Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and
agricultural resources, yet remains a poor underdeveloped nation. The
agricultural sector employs 80% of the work force. Guinea possesses
over 25% of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second largest
bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for about 75% of exports
in 1998. Long-run improvements in government fiscal arrangements,
literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move
out of poverty. The government made encouraging progress in budget
management in 1997-99. Even with a recovery in prices for some of
Guinea's main commodity exports, annual GDP is unlikely to increase by
more than 5% in 2000-2001.

purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (1999 est.)

3.7% (1999 est.)

purchasing power parity - $1,200 (1999 est.)

agriculture: 24%
industry: 31%
services: 45% (1996 est.)

NA%

lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1991)

4.5% (1999 est.)

2.4 million (1983)

agriculture 80%, industry and commerce
11%, services 5.4%, civil service 3.6%

NA%

revenues: $553 million
expenditures: $652 million, including capital expenditures of $317
million (1995 est.)

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

3.2% (1994)

535 million kWh (1998)

fossil fuel: 63.55%
hydro: 36.45%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)

498 million kWh (1998)

0 kWh (1998)

0 kWh (1998)

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

$695 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

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

Russia, US, Benelux, Ukraine, Ireland, Spain
(1997)

$560 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

petroleum products, metals, machinery,
transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs (1997)

France, Cote d'Ivoire, US, Benelux, Hong Kong
(1997)

$3.15 billion (1998 est.)

$433.6 million (1995)

1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes

Guinean francs (FG) per US$1 - 1,292.5 (January 1999),
1,236.8 (1998), 1,095.3 (1997), 1,004.0 (1996), 991.4 (1995)

calendar year