Republic of Guinea
Western Africa
Lush · Mineral · Vibrant
Guinea (officially Republic of Guinea) is a country located in Western Africa. Its capital city is Conakry, with other major cities including Nzérékoré and Kankan. With a population of approximately 13.5M, the main language spoken is French. The country covers an area of 245,857 km². The official currency is the Guinean franc (Fr). Traffic drives on the right side.
Guinea holds roughly half of the world's known bauxite reserves — the ore used to make aluminium — yet remains one of the world's poorest countries, a classic example of the 'resource curse'.
Conakry serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Guinea, positioned in Western Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Nzérékoré, Kankan, Kindia — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Conakry occupies a 36-kilometre peninsula jutting into the Atlantic whose geography concentrates 2.5 million people into a linear city with chronic traffic gridlock on a road network designed for a fraction of its current population — a capital built on the site of the Tombo fishing village whose fishing community remains active on the same peninsula as high-rise government ministries.
With a population of approximately 13.5M, Guinea is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is French, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Guinea is reached via the dialling code +224. Guineans are predominantly Fulani (Peul), Malinké, and Soussou people in a country sitting on 40% of the world's bauxite reserves, 25% of the world's iron ore reserves, and significant gold and diamond deposits — extraordinary natural resource wealth that has funded military coups, political instability, and foreign mining company profits while the majority of the population lives in poverty.
Guinea spans 245,857 km², in the Western Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 11.0°N, 10.0°W, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.
The official currency is the Guinean franc (Fr), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Guinea's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Football holds a special place in the heart of Guinea's national identity. Football is Guinea's sport of passion, with the Sily Nationale (National Elephant) occasionally qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations — but the country's most distinctive sporting tradition is the Djembé drumming competition, where drummers from different communities compete in rhythmic complexity and endurance in events that blur the boundary between musical performance and athletic contest.
The highest point in Guinea is Mont Nimba, rising to 1,752 metres above sea level. Mount Nimba on the border of Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and Liberia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve protecting one of West Africa's most biodiverse mountain ecosystems — the only known habitat of the viviparous toad (Nimbaphrynoides occidentalis), a toad that gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs, unique among all amphibians.