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.

land

245,717 sq km

total

245,857 sq km

water

140 sq km

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

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

320 km

highest point

Mont Nimba 1,752 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

472 m

11 00 N, 10 00 W

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

950 sq km (2012)

border countries

Cote d'Ivoire 816 km; Guinea-Bissau 421 km; Liberia 590 km; Mali 1062 km; Senegal 363 km; Sierra Leone 794 km

total

4,046 km

agricultural land

58.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 43.5% (2018 est.)

forest

26.5% (2018 est.)

other

15.4% (2018 est.)

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

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 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Senegal (456,397 sq km)

Africa

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

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

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

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

generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

0-14 years

40.9% (male 2,884,146/female 2,835,794)

15-64 years

55.1% (male 3,846,852/female 3,856,366)

65 years and over

4% (2024 est.) (male 254,608/female 308,413)

beer

0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

35.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

men married by age 18

1.9% (2018 est.)

women married by age 15

17%

women married by age 18

46.5%

16.3% (2018)

10.9% (2018)

4% of GDP (2020)

68.7% (2023 est.)

7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Guinea’s strong population growth is a result of declining mortality rates and sustained elevated fertility. The population growth rate was somewhat tempered in the 2000s because of a period of net outmigration. Although life expectancy and mortality rates have improved over the last two decades, the nearly universal practice of female genital cutting continues to contribute to high infant and maternal mortality rates. Guinea’s total fertility remains high at about 5 children per woman as of 2022 because of the ongoing preference for larger families, low contraceptive usage and availability, a lack of educational attainment and empowerment among women, and poverty. A lack of literacy and vocational training programs limit job prospects for youths, but even those with university degrees often have no option but to work in the informal sector. About 60% of the country’s large youth population is unemployed. Tensions and refugees have spilled over Guinea’s borders with Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire. During the 1990s Guinea harbored as many as half a million refugees from Sierra Leone and Liberia, more refugees than any other African country for much of that decade. About half sought refuge in the volatile "Parrot’s Beak" region of southwest Guinea, a wedge of land jutting into Sierra Leone near the Liberian border. Many were relocated within Guinea in the early 2000s because the area suffered repeated cross-border attacks from various government and rebel forces, as well as anti-refugee violence.

elderly dependency ratio

6.1

potential support ratio

16.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

82.4

youth dependency ratio

76.3

improved: rural

rural: 76.9% of population

improved: total

total: 85.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 23.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 14.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.5% of population

2.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

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.)

2.36 (2024 est.)

0.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)

female

42.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

51.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

47 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

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

note

note: about 40 languages are spoken; each ethnic group has its own language

female

66.6 years

male

62.7 years

total population

64.6 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

31.3% (2021)

male

61.2%

total population

45.3%

2.111 million CONAKRY (capital) (2023)

553 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

19.6 years

male

19.2 years

total

19.4 years (2024 est.)

19.9 years (2018 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

adjective

Guinean

noun

Guinean(s)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

7.7% (2016)

0.23 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

female

7,000,573 (2024 est.)

male

6,985,606

total

13,986,179

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

2.74% (2024 est.)

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

improved: rural

rural: 38.7% of population

improved: total

total: 58% of population

improved: urban

urban: 90.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 61.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 42% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 9.1% of population

female

8 years (2014)

male

10 years

total

9 years

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.83 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

4.78 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

3.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

38.1% of total population (2023)

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

etymology

according to tradition, the name derives from the fusion of the name Cona, a Baga wine and cheese producer who lived on Tombo Island (the original site of the present-day capital), and the word nakiri, which in Susu means "the other bank" or "the other side"; supposedly, Baga's palm grove produced the best wine on the island and people traveling to sample his vintage, would say: "I am going to Cona, on the other bank (Cona-nakiri)," which over time became Conakry

geographic coordinates

9 30 N, 13 42 W

name

Conakry

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Guinea

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

na

amendments

proposed by the National Assembly or by the president of the republic; consideration of proposals requires approval by simple majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires approval in referendum; the president can opt to submit amendments directly to the Assembly, in which case approval requires at least two-thirds majority vote; revised in 2020

history

previous 1958, 1990; 2010 and a referendum in 2020, which was suspended on 5 September 2021 via a coup d’etat; on 27 September, the Transitional Charter was released, which supersedes the constitution until a new constitution is promulgated

conventional long form

Republic of Guinea

conventional short form

Guinea

etymology

the country is named after the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea and stretches north to the Sahel

former

French Guinea

local long form

République de Guinée

local short form

Guinée

chief of mission

Ambassador Troy Damian FITRELL (since January 2022)

email address and website

ConakryACS@state.govhttps://gn.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry

FAX

[224] 65-10-42-97

mailing address

2110 Conakry Place, Washington DC  20521-2110

telephone

[224] 65-10-40-00

chancery

2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Fatoumata KABA (since 19 April 2023)

consulate(s)

Los Angelos

email address and website

http://guineaembassyusa.org/en/welcome-to-the-embassy-of-guinea-washington-usa/

FAX

[1] (202) 986-3800

telephone

[1] (202) 986-4300

cabinet

formerly the Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - on 5 September 2021, the military arrested and detained the president, suspended the constitution, and dissolved the government and legislature

chief of state

President Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA (since 1 October 2021)

election results

2020: Alpha CONDE reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Alpha CONDE (RPG) 59.5%, Cellou Dalein DIALLO (UFDG) 33.5%, other 7%2015: Alpha CONDE reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Alpha CONDE (RPG) 57.8%, Cellou Dalein DIALLO (UFDG) 31.4%, other 10.8%

elections/appointments

formerly, the president was directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) and the prime minister appointed by the president; election last held on 18 October 2020; note - a new election timetable has not been announced by the transitional government; note - on 5 September 2021, Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA led a military coup in which President CONDE was arrested and detained, the constitution suspended, and the government and People's National Assembly dissolved; on 1 October 2021, DOUMBOUYA was sworn in as transitional president

head of government

Prime Minister Mamadou Oury BAH (since 27 February 2024)

three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; red represents the people's sacrifice for liberation and work; yellow stands for the sun, for the riches of the earth, and for justice; green symbolizes the country's vegetation and unity

note

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the reverse of those on the flags of neighboring Mali and Senegal

presidential republic

2 October 1958 (from France)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Administrative Chamber and Civil, Penal, and Social Chamber; court consists of the first president, 2 chamber presidents, 10 councilors, the solicitor general, and NA deputies); Constitutional Court - suspended on 5 September 2021

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court first president appointed by the national president after consultation with the National Assembly; other members appointed by presidential decree; members serve 9-year terms until age 65

subordinate courts

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; High Court of Justice or Cour d'Assises; Court of Account (Court of Auditors); Courts of First Instance (Tribunal de Premiere Instance); labor court; military tribunal; justices of the peace; specialized courts

civil law system based on the French model

description

formerly the People's National Assembly

election results

81 members of the National Transitional Council appointed on 22 January 2022 by the transitional president; the members represent all of the country's socio-professional organizations and political parties

elections

81 members to the Transitional National Council were appointed by the transitional president Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA on 22 January 2022; elections for a permanent legislature had not been announced as of late January 2022

note

note: on 5 September 2021, Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA led a military coup in which President CONDE was arrested and detained, the constitution suspended, and the government and People's National Assembly dissolved; in January 2022, an 81-member Transitional National Council was installed; in February 2024, Guinea's military leaders dissolved the government

lyrics/music

unknown/Fodeba KEITA

name

"Liberte" (Liberty)

note

note: adopted 1958

selected World Heritage Site locales

Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve

total World Heritage Sites

1 (natural)

Independence Day, 2 October (1958)

elephant; national colors: red, yellow, green

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 MNDDemocratic 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 UFDGUnion 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

18 years of age; universal

cassava, rice, groundnuts, oil palm fruit, maize, fonio, plantains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

expenditures

$2.014 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$1.949 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$2.685 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$4.639 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$3.35 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external 2022

$3.329 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Currency

Guinean francs (GNF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2016

8,967.927 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

9,088.319 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

9,011.134 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

9,183.876 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

9,565.082 (2020 est.)

Exports 2020

$8.996 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$10.266 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$8.898 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

gold, aluminum ore, coconuts/Brazil nuts/cashews, cocoa beans, fish (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

China 37%, India 27%, UAE 25%, Switzerland 3%, Spain 2% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

39.2% (2023 est.)

government consumption

12.3% (2023 est.)

household consumption

52% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-29.8% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

28.2% (2023 est.)

industry

31.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

31.9% (2023 est.)

$23.612 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

29.6 (2018 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

highest 10%

23.1% (2018 est.)

lowest 10%

3.5% (2018 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2020

$6.314 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$5.353 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$5.749 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, rice, garments, plastic products, wheat (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 37%, India 10%, Netherlands 8%, UAE 4%, Belgium 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

11.47% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

12.6% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

10.49% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

7.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

4.401 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

43.7% (2018 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2017

37.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$50.543 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$52.918 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$56.655 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.9% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.7% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

7.06% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$3,700 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$3,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$4,000 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

2.14% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

2.51% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

2.36% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018

$1.242 billion (2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019

$1.379 billion (2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$1.499 billion (2020 est.)

16.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

5.77% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

5.33% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.3% (2023 est.)

female

8.2% (2023 est.)

male

6.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

7.3% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

5,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

4.497 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

4.502 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

imports

2,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

2.625 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.191 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

418.8 million kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - rural areas

21.3%

electrification - total population

47.7% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

91%

fossil fuels

33.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

65.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

4.891 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

30,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.01 (2020 est.)

total

1,000 (2020 est.)

Government maintains control over broadcast media; single state-run TV station; state-run radio broadcast station also operates several stations in rural areas; a dozen private television stations; a steadily increasing number of 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

percent of population

35% (2021 est.)

total

4.9 million (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line teledensity is less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership is just over 105 per 100 persons (2020)

general assessment

the number of mobile subscribers grew strongly while revenue also increased steadily; fixed broadband services are still very limited and expensive, though there have been some positive developments in recent years; the landing of the first international submarine cable in 2012, and the setting up of an IXP in mid-2013, increased the bandwidth available to the ISPs, and helped reduce the cost of internet services for end-users; a National Backbone Network was completed in mid-2020, connecting administrative centers across the country; almost all internet connections are made via mobile networks; GSM services account for a dwindling proportion of connections, in line with the greater reach of services based on 3G and LTE (2022)

international

country code - 224; ACE submarine cable connecting Guinea with 20 landing points in Western and South Africa and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2021 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

0 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

102 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

13.795 million (2021 est.)

16 (2024)

3X

1 (2024)

by type

other 2

total

2 (2023)

key ports

Benti, Conakry, Kamsar, Victoria

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

2

total ports

4 (2024)

very small

3

narrow gauge

807 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

standard gauge

279 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge

total

1,086 km (2017)

paved

3,346 km

total

44,301 km

unpaved

40,955 km (2018)

1,300 km (2011) (navigable by shallow-draft native craft in the northern part of the Niger River system)

the Guinean military is a small and lightly armed force that is responsible for territorial defense, but also has some domestic security responsibilities and has historically been involved in suppressing public protests; the military has undergone some attempts at reform since 2010, but in 2021 the Army’s special forces led a military overthrow of the government (2024)

Guinean (or National) Armed Forces (Forces Armées Guinéennes): Army (Armée de terre), Air Force (Armée de l'air), Navy (Armée de mer), Presidential Security Battalion (Battailon Autonome de la Sécurité Presidentielle, BASP), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale) (2024)

note

note: the National Gendarmerie is overseen by the Ministry of Defense, while the National Police is under the Ministry of Security; the Gendarmerie and National Police share responsibility for internal security, but only the Gendarmerie can arrest police or military officials

approximately 12,000 active personnel, including about 1,500 Gendarmerie (2023)

the Guinean military's inventory consists almost entirely of Soviet-era weapons and equipment along with small amounts of secondhand material from China, France, Russia, and South Africa  (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

18 years of age for voluntary and selective conscripted service; 9-12 months of service (2023)

NA

carbon dioxide emissions

3 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

11.13 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

37.57 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

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

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

severe localized food insecurity

due to reduced incomes - levels of acute food insecurity are expected to increase in 2023; food prices are likely to remain at high levels, supported by the unfolding effects of the war in Ukraine on international trade; nearly 710,000 people are projected to be acutely food insecure during the June to August 2023 lean season, an improvement compared to 2022 when about 1.22 million people were estimated to face acute food insecurity; acute food insecurity is mainly driven by high food prices (2023)

agricultural land

58.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 11.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 43.5% (2018 est.)

forest

26.5% (2018 est.)

other

15.4% (2018 est.)

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 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Senegal (456,397 sq km)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

4.81% of GDP (2018 est.)

226 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

600 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

3.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

38.1% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

596,911 tons (1996 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

29,846 tons (2005 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

5% (2005 est.)