Guinea

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. His unwillingness to yield to domestic and international pressure to step down led to heightened political tensions that culminated in September 2009 when presidential guards opened fire on an opposition rally killing more than 150 people, and in early December 2009 when CAMARA was wounded in an assassination attempt and evacuated to Morocco and subsequently to Burkina Faso. A transitional government has been installed.

Economical characteristics

 * Currency: Guinean franc (ISO code: GNF)
 * Central bank discount rate: NA% (31 December 2008)
 * Commercial banks lending rate: NA% (31 December 2008)
 * Stock of money (M1): $NA (31 December 2008)
 * Quasi money (with M1 makes M2): $NA

Notable events:

 * Banking crisis: 1985, 1993-1994

Links

 * Guinea on Wikipedia
 * The reported Central bank of Guinea
 * Country profile (pdf) from the Enterprise Studies page (part of the The World Bank Group)
 * BBC country profile