CONAKRY (Reuters) - Following are key facts about Guinea:

* The former French colony lies on West Africa's Atlantic coast in a region shaken by wars and uprisings for more than a decade. It shares borders with Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Mali.

* About 8 million people live in a country the size of Britain, stretching from coastal mangrove swamps to savannah and forested mountain highlands.

* President Lansana Conte, a diabetic chain-smoker who is rarely seen in public, has ruled Guinea since seizing power in a 1984 coup. He won disputed elections in 1993, 1998 and 2003 after a change in the constitution allowed him a third term.

* Guinea holds 30 percent of the world's known bauxite reserves, the raw material used to make aluminium. It is the largest bauxite exporter, ranking second only to Australia in terms of ore production. It also boasts gold, diamonds and high-grade iron ore.

* The official language is French. About 85 percent of the population is Muslim, 8 percent Christian and the remainder embrace traditional African animist beliefs. Average life expectancy is 49.5 years and annual income about $450.

* Guinea has been accused in U.N. reports of backing Liberian rebels by providing logistical support and shelter.

* The United States, which sees Guinea as a barrier to regional instability, has provided economic and military aid to the country. France is its biggest bilateral donor.