Form of Government: Presidential republic (currently under a military junta)
Area: 245 857 sq km
Population: 12 559 623 inhab. (estimate 2020)
Density: 51.09 inhab./sq km
Coordinates: lat. 13° - 7° N; long. 15° - 8° W
Capital: Conakry 1 984 767 inhab. (2020), urban agglomeration
Currency: Guinean franc (100 centimes)
Human development index: 0.477 (rank: 178)
Head of State: Alpha Condé (RPG), elected 7 November 2010, last reconfirmed 18 October 2020, deposed 5 September 2021 following a military coup
Prime Minister: Ibrahima Kassory Fofana (RPG), since 21 May 2018
National Assembly: seats based on the elections of 22 March 2020: RPG (Rally of the Guinean People), 79; others, 35
Internet: www.stat-guinee.org (Institut National de la Statistique)
Member of AU, ECOWAS, OIC, UN, WTO
Guinea

International license plate code RG
International dialling code 00224
Travel vaccinations requirement yellow fever (recommended; it is also required if traveling from a country with risk of transmission); malaria prophylaxis (recommended)
Electricity (Voltage) 220
Driving side rigth
Internet code .gn
GMT 0
DST not applied
Annual average temperature (°C) Conakry 25.6
Average temperature in January/July (°C) Conakry 26.5/25
Daily sunshine hours in June/December (average) Conakry 5/7
Annual average precipitation (mm) Conakry 3235
Days of rainfall (annual average) Conakry 142

The violent protests that accompanied the referendum (22 March 2020), which enabled President Condé to stand for another term, also scarred the elections (18 October 2020), which led to his confirmation.
Geography.
Guinea is bordered by Senegal to the north, by Mali to the north-east, by Côte d’Ivoire to the south-east, by Liberia and Sierra Leone to the south and by Guinea-Bissau to the north-west. To the west, the country lies on the Atlantic Ocean. Apart from the coastal strip with its very jagged coastline, most of the country is mountainous or hilly. In the south-east is Nimba massif which reaches heights of 1752 m and provides a natural border with Liberia. In the centre and north of the country lies the Fouta Djalon massif (1538 m), where the sources of the River Gambia and the River Bafing are found. The River Niger starts in the Loma mountains. The climate is generally hot and humid.
Government
Formerly a French colony, Guinea became independent on 2 October 1958 and for a long time was a single-party state headed by President Ahmed Sekou Touré. After his death in 1984, power was seized by Colonel Lansana Conté, and the country was turned into a military regime. In 2008, after Conté’s death, a transitional government was formed which was controlled by the military. It drew up a new Constitution and led the country to the first free presidential elections in 2010, won by Alpha Condé. The country’s political life is strongly influenced by the rivalry between various ethnic groups, especially the Fula (Fulbe) and the Mandinka (Malinke). According to the 2010 Constitution, amended in 2020, the President of the Republic, who is elected by direct suffrage for six years, is head of executive power. Legislative power lies in the hands of the National Assembly, formed by 114 members elected for five years.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Air force | 8.3 | % | 2015 |
Army | 87.6 | % | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Homicides | 8.8 | per 100 000 pop. | 2015 |
Police personnel | 77$ | per 100 000 pop. | 2012 |
Administrative division
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Conakry | 1 984 767 | inhab. | 2020 |
Nzérékoré | 195 027 | inhab. | 2014 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Conakry | 1 984 767 | inhab. | 2020 |
Kankan | 563 884 | inhab. | 2020 |
Population
Population by age and gender (% - 2020) | ||||||||
| ||||||||
MALE | AGE | FEMALE |
Life expectancy is low with a high level of infant mortality. It is estimated that over one million Guineans live abroad, mostly in neighboring countries.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Birth rate | 35.965 | ‰ | 2019 |
Death rate | 8.225 | ‰ | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Fulbe | 33.9 | % | 2012 |
Malinke | 31.1 | % | 2012 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Muslim | 89.1 | % | 2014 |
Christian | 6.8 | % | 2014 |
DESCRIPTION |
---|
French (official) |
Sudanese dialects |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
0-14 years | 41.2 | % | 2020 |
15-29 years | 26.8 | % | 2020 |
Economy
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Agricultural prod. index (2004-06=100) | 134.58 | index | 2016 |
Agricultural prod. index (2014-16=100) | 125.17 | index | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Active population | 4 456 584 | units | 2020 |
Active population, Females | 54.1 | % | 2020 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Unemployment rate | 4.4 | % | 2020 |
Unemployment rate, Females | 41.9 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenses | 18 960 402 | M LCU | 2019 |
Revenues | 17 883 992 | M LCU | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 61.7 | % | 2019 |
industry | 6.2 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 22.6 | % | 2019 |
industry | 31.363 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Currency in circulation | 12 305.569 | BN LCU | 2020 |
International reserves | 1 417.7 | M US$ | 2019 |
Agriculture
Primary sector.
The principal cash crops are rubber, cocoa, coffee, peanuts, and cashew nuts. About half of the usable land in the country is dedicated to subsistence crops, including rice, cassava, maize, bananas and fonio millet. Livestock farming (mainly cattle) is practised on the slopes of the Fouta Djalon.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
arable land | 15.465 | % | 2018 |
forests | 25.513 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cereals, total | 4 286.357 | 1000 t | 2019 |
maize | 871.359 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cassava | 2 145.484 | 1000 t | 2019 |
potatoes | 162.213 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
muskmelons | 2.847 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
groundnuts | 957.662 | 1000 t | 2019 |
sesame seed | 1.836 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
oil palm fruits | 847.533 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 59.017 | 1000 t | 2019 |
copra | 2.2 | 1000 t | 2006 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cocoa | 17.342 | 1000 t | 2019 |
coffee | 42.264 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sugar cane | 311.977 | 1000 t | 2019 |
tobacco | 2.374 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
seed cotton | 43.761 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sisal | 0.202 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
fruits, total | 1 328.496 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cashew nuts | 21.329 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
citrus fruits | 240.644 | 1000 t | 2019 |
citrus fruits, nes | 240.644 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
bananas | 227.516 | 1000 t | 2019 |
mangoes | 172.745 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
maize | 602.05 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
millet | 170.949 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cassava | 258.492 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
potatoes | 12.221 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
muskmelons | 0.282 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
groundnuts | 911.993 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
sesame seed | 8.398 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
oil palm fruit | 317.86 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 15.255 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cocoa | 35.81 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
coffee | 99.833 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sugar cane | 5.825 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
tobacco | 1.792 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
seed cotton | 48.099 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sisal | 2.152 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cashew nuts | 13.164 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
citrus fruits | 44.773 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
citrus fruits, nes | 44.773 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
bananas | 40.722 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
mangoes | 85.953 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
Forests-Livestock-Fishing
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
natural rubber | 17 534 | t | 2019 |
timber | 13 030 696 | m³ | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cattle | 7 932.748 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
cattle and buffaloes | 7 932.748 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
pigs | 147.209 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sheep | 2 889.888 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
goats | 3 464.561 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
asses | 2.359 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
asses and mules | 2.359 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
birds | 36 180 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
honey | 1.046 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
butter | 0.425 | 1000 t | 2018 |
eggs | 32.79 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
crustaceans and molluscs | 2 977 | t | 2019 |
freshwater fishes | 52 505.2 | t | 2019 |
Minerals
Secondary and tertiary sector.
Vast reserves of bauxite (among the largest in the world) are found in Fria, Sangarédi and Debélé. Iron ore (Simandou), diamonds (near Macenta) and gold (in Kouroussa and Siguiri) are also mined. There are unexploited reserves of manganese, nickel and uranium.
Electricity is in part supplied by the plants built along the rivers Samou, Konkouré and Bafing. The country’s industrial system includes an alumina refinery plant (at Fria), some tobacco and cement factories (at Conakry), a tea processing plant (at Macenta), peanuts processing plants (at Dabola) and cotton plants (at Conarky and Sanoyah).
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
bauxite | 82 000 | 1000 t | 2020 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
salt | 15$ | 1000 t | 2011 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
granite - cu m | 568 | 1000 m³ | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
diamonds | 150 | 1000 ct | 2020 |
diamonds, industrial - ct | 59$ | 1000 ct | 2018 |
Energy
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- thermal | 1 370 | M kWh | 2018 |
- hydro | 741.02 | M kWh | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- hydro | 368 | 1000 kW | 2019 |
- thermal | 273 | 1000 kW | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
total net generation | 2 132.02 | M kWh | 2018 |
total installed capacity | 654 | 1000 kW | 2018 |
Industry
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
alumina | 460 | 1000 t | 2020 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
paints | 15.2 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beer of barley | 30$ | 1000 t | 2018 |
coconut oil | 1.3 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cement | 1 028 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
manufacturing production | 1 354.121 | M US$ | 2020 |
Trade
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
ores and metals | 25.824 | % of goods exports | 2016 |
food products | 4.326 | % of goods exports | 2016 |
Tourism
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenditures | 419.5 | M US$ | 2019 |
Number of arrivals | 99 000 | units | 2017 |
Social and welfare
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expected years of schooling | 9$ | years | 2014 |
Graduates | 32 755 | units | 2014 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Students, primary level | 1 998 858 | units | 2018 |
Students, secondary level | 740 034 | units | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Hospital beds | 0.2 | per 1000 pop. | 2014 |
Physicians | 0.08 | per 1000 pop. | 2016 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
HIV | 1.4 | % of adults | 2019 |
Malaria | 2 143 225 | cases | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking | 1.6 | % | 2019 |
Access to electricity | 42.418 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
clothing | 7.9 | % | 1995 |
food, non-alcoholic beverages | 61.5 | % | 1995 |