005)

Irrigated land:

250 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

31 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.18 cu km/yr (13%/5%/82%)

per capita: 113 cu m/yr (2000)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland

People ::Guinea-Bissau

Population:

1,533,964 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 150

Age structure:

0-14 years: 40.8% (male 312,253/female 313,609)

15-64 years: 56.1% (male 414,924/female 445,639)

65 years and over: 3.1% (male 19,191/female 28,348) (2009 est.)

Median age:

total: 19.3 years

male: 18.7 years

female: 19.8 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.019% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 58

Birth rate:

35.97 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 34

Death rate:

15.79 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 19

Net migration rate:

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 84

Urbanization:

urban population: 30% of total population (2008)

rate of urbanization: 3.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 99.82 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 10 male: 109.89 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 89.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 47.9 years country comparison to the world: 210 male: 46.07 years

female: 49.79 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:

4.65 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 37

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 34

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

16,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 84

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

1,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 70

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever

water contact disease: schistosomiasis

animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Nationality:

noun: Guinean(s)

adjective: Guinean

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%

Languages:

Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 42.4%

male: 58.1%

female: 27.4% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 5 years

male: 7 years

female: 4 years (2001)

Education expenditures:

5.2% of GDP (1999) country comparison to the world: 60

Government ::Guinea-Bissau

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau

conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau

local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau

local short form: Guine-Bissau

former: Portuguese Guinea

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Bissau

geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos

Independence:

24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

Constitution:

16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and in 1996

Legal system:

based on French civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Malam Bacai SANHA (since 8 September 2009)

head of government: Prime Minister Carlos GOMES Junior (since 25 December 2008)

cabinet: NA

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 28 June 2009 with a runoff between the two leading candidates held on 26 July 2009 (next to be held by 2014); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature

election results: Malam Bacai SANHA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Malam Bacai SANHA 63.5%, Kumba YALA 36.5%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 16 November 2008 (next to be held 2012)

election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 49.8%, PRS 25.3%, PRID 7.5%, PND 2.4%, AD 1.4%, other parties 13.6%; seats by party - PAIGC 67, PRS 28, PRID 3, PND 1, AD 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at more than $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases valued at less than $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)

Political parties and leaders:

African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Kumba YALA]; Democratic Alliance or AD [Victor MANDINGA]; Democratic Social Front or FDS [Rafael BARBOSA]; Electoral Union or UE [Joaquim BALDE]; Guinea-Bissau Civic Forum/Social Democracy or FCGSD [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; Guinea-Bissau Democratic Party or PDG; Guinea-Bissau Socialist Democratic Party or PDSG [Serifo BALDE]; Labor and Solidarity Party or PST [Iancuba INDJAI]; New Democracy Party or PND; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP; Progress Party or PP; Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID [Aristides GOMES]; Union for Change or UM [Amine SAAD]; Union of Guinean Patriots or UPG [Francisca VAZ]; United Platform or UP (coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB); United Popular Alliance or APU; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Frnacisco FADUL]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US:

the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and military-led junta; the US Ambassador to Senegal is accredited to Guinea-Bissau

Flag description:

two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy ::Guinea-Bissau

Economy - overview:

One of the five poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks fifth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002. Before the war, trade reform and price liberalization were the most successful part of the country's structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private sector had also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect. Offshore oil prospecting is underway in several sectors but has not yet led to commercially viable crude deposits. The inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the world. The government and international donors continue to work out plans to forward economic development from a lamentably low base. In December 2003, the World Bank, IMF, and UNDP were forced to step in to provide emergency budgetary support in the amount of $107 million for 2004, representing over 80% of the total national budget. Government drift and indecision, however, resulted in continued low growth in 2002-06. Higher raw material prices boosted growth in 2007 and 2008.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$896.5 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 205 $867.9 million (2007 est.)

$845.1 million (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):

$461 million (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 116 2.7% (2007 est.)

0.6% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 224 $600 (2007 est.)

$600 (2006 est.)

note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 62%

industry: 12%

services: 26% (1999 est.)

Labor force:

632,700 (2007) country comparison to the world: 147