Guinea

Guinea's deep Muslim heritage arrived via the neighboring Almoravid Empire in the 11th century. Following Almoravid decline, Guinea existed on the fringe of several African kingdoms, all competing for regional dominance. In the 13th century, the Mali Empire took control of Guinea and encouraged its already growing Muslim faith. After the fall of the West African empires, various smaller kingdoms controlled Guinea. In the 18th century, Fulani Muslims established an Islamic state in central Guinea that provided one of the earliest examples of a written constitution and alternating leadership. European traders first arrived in the 16th century, and the French secured colonial rule in the 19th century.

In 1958, Guinea achieved independence from France. Sekou TOURE became Guinea’s first post-independence president; he established a dictatorial regime and ruled until his death in 1984, after which General Lansana CONTE staged a coup and seized the government. He too established an authoritarian regime and manipulated presidential elections until his death in 2008, when Captain Moussa Dadis CAMARA led a military coup, seized power, and suspended the constitution. In 2009, CAMARA was wounded in an assassination attempt and was exiled to Burkina Faso. In 2010 and 2013 respectively, the country held its first free and fair presidential and legislative elections. Alpha CONDE won the 2010 and 2015 presidential elections, and his first cabinet was the first all-civilian government in Guinean history. CONDE won a third term in 2020 after a constitutional change to term limits. In 2021, Col Mamady DOUMBOUYA led another successful military coup, establishing the National Committee for Reconciliation and Development (CNRD), suspending the constitution, and dissolving the government and the legislature. DOUMBOUYA was sworn in as transition president and appointed Mohamed BEAVOGUI as transition prime minister. The National Transition Council (CNT), which acts as the legislative body for the transition, was formed in 2022 and consists of appointed members representing a broad swath of Guinean society.

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone

11 00 N, 10 00 W

Africa

slightly smaller than Oregon; slightly larger than twice the size of Pennsylvania

320 km

generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt

949 sq km (2017)

Niger river source (shared with Mali, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 km; Gambie (Gambia) river source (shared with Senegal and The Gambia [m]) - 1,094 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

areas of highest density are in the west and south; interior is sparsely populated, as shown in this population distribution map

hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season

the Niger and its important tributary, the Milo River, have their sources in the Guinean highlands

Fulani (Peuhl) 33.4%, Malinke 29.4%, Susu 21.2%, Guerze 7.8%, Kissi 6.2%, Toma 1.6%, other/foreign 0.4% (2018 est.)

French (official), Pular, Maninka, Susu, other native languages

Muslim 85.2%, Christian 13.4%, animist 0.2%, none 1.2% (2018 est.)

2.74% (2025 est.)

35.04 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.69 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

areas of highest density are in the west and south; interior is sparsely populated, as shown in this population distribution map

2.111 million CONAKRY (capital) (2023)

19.9 years (2018 est.)

494 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

4.75 children born/woman (2025 est.)

2.34 (2025 est.)

0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

7.7% (2016)

15% (2022 est.)

70.9% (2018 est.)

deforestation; inadequate potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices; water pollution; improper waste disposal

generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

34.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

226 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

presidential republic

7 administrative regions (régions administratives, singular - région administrative) and 1 governorate (gouvenorat)*; Boke, Conakry*, Faranah, Kankan, Kindia, Labe, Mamou, N'Zerekore

civil law system based on the French model

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

African Congress for Democracy and Renewal or CADRE 
Alliance for National Renewal or ARN 
Alliance for National Renewal or ARENA 
Bloc Liberal or BL 
Citizen Generation or GECI 
Citizen Party for the Defense of Collective Interests or PCDIC 
Democratic Alliance for Renewal or ADR 
Democratic National Movement or MND
Democratic Union for Renewal and Progress or UDRP 
Democratic Union of Guinea or UDG 
Democratic People's Movement of Guinea or MPDG 
Democratic Workers' Party of Guinea or PDTG 
Front for the National Alliance or FAN 
Generation for Reconciliation Union and Prosperity or GRUP 
Guinea for Democracy and Balance or GDE 
Guinean Party for Peaceful Coexistence and Development or PGCD 
Guinean Party for Solidarity and Democracy or PGSD 
Guinean Union for Democracy and Development or UGDD 
Guinean Rally for Development or RGD 
Guinean Rally for Unity and Development or RGUD 
Guinean Renaissance Party or PGR 
Modern Guinea 
Movement for Solidarity and Development or MSD 
National Committee for Reconciliation and Development 
National Front for Development or FND 
National Union for Prosperity or UNP 
National Party for Hope and Development or PEDN 
New Democratic Forces or NFD 
New Generation for the Republic or NGR 
New Guinea or NG 
New Political Generation or NGP 
Party for Progress and Change or PPC 
Party of Citizen Action through Labor or PACT 
Party of Democrats for Hope or PADES 
Party of Freedom and Progress or PLP 
Party of Hope for National Development or PEDN 
Rally for Renaissance and Development or RRD 
Rally for the Guinean People or RPG 
Rally for the Integrated Development of Guinea or RDIG 
Rally for the Republic or RPR 
Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG
Union for Progress and Renewal or UPR 
Union for the Defense of Republican Interests or UDIR 
Union for the Progress of Guinea or UPG 
Union of Democratic Forces or UFD a or UFDG 
Union of Democrats for the Renaissance of Guinea or UDRG 
Union of Republican Forces or UFR 
Unity and Progress Party or PUP

ACP, AfDB, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

2 October 1958 (from France)

Independence Day, 2 October (1958)

description: three equal vertical bands of red (left side), yellow, and green

meaning: red stands for the people's sacrifice for liberation and work; yellow for the sun, the riches of the earth, and justice; green for the country's vegetation and unity

history: uses the colors of the Pan-African movement

elephant

red, yellow, green

growing but primarily agrarian West African economy; major mining sector; improving fiscal and debt balances prior to COVID-19; economy increasingly vulnerable to climate change; slow infrastructure improvements; gender wealth and human capital gaps

$25.334 billion (2024 est.)

rice, cassava, maize, groundnuts, oil palm fruit, plantains, potatoes, fonio, yams, sweet potatoes (2023)

bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron ore; light manufacturing, agricultural processing

7.1% (2024 est.)

4.534 million (2024 est.)

43.7% (2018 est.)

UAE 50%, China 36%, India 8%, Switzerland 1%, Spain 1% (2023)

gold, aluminum ore, cocoa beans, crude petroleum, coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews (2023)

China 39%, India 9%, Netherlands 7%, Belgium 6%, UAE 4% (2023)

refined petroleum, rice, garments, construction vehicles, cars (2023)

government maintains control over broadcast media; single state-run TV station; state-run radio also operates several stations in rural areas; a dozen private TV stations; many privately owned radio stations, nearly all in Conakry, and about a dozen community radio stations; foreign TV programming available via satellite and cable subscription services (2022)

.gn

3X

16 (2025)

1 (2025)

Guinean (or National) Armed Forces (Forces Armées Guinéennes): Army, Air Force, Navy, National Gendarmerie

Ministry of Security: National Police (2025)

estimated 10-12,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

the Guinean military's inventory consists almost entirely of ageing Soviet-era weapons and equipment along with small amounts of secondhand arms from China, France, Russia, and South Africa (2025)

18 years of age for voluntary and selective conscripted service; 9-12 months of service (2025)

the Guinean military is responsible for territorial defense, but also has some domestic security responsibilities and has historically been involved in suppressing public protests; in 2021 the Army’s special forces led a military overthrow of the government; the military-led government has since been accused of cracking down on dissent, the media, and political opposition; border security is a key focus for the Guinean military, particularly a territorial dispute with Sierra Leone that dates back to 2001 (2025)