Women have an average of 6.8 children over their lifetime. Life expectancy is 44.7 years. Peace Corps returned to Guinea in 1986. The government continues to abuse human rights, although much progress has been made since the rule of Sekou Toure. There is occasional civil unrest in the country.
Telephones are only available in the major cities, and the road network is very underdeveloped.
Theft is common, and Conakry is particularly dangerous. Health is a real issue, and vaccinations against Yellow Fever, Typhoid Fever, Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitus, Rabies, and Meningitis are needed. AIDS is prevalent in all areas of Africa, and the water is usually not safe to drink without treatment. It's also not safe to swim in freshwater due to the prevalence of Schistosomiasis and Guinea worm. In the 11th century A.D. the Arabs moved from northern Africa into the regions of the Sudan.