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Basic Facts |
Country name |
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
conventional short form: Guinea local long form: Republique de Guinee local short form: Guinee former: French Guinea |
Gevernment type | republic |
Capital |
name: Conakry
geographic coordinates: 9 31 N, 13 43 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Flag description | three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia |
Currency | Guinean franc (GNF) |
Internet country code | .gn |
Ports and terminals | Kamsar |
Agriculture products | rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava (tapioca), bananas, sweet potatoes; cattle, sheep, goats; timber |
Industries | bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries |
Geography |
Location | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone |
Coordinates | 11 00 N, 10 00 W |
Continent | Africa |
Area |
total: 245,857 sq km
land: 245,857 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Boundaries |
total: 3,399 km
border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 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 |
Terrain | 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 |
People |
Population | 9,690,222 (July 2006 est.) |
Ethnic groups | Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10% |
Religions | Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% |
Languages | French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language |