Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Guinea. The Niger and its important tributary the Milo River have their sources in the Guinean highlands. Mother's mean age at first birth is 19.9 years (2018 est.) (Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 553 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Location | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone |
---|---|
Geographic coordinates | 11 00 N, 10 00 W |
Map references | Africa |
Tarrain | generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior |
Natural Resources | bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt |
Natural Hazards | hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season |
Irrigated Land | 950 sq km (2012) |
Major rivers (by length in km) | 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 |
Major aquifers | |
Land Boundaries | 4,046 km |
Border Countries | Cote d'Ivoire 816 km; Guinea-Bissau 421 km; Liberia 590 km; Mali 1062 km; Senegal 363 km; Sierra Leone 794 km |
Coastline | 320 km |
Climate | generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds |
Area | |
Total Area | |
Land Area | 245,717 sq km |
Water Area | 140 sq km |
comparative Area | slightly smaller than Oregon; slightly larger than twice the size of Pennsylvania |
Maritime Claims | |
Territorial sea | 12 nm |
Exclusive economic zone | 200 nm |
Elevations | |
Highest point | Mont Nimba 1,752 m |
Lowest point | Atlantic Ocean 0 m |
Mean elevation | 472 m |
Land Use | |
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.) |
Areas of highest density are in the west and south; interior is sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map
In Guinea, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: 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.)
Population | |
---|---|
Pop growth rate | 2.74% (2024 est.) |
Birth rate | 35.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
Death rate | 7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
Health expenditure | 4% of GDP (2020) |
Physicians Density | |
Hospital bed Density | 0.3 beds/1,000 population (2011) |
Total fertility rate | 4.78 children born/woman (2024 est.) |
Gross reproduction rate | 2.36 (2024 est.) |
Contraceptive prevalence rate | 10.9% (2018) |
Est married women (ages 15-49) | 68.7% (2023 est.) |
Literacy | age 15 and over can read and write |
Education expenditures | 2.2% of GDP (2020 est.) |
Net Migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
Nationality | Guinean | Guinean(s) |
Languages | French (official), Pular, Maninka, Susu, other native languages |
Religions | Muslim 85.2%, Christian 13.4%, animist 0.2%, none 1.2% (2018 est.) |
Age Structure | |
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) |
Dependency Ratios | |
Total dependency ratio | 82.4 |
Youth dependency ratio | 76.3 |
Elderly dependency ratio | 6.1 |
Potential support ratio | 16.3 (2021 est.) |
Median Age | |
Total | 19.4 years (2024 est.) |
Male | 19.2 years |
Female | 19.6 years |
Urbanization | |
Urban population | 38.1% of total population (2023) |
Rate of urbanization | 3.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) |
Major urban areas (Pop) | 2.111 million CONAKRY (capital) (2023). |
Sex Ratio | |
At birth | 1.03 male(s)/female |
0-14 years | 1.02 male(s)/female |
15-64 years | 1 male(s)/female |
65 years and over | 0.83 male(s)/female |
Total population | 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.) |
Infant Motality | |
Total | 47 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) |
Male | 51.6 deaths/1,000 live births |
Female | 42.3 deaths/1,000 live births |
Life Expectancy at birth | |
Total population | 64.6 years (2024 est.) |
Male | 62.7 years |
Female | 66.6 years |
Drinking Water Sources | |
Improved: urban | urban: 99.5% of population |
Improved: rural | rural: 76.9% of population |
Improved: total | total: 85.2% of population |
Unimproved: urban | urban: 0.5% of population |
Unimproved: rural | rural: 23.1% of population |
Unimproved: total | total: 14.8% of population (2020 est.) |
Sanitation facility acess | |
Improved: urban | urban: 90.9% of population |
Improved: rural | rural: 38.7% of population |
Improved: total | total: 58% of population |
Unimproved: urban | urban: 9.1% of population |
Unimproved: rural | rural: 61.3% of population |
Unimproved: total | total: 42% of population (2020 est.) |
Major Infectious diseases | |
Degree of risk | very high (2023) |
Food or waterborne diseases | bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever |
Vectorborne diseases | malaria, dengue fever, and sexually transmitted diseases: hepatitis B (2024) |
Water contact diseases | schistosomiasis |
Animal contact diseases | rabies |
Aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases | Lassa fever |
Alcohol consumption per capita | |
Total | 0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
Beer | 0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
Wine | 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
Spirits | 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
Other alcohols | 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
Child marriage | |
Women married by age 15 | 17% |
Women married by age 18 | 46.5% |
Men married by age 18 | 1.9% (2018 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.
Want to know more about Guinea? Check all different factbooks for Guinea below.