01
Physical geography
Generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior.
Local timeConakry ·
Africa / Western Africa · Card 023
Guinea
Guinea is a country in Western Africa. Its capital is Conakry.
Find Guinea
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Conakry
- Languages
- French
- Currency
- Guinean franc (GNF)
- Population
- 15.1 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 245,857 km²94,926 square miles
- Independence
- 1958from France
Guinea in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Conakry; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include French.
03
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone.
Flag
Three equal vertical bands of red (left side), yellow, and green
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
History & independence
Guinea voted against remaining in the French Community in the 1958 referendum and became independent on 2 October that year. Its subsequent history includes one-party rule, military governments and electoral transitions.
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A referendum is followed by independence
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A military takeover follows Sékou Touré’s death
-
A new constitution is approved by referendum
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Economy
Main activities
Bauxite and gold mining are major sources of exports. Agriculture supports many households, while large iron-ore deposits have attracted investment. Transport and electricity infrastructure are important development needs.
Industry and production
bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron ore; light manufacturing, agricultural processing
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people15.12025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4,277,535 | 4.278 |
| 1980 | 5,047,419 | 5.047 |
| 1990 | 6,434,374 | 6.434 |
| 2000 | 8,428,832 | 8.429 |
| 2010 | 10,396,086 | 10.396 |
| 2020 | 13,371,183 | 13.371 |
| 2025 | 15,099,727 | 15.100 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars16.62025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3,528,427,546 | 3.528 |
| 1991 | 3,620,640,283 | 3.621 |
| 1992 | 3,739,069,519 | 3.739 |
| 1993 | 3,927,673,590 | 3.928 |
| 1994 | 4,083,606,124 | 4.084 |
| 1995 | 4,271,765,349 | 4.272 |
| 1996 | 4,462,353,367 | 4.462 |
| 1997 | 4,693,574,824 | 4.694 |
| 1998 | 4,864,614,381 | 4.865 |
| 1999 | 5,050,053,677 | 5.050 |
| 2000 | 5,176,459,579 | 5.176 |
| 2001 | 5,365,832,406 | 5.366 |
| 2002 | 5,642,956,694 | 5.643 |
| 2003 | 5,713,414,722 | 5.713 |
| 2004 | 5,847,115,330 | 5.847 |
| 2005 | 6,022,369,313 | 6.022 |
| 2006 | 6,094,011,546 | 6.094 |
| 2007 | 6,509,469,022 | 6.509 |
| 2008 | 6,778,506,429 | 6.779 |
| 2009 | 6,702,408,066 | 6.702 |
| 2010 | 7,025,019,106 | 7.025 |
| 2011 | 7,419,271,030 | 7.419 |
| 2012 | 7,858,142,150 | 7.858 |
| 2013 | 8,168,199,850 | 8.168 |
| 2014 | 8,470,141,696 | 8.470 |
| 2015 | 8,794,201,743 | 8.794 |
| 2016 | 9,745,789,528 | 9.746 |
| 2017 | 10,749,606,370 | 10.750 |
| 2018 | 11,433,119,224 | 11.433 |
| 2019 | 12,075,307,752 | 12.075 |
| 2020 | 12,643,401,589 | 12.643 |
| 2021 | 13,349,198,344 | 13.349 |
| 2022 | 13,879,482,946 | 13.879 |
| 2023 | 14,648,645,956 | 14.649 |
| 2024 | 15,432,355,340 | 15.432 |
| 2025 | 16,581,617,763 | 16.582 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.500Low human developmentRank 179 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.282
20000.359
20100.430
20200.488
20230.500
60.7 yearsLife expectancy at birth
2.5 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Presidential republic under the constitution approved in 2025. The presidential election in December 2025 was followed by an inauguration in January 2026, replacing the preceding military-transition presidency.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Knowledge check
Three questions about Guinea.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which currency is listed for Guinea?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile · Government update
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.