Guinea In Turmoil After Death Of President Conte

As television played Guinean music, National Assembly President Aboubacar Sompare declared 40 days of mourning.

Guinea announced on Tuesday the death of its long-serving president, Lansana Conte, and hours later a military officer made a broadcast on state radio saying the constitution and government had been suspended.

As television played Guinean music, National Assembly President Aboubacar Sompare declared 40 days of mourning.

Following are some key details about Guinea:

* ECONOMY: Guinea is the world's top exporter of bauxite, the raw ore used to make aluminium and has around one third of the world's known reserves of bauxite.

-- Guinea also has diamonds, uranium and other minerals.

-- Guinea's economic progress remains mostly driven by growth in mining, construction, and public works and services. The mining sector accounts for more than 70 percent of exports.

-- The IMF said in October it expected real GDP growth to average 4.5 to 5 percent in 2008 given strong demand in the construction sector and a return to normal after general strikes in early 2007.

-- Guinea was recently named by watchdog Transparency International as one of the most corrupt countries in Africa, together with Chad and Sudan (only Somalia is worse) -- where for most people daily acts of corruption are a way of life.

* COMPANIES IN GUINEA:

* RIO TINTO: Anglo-Australian mining group Rio Tinto, the world's No. 2 iron ore miner, has been locked in a dispute with Guinea since August, when state officials questioned the validity of Rio's rights on the huge Simandou iron ore concession. Rio, which says it has already spent $400 million on Simandou, said on Dec. 10 it was deferring all non-essential spending on the project for 2009.

* AREDOR: Guinea cancelled a diamond mining licence held by Aredor, the largest diamond mining operator in the West African country, on Nov. 8. Aredor is 85 percent owned by Toronto-listed Azure Resources Corp. The government owns the remaining 15 percent. It accused Aredor earlier this year of having stopped all activities for three years despite saying it would restart its operations.

* RUSAL -- Guinea said in April Russian mining company RUSAL risked losing Friguia alumina refinery -- expected to produce 527,000 tonnes in 2008 -- over a contractual dispute. RUSAL is the world's largest aluminium producer.

* INDUSTRIAL STRIFE:

-- Despite Guinea's position as top exporter of bauxite, most of its people remain desperately poor and anger has festered as prices have risen sharply in the past three years. -- Violent protests over a less-than-anticipated cut in fuel prices gripped Conakry port last month before RUSAL's trains resumed carrying alumina for export. At least four people died.

-- More than 180 people were killed in early 2007 during a violent general strike against Conte, most of them shot dead by soldiers and police.

* COUNTRY DETAILS:

POPULATION: 9.8 million.

ETHNICITY: There are 16 ethnic groups in Guinea, the most numerous being the Fulani, Mandingo, Malinke and Sussu. RELIGION: About 65 percent of the population is Muslim. Traditional African religions 33 percent. There is also a small Christian minority.

LANGUAGE: The official language is French but Malinke and Sussu are also widely spoken.

GEOGRAPHY: Area is 245,720 sq km (94,870 sq miles). The former French colony lies on West Africa's Atlantic coast. It shares borders with Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Mali.